“Trey!” Kailey appears with Drew in her arms, but I don’t change my stance, waiting for the kid to disappear.
“Whatever, Trey, why don’t you listen to your baby mamma,” he sneers.
A chuckle escapes me from the balls of this kid. God, he reminds me of myself a little bit.
“Nah, I think the little girl wants to play again, maybe even her sister,” I casually shrug my shoulders and turn around toward the girls, who are now staring at the scene unfolding in front of them. Their big eyes darting between me and the punk. “Chloe, you want another token?” I hand her one, but she shakes her head.
“No, I’m done,” she says, hopping off the chair and walking toward another game.
I stand there in disbelief that she’s not even staying out of the pure will to make this kids life hell. Kailey giggles behind me, and I shake my head in disbelief while the now smug kid makes the move for the seat. I’m half tempted to squeeze in before him, shoving my token in first. Then my Zen counterpart comes along side of me. “Come on, baby daddy. The pizza’s ready,” she swings her arm through mine, laughing the whole time. Even Drew’s bottom two teeth are sticking out in amusement to the little showdown.
The girls and I eat the pizza, while Kailey nibbles on hers and feeds Drew small pieces. Once I finish, I instruct her to eat while I handle Drew. Playing a little game of zoom zoom airplane, landing small pieces of pizza on his tongue while he laughs in delight, we end with a few games of peek-a-boo. Chloe and Tara grow restless, so we give them some tokens and let them venture out to the games around us.
Watching Kailey keep her eyes on them and what’s happening around us, tells me mother’s instinct aren’t something that automatically comes after you push the kid out. Sometimes it’s just brought on. She’s not only these three kids’ aunt, she’s their second mother. Jen could never be replaced, but Kailey’s a great substitute.
Kailey and Drew finish and the three of us join Chloe and Tara. Watching the excitement in all their faces makes coming to this insane rave like atmosphere for children halfway okay. Kailey and I do a little competition on the basketball game ourselves, and I find out where Chloe gets her nothing but net shot. Except neither have anything on me. I beat out Kailey not once, but twice. It rolls off her back no problem, another reason I love her, she’s as laid back as me.
Then out of nowhere, Tara starts whining for a token. When I tell her we’re out, she throws herself onto the floor, screaming. Shit, they must pump something into the vents to make the kids go bat crazy. This is foreign behavior for Tara. I bend down to her level to attempt to rationalize with her, mistake one. Tears stream down her face, and I’m about to buy another crap load of tokens when Kailey says, “Time to go. Pick her up. She’s just tired. She’ll fall asleep on the way home.” How the fuck does she know that?
I wrap my arms under Tara’s to pick her up. Her legs kick and her arms flail as though she’s drowning in the crumb filled disgusting pool of carpeting. Then the aliens have completely taken over her little body. Screams bellow out of her small lungs as her feet leave little bruises all over my legs. “Let’s just buy some more tokens,” I shout over to Kailey, who’s putting Drew’s coat on. I guess that’s a no from the death stare she returns my way. Maybe I should mention I’m not asking for a three way, just to give this little three headed monster some coins. Keeping my mouth shut, I grab my jacket from the bench, throw Tara’s in between us. Lucky for me, Kailey’s handling Drew and Chloe. However, even with this two to one ratio, I think I got the raw end of the deal. Actually, I’m sure of it as I watch the trio ahead of me calmly walk through the front doors while Tara’s screams become louder screeches the closer we get to the front door.
That teenage girl stops me with some sort of black light, waiting for our wrists. Kailey stands on the other side of the rope, and I sigh, pulling my wrist out, holding Tara out with one arm. Can this little bubblegum chomping girl not tell I’m about to get kicked in the nuts if I don’t control her legs? After we’re cleared to leave the premises, I turn back around and say, “You should really think about selling alcohol.”
“Oh sir, we don’t want any responsibility for parents driving—” she starts her most likely well-rehearsed Showtime Palace response.
“Not for me, for ones like this,” I interrupt and point to Tara. The young girl looks at me confused, no doubt those tight clothes are cutting off the circulation to her brain. “Yeah, never mind.” Realizing she’s not getting my joke.
“Oh, I gotcha,” she laughs as the door shuts behind us.
“Trey, she’s probably still trying to put it together.” Kailey laughs. With a calming Tara in my arms, her cries still there, but slowing, I stare down at Kailey. I love her so much. I’d put myself through this hell every day for the rest of life, with one stipulation; she has to be with me. “What are you staring at?” She knocks me with her hip.
“The most beautiful girl,” I say and wink at her.
“Oh, Trey,” she looks up at me with those sparkling eyes and love induced smile.
“Did you catch her? She just turned the corner,” I tease, and laughter erupts out of her.
“And here I was being all arrogant thinking you were talking about me.” She ventures to her side of the van and after we buckle everyone in, we stare at each other from both open doors.
“Be arrogant, be smug, be confident, baby. To me you’re the top number one billboard hit of all time; that one song that people try to redo, but nothing compares to the original. The first version is so amazing and beautiful that no one can even come close.” She smiles widely over to me, and climbing into the seats we shut the doors.
“You’re number two on that list, babe.” She winks, strapping herself in.
“Hey, can’t we be tied,” I joke.
“There’s only one number one, you said so yourself,” she teases, giving me that heart melting smile.
“That I did, baby—that I did,” I agree and we look into each other’s eyes for a few beats, knowing how lucky we are.
“Can we go now?” Chloe pleads from the backseat.
Giving Kailey a wink, I start up the soccer mom mobile.
One thing can be said for Showtime Pizza Palace, it might be a few hours of hell, but you get rewarded tenfold when they all crash. The low music plays in the van with nothing but silence from the passengers. Kailey and I don’t talk, and I wonder when this became so comfortable. It’s only been a short few months and I’ve already turned in my black book for a chore chart. The astonishing thing is I love it.
When I think about Jen and her impending death, it ties me up in knots. I can’t imagine knowing I have such a limited time to be with my children and leave them in the hands of others. I’d rather go quickly and not have to think about it. Kailey and I will definitely be there for these three kids and Caden when Jen passes, but I hope, on some level, Kailey and I will be able to build a family together as well. Of course, stay close to her family. I would never take that away from her or the kids. Eventually, Caden will want to start again, maybe remarry. Right? Then again, I’m most certain if Kailey died, I’d never recover. Shit, not that we’re married now, although some days it feels like it.
With me starting the job and her moving in with them, our lives have shifted. Our time is more limited, but that doesn’t stop me from loving her or wanting her. I see her pulling away more and more every day as the inevitable comes closer. She’s always talking about my exciting job and how all she did was take the kids to the park or found some new craft to do with the girls. The worry etches in her face as our lives move in two directions. I enjoy hearing about what she did; it only makes me wish I was with them. She doesn’t see that, though. All she sees is the difference between our days.