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Planetoid
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2019
- Location
- USA
"I put Ollie down for a nap." Cat said as she descended from the last step of the staircase, hand sliding down the smooth wooden banister as she rounded the newel post.
Her mother, a middle-aged woman with short, light brown hair stood in front of the decorative mirror that hung by the front door. She was in the process of cleaning it with a paper towel, Windex in her grasp. She sprayed the glass a second time, clicking her tongue when she saw that, despite her best efforts, there were still a couple of streaks. Another spray would surely be the solution.
"Good. He was definitely ready for one." She was referring to how cranky her grandson had been prior to being brought upstairs and into one of the guest rooms. The paper towel squeaked, and she added, "I still don't understand why Kelly thought it would be best for you to be his guardian." The older woman twisted at the hip, glancing at her eldest daughter over her shoulder. "No offense, honey, but your father and I raised two children while you've...killed two fish."
"Mom, we are not having this conversation again." The younger brunette's tone should have left no room for argument, but that never stopped her mother before. Leaning against the spiraled end of the banister, Cat crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "I take good care of Ollie. He's happy with me."
Sure, it wasn't easy being a twenty-two year-old single mother, starting her senior year of college while working part-time, but there was something about having a two-year old that kept her grounded. She was certain that was what had happened for Kelly, who, until unexpectedly becoming pregnant with Ollie, really didn't have much direction in life. There was nothing motivating her until she had decided to keep her baby; Cat had been there, with her younger twin at the OB-GYN when they saw the sweet boy for the first time. He was just a mass of cells, then, but they were both bawling their eyes out. Their mom and dad hadn't known yet, and Cat had promised to be with Kelly every step of the way. She kept that promise. Cat went to every ultrasound and doctor's visit, was there for the premature birth and visited little Ollie almost every weekend for six months while he was in the neonatal ICU. And when he finally came home, he and his mom shared a bedroom in the apartment Cat rented with her and a mutual friend of theirs.
She adored her nephew. She didn't mind babysitting or helping Kelly out with the late-night feedings and diaper changes. It all seemed worth it when he peered up at her with those pale green eyes of his.
When her mother continued to remain silent, now moving towards the narrow windows on either side of the front door, Cat decided it might be best to just change the subject. The silence was oppressive, and ever since she had arrived at her childhood home early this morning, she was wondering something. "Why are you going nuts with the cleaning? It's just the Taylors that are coming tonight, right?"
The Taylors were good friends of her parents'. They had moved into the neighborhood, just a couple of houses down, when she and Kelly were in middle school, and after meeting at a block party, the two families became inseparable. They had two sons. One of them was about her and Kelly's age, and their parents, at first, tried to force the three of them to play together. In middle school, neither her nor Kelly were interested in hanging out with a boy, and it seemed like Luke felt the same way about hanging out with them. Whenever her parents used to announce a barbecue or dinner with the Taylors, Cat would groan and ask why they had to always spend time with them; didn't her parents have any other friends? Luke and his family were also invited to every single birthday party and vice versa. Things didn't change between the twins and the Taylor boys until high school. Kelly had broken up with her first serious boyfriend their sophomore year, and while Cat was trying to comfort her at the local park one evening, Luke showed up. That was the first time Cat really remembered him being a good guy. He helped with lifting Kelly's spirits, and from then on, things were friendly between the three of them.
"Well, I am cleaning for them, but we do have a realtor coming to see the house tomorrow. I want things to be spotless."
"A realtor?" Cat straightened, taking a few steps towards her mother. This was the first she had heard of this. Were her parents planning on selling the house? "I thought you guys were waiting to retire before listing?"
Her mother let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "We were going to, but...with your father going for treatments again and being out on disability..." She trailed off and then turned to head down the little alcove beneath the stairs, into the kitchen. Cat followed. "The market's good right now, and we just think it would be better to downsize."
Translation: they couldn't afford the house anymore.
"You're no longer living with us and with your sister gone...We really don't need two guest bedrooms."
After that, the topic switched to something else. Something less important that Cat just drowned out as she slid into one of the barstools at the kitchen counter.
Her parents were selling her childhood home because they no longer had the money to keep it. This was news. Big news. And while she was upset, knowing that her days coming back to this house were numbered, Cat was more devastated because it meant that she really shouldn't ask for any financial help.
She had been toying with the idea for a while now. Kelly had left her some money. Her sister didn't have much, but whatever she did have she had split forty-sixty between Cat and her son, with Ollie getting the bigger portion. For six months, the extra money had come in handy. Cat needed child care for the first two months since Kelly's death, namely for childcare when her parents weren't around to provide it; she certainly couldn't bring a toddler to her lectures. The rest of the money had gone towards the rent on the apartment the twins had shared. Their roommate graduated the prior semester and moved out, so for a while, it was just her and Kelly splitting the difference. Now, it was Cat footing the whole bill and adding more to her grocery list for Ollie.
But the funds weren't infinite. Her parents clearly couldn't help; not to mention, Cat worried that if she said anything now, they might try to take Ollie from her.
Ollie had only been up for a half an hour when the doorbell rang.
"That'll be the Taylors," Cat's mother said, spinning around in the kitchen with a pair of oven mitts on. "Honey, could you get that?"
Her daughter knew better than to argue, so she finished up washing the last pot and placed it on the rack to dry. After quickly rubbing a towel over her hands, she headed out of the kitchen and towards the foyer. As she passed the large archway that overlooked the living room, she peeked over and saw her father laying on the rug with Ollie. They were playing with a couple of toy trains.
Cat opened the front door, ready to greet Mr. and Mrs. Taylor with a polite smile, but she was pleasantly surprised to see a third familiar face.
"Luke?" Her grin widened when her hazel-green eyes took in the sight of him. "I didn't know you were back home!" She then turned her attention to his parents. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Come on in."
The brunette stepped to the side, allowing their three guests to walk inside just as her father entered the foyer with Ollie in his arms.
Her mother, a middle-aged woman with short, light brown hair stood in front of the decorative mirror that hung by the front door. She was in the process of cleaning it with a paper towel, Windex in her grasp. She sprayed the glass a second time, clicking her tongue when she saw that, despite her best efforts, there were still a couple of streaks. Another spray would surely be the solution.
"Good. He was definitely ready for one." She was referring to how cranky her grandson had been prior to being brought upstairs and into one of the guest rooms. The paper towel squeaked, and she added, "I still don't understand why Kelly thought it would be best for you to be his guardian." The older woman twisted at the hip, glancing at her eldest daughter over her shoulder. "No offense, honey, but your father and I raised two children while you've...killed two fish."
"Mom, we are not having this conversation again." The younger brunette's tone should have left no room for argument, but that never stopped her mother before. Leaning against the spiraled end of the banister, Cat crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "I take good care of Ollie. He's happy with me."
Sure, it wasn't easy being a twenty-two year-old single mother, starting her senior year of college while working part-time, but there was something about having a two-year old that kept her grounded. She was certain that was what had happened for Kelly, who, until unexpectedly becoming pregnant with Ollie, really didn't have much direction in life. There was nothing motivating her until she had decided to keep her baby; Cat had been there, with her younger twin at the OB-GYN when they saw the sweet boy for the first time. He was just a mass of cells, then, but they were both bawling their eyes out. Their mom and dad hadn't known yet, and Cat had promised to be with Kelly every step of the way. She kept that promise. Cat went to every ultrasound and doctor's visit, was there for the premature birth and visited little Ollie almost every weekend for six months while he was in the neonatal ICU. And when he finally came home, he and his mom shared a bedroom in the apartment Cat rented with her and a mutual friend of theirs.
She adored her nephew. She didn't mind babysitting or helping Kelly out with the late-night feedings and diaper changes. It all seemed worth it when he peered up at her with those pale green eyes of his.
When her mother continued to remain silent, now moving towards the narrow windows on either side of the front door, Cat decided it might be best to just change the subject. The silence was oppressive, and ever since she had arrived at her childhood home early this morning, she was wondering something. "Why are you going nuts with the cleaning? It's just the Taylors that are coming tonight, right?"
The Taylors were good friends of her parents'. They had moved into the neighborhood, just a couple of houses down, when she and Kelly were in middle school, and after meeting at a block party, the two families became inseparable. They had two sons. One of them was about her and Kelly's age, and their parents, at first, tried to force the three of them to play together. In middle school, neither her nor Kelly were interested in hanging out with a boy, and it seemed like Luke felt the same way about hanging out with them. Whenever her parents used to announce a barbecue or dinner with the Taylors, Cat would groan and ask why they had to always spend time with them; didn't her parents have any other friends? Luke and his family were also invited to every single birthday party and vice versa. Things didn't change between the twins and the Taylor boys until high school. Kelly had broken up with her first serious boyfriend their sophomore year, and while Cat was trying to comfort her at the local park one evening, Luke showed up. That was the first time Cat really remembered him being a good guy. He helped with lifting Kelly's spirits, and from then on, things were friendly between the three of them.
"Well, I am cleaning for them, but we do have a realtor coming to see the house tomorrow. I want things to be spotless."
"A realtor?" Cat straightened, taking a few steps towards her mother. This was the first she had heard of this. Were her parents planning on selling the house? "I thought you guys were waiting to retire before listing?"
Her mother let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "We were going to, but...with your father going for treatments again and being out on disability..." She trailed off and then turned to head down the little alcove beneath the stairs, into the kitchen. Cat followed. "The market's good right now, and we just think it would be better to downsize."
Translation: they couldn't afford the house anymore.
"You're no longer living with us and with your sister gone...We really don't need two guest bedrooms."
After that, the topic switched to something else. Something less important that Cat just drowned out as she slid into one of the barstools at the kitchen counter.
Her parents were selling her childhood home because they no longer had the money to keep it. This was news. Big news. And while she was upset, knowing that her days coming back to this house were numbered, Cat was more devastated because it meant that she really shouldn't ask for any financial help.
She had been toying with the idea for a while now. Kelly had left her some money. Her sister didn't have much, but whatever she did have she had split forty-sixty between Cat and her son, with Ollie getting the bigger portion. For six months, the extra money had come in handy. Cat needed child care for the first two months since Kelly's death, namely for childcare when her parents weren't around to provide it; she certainly couldn't bring a toddler to her lectures. The rest of the money had gone towards the rent on the apartment the twins had shared. Their roommate graduated the prior semester and moved out, so for a while, it was just her and Kelly splitting the difference. Now, it was Cat footing the whole bill and adding more to her grocery list for Ollie.
But the funds weren't infinite. Her parents clearly couldn't help; not to mention, Cat worried that if she said anything now, they might try to take Ollie from her.
Ollie had only been up for a half an hour when the doorbell rang.
"That'll be the Taylors," Cat's mother said, spinning around in the kitchen with a pair of oven mitts on. "Honey, could you get that?"
Her daughter knew better than to argue, so she finished up washing the last pot and placed it on the rack to dry. After quickly rubbing a towel over her hands, she headed out of the kitchen and towards the foyer. As she passed the large archway that overlooked the living room, she peeked over and saw her father laying on the rug with Ollie. They were playing with a couple of toy trains.
Cat opened the front door, ready to greet Mr. and Mrs. Taylor with a polite smile, but she was pleasantly surprised to see a third familiar face.
"Luke?" Her grin widened when her hazel-green eyes took in the sight of him. "I didn't know you were back home!" She then turned her attention to his parents. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Come on in."
The brunette stepped to the side, allowing their three guests to walk inside just as her father entered the foyer with Ollie in his arms.
