Samantha seems lost and confused because of some circumstances and the divorce she wanted to avoid. Henry is still present and even more mysterious.
All mistakes and errors are mine and mine alone, sorry you will have to deal with that. It is what it is, amateur writing for my enjoyment and maybe yours.
All constructive comments will be welcomed.
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Chapter 1
Things around the house were not very good. The children sensed some thing was wrong and were moody and melancholy at times. Hell, I was even moody and depressed a lot of the time in the past few weeks.
I told my children mommy and daddy were unhappy with each other and maybe Daddy wanted to live in his own house. I didn't know how else to explain divorce to my children.
Samantha didn't like that idea and didn't take it well, which I knew she wouldn't. It hurt me deeply, and seeing that look in their eyes and wiping away the tears, it hurt more than what Theodore had done.
My daughter began shunning me, we didn't do story time any more or have little conversations like we had been before all this. We didn't do tickle time any more either.
One of her little friends at school filled in all the blanks, I became the center of her anger. I was even told I must be a bad mommy if her daddy wanted to live in another house. Maybe she should live with him, that hurt.
I asked her, 'Who always reads story time, and tucks her in and gives goodnight kisses. Who gets the tangles out of her hair and plays tickle time with her'. She sat there a few minutes.
Then my little darling asked if he was a bad daddy, because her daddy doesn't do those things. Also that her father and I don't have story time and tickle time together anymore, either. Little Samantha had been paying more attention to things than I realized.
I quickly realized what she was saying, and that stopped me dead in my tracks. Conversation over for now.
I had made that arrangement with Theodore for the children and some for my clinging delusion we might have a complete family in some way, maybe.
He was with the children while I went shopping one day. He left shortly after I got home. He evidently was talking on the phone to a woman. He said something about the divorce and other things in front of Samantha. He also had scolded her for getting in his favorite cookies, at the same time. Which Samantha considered their cookies, her and her father's only.
I could tell she was upset and maybe she had been crying when I got home. I went outside to check on little Teddy playing, and noticed she was staring hard at those cookies. I took a quick count like mother's do and checked on Teddy.
I came back in and she was still staring at the cookies, so I told her she could have two before dinner.
She just shook her head and said she doesn't want them anymore, they were divorced. She never ate another double stuffed Oreo.
She slept in my bed for two weeks and we managed to get past it all. My little Samantha's world fell apart over a fucking cookie.
I couldn't see the arrangement working now, plus, Henry even told me it would do more harm to the children, than good.
I told Theodore he needed to find a place of his own after that conversation with my daughter. This arrangement was hurting the children and not doing either us any good also, especially me. I needed to move on.
It seemed Theodore was too busy enjoying is 'single' status to be very concerned with his children anyway.
Theodore found new employment and was moved out with in six weeks after the divorce was final and I had that talk with him. After Theodore moved out the tension in the house dropped dramatically.
Little Samantha and Teddy figured things out quickly when their father had 'things' to do when it was time to spend their weekend with their father. To often these 'things' would come up. He even promised a day at an amusement park and didn't take them, because of a 'thing'.
Theodore managed to alienate his children in the first year.
I was getting the 'What ever' and some attitude from them at times, when their weekends together came around.
I couldn't believe what an immature asshole Theodore had become. I reflected on that, I realized he always had been a little immature. It was like he never really left his college days behind. The asshole part developed in the last few years, I just didn't see it.
The children and I moved forward. Theodore was left behind unfortunately, for him.
Chapter 2
The school year was coming to a close and I knew I was going to need a daycare or a sitter for the children.
It was the last day of school as I picked the children up on Friday. They were all excited for two reasons. One reason, summer was here, to them, and second, they had a little vacation planned.
The children were going to spend time with mom and dad, my parents idea, for the week. Samantha and Teddy were all excited about that. Grandma and Paw-Paw tended to spoil them.
That meant I had more time to find daycare or a new sitter, Mandy wasn't going to work, I didn't believe.
I called in a pizza delivery for dinner, I didn't want to spend time cooking. I wanted to play and enjoy my little darlings before the left for the week, I knew I was going to miss them.
Saturday morning I had the children's things packed and a few favorite toys all ready to go. Mom and Dad arrived and we talked for awhile. They told me some of their plans for the children, which included some little one day trips.
We had a burger lunch at a fast food place, then after hugs, many kisses, and 'I love you' they were on their way.
I walked back in the house, a very quiet house. I had a whole week to myself and wasn't quite sure what to do with it, other than work. My mind drifted to Henry for a few minutes.
I went to the kitchen for a iced tea and looked at the mail lying there. I shuffled through it and noticed some thing from the HOA. They were warning me my lawn needed cutting. Dad even mentioned it was getting over grown, he even wanted to mow it that day but I wouldn't let him.
I went to the garage and drug the mower out thinking I could get this done that afternoon. I opened the garage door and checked the mower out and began to pull the start rope. It wouldn't start after several pulls.
I was beginning to get angry, it had always started before. I looked it over again and pulled on the rope some more to no avail.
I was beginning to sweat from the work out I was getting and the frustration I was feeling. I heard a mower quit running.
I looked over at my neighbor across the street, James, an older black man. I had spoke to him and his wife Sherry before. I waved to him and he waved back as I wiped my forehead staring at the mower.
I turned and walked into the house for a cold drink.
I returned to the garage to find James standing by the mower.
He was dressed in shorts and a pullover numbered sports jersey. His shorts were rather snug, in the wrong places.
"Oh. Hi, neighbor." I said.
"You having a problem with this thing?" James asked, in his deep voice.
I quickly drew my eyes up to his smiling face, I blushed a ever so slightly. I smiled back looking up to his towering face.
"Uh, ya, the damn thing won't start Mr. Johnson and I need to get this lawn mowed. The HOA sent me a warning." I said.
"Call me Jim, or James, Miss Samantha, and I know. I put the notice in your box personally." James said.
His voice had an undesired affect on me, as I was only dressed in shorts and a white t-shirt, minus underthings. He noticed I'm sure through his dark sun glasses, my bumpy t-shirt, as he chuckled.
"Oh! I see. I didn't mean to let it get so over grown." I said.
I was going to try to explain my way out.
He just chuckled and said he knew that, it was just some thing he had to do being president of the HOA.
"I think I know what is wrong here. I don't think it will run with out getting a new part. My mower is just like your's." James said. "The carb shot craps on mine, most likely same thing here. They're a piece of junk, those carbs."
I asked how much that would cost me and he said really not much, twenty or thirty dollars. Then I asked where I could buy one and he told me he got his from Amazon.
I began asking the obvious non-mechanic questions. Where is this carb located, and how do I know what one to get, what tools I need, ect. He chuckled at me as he squatted down.
James took some thing off the mower and showed me were this carb was, I was bent way over and looking when he raised his sunglasses and said.
"Tell ya what, I will get the carburetor. When it gets here I'll take it out and stick it in for ya, few pulls you should be runnin' and havin' fun." James said.
I giggled at him saying 'havin' fun', I knew he was being sarcastic, when a voice startled both of us. It was his wife Sherry.
"Take it out, stick it in. Few pulls and she be havin' fun! What the fuck! James!" Sherry said.
James and I both stood up quickly and faced her. James looked at me and then Sherry and back at me, his eyes wide. It dawned on me what she said and how.
I started stammering 'Oh my gawd, n,n,no Sherry'. Sherry took a stepped towards us and I backed up. 'He was talking about the thingy'. Wrong words she cocked her head and looked at James again.
My mouth wouldn't quit and my brain didn't help, I pointed to the mower with both hands. I was speaking too fast also.
"The lawn mower thingy, not his thingy. It's broken, James said he would take it out and put in me, the new thingy." I said.
"So he is going to put a, new thingy, in you?" She said, looking right at me with a raised brow.
James started chuckling and Sherry had a half grin on her caramel colored face at what I said.
I was shaking and starting to hyperventilate, finally realizing what I just said. I looked to James for help but he stayed silent.
I didn't want Sherry to think I was flirting with her husband. Well, maybe a little, he is quite attractive. Sherry began to smile.
"I don't think it will fit, sweety." Sherry said.
I must have got that really puzzled look, with my addled brain. Sherry began to smile and giggle as I turned beet red.