Happy Mother's Day Weekend 💗

 

Kat was in total shock when her dad handed her the debit card. Was this for real? She knew Gavin had one, and so did her cousin, but they were older, and she knew she didn't have a real job yet, just babysitting.

"Now think of it more of a gift card than a debit card," he practically winked. "I know it's a long time coming, but you deserve something, taking care of your sister like you do."

She nodded. She knew he wouldn't have given it to her if her older sibling hadn't gotten on at the nearby grocery store. She looked at it as if it might be a gold card.

"I know you want to get your mother and your grandmothers something for Mother's Day." Her dad grinned as if he knew her well.

"Um, we've been crocheting dishcloths." She'd managed a couple, even if they were lopsided, and her little sister was still working on making a big ball of chain that might make the perfect present for Grandy's cat (Her father's mother). She'd planned to find something nice at Dollar Tree for her Mom and some soap from her grandmothers. Kat knew they expected practical gifts. She knew no one wanted a candle because it gave Grandy headaches and Grand Betty said candles caused fires.

Kat had been laid down the law about gift giving by the two of them. They both said they loved homemade gifts best and most of all, handmade Mother's Day cards. But her mother was a different story. She was still pushing everyone away, wanting to be alone most of the time. Just when Kat thought things might be back to normal during the holidays, they weren't. Her mom might give them a squeeze, but she generally ended up crying. And then they would end up crying (Kat and her sister, while her brother stayed stoic). Kat didn't like it. Still, she wanted them to spend time together. At the moment, she found herself getting the sniffles thinking about it. All they knew was that she was sick.

But now, she was alone with her dad in the kitchen at home. "Now, I know you think your mother has cancer." Her dad said out of the blue. He never said anything about her anymore. For a while, she thought her mom was moving back in, but that only lasted a weekend. They were divorced. "She is sick, but it's not cancer."

Kat sighed. She pressed her lips tight. She didn't think she could be wrong about this, but if this is what she wanted, then she'd pretend.

"She's bipolar."

For a second, she thought he was talking about sex. She looked at him, stunned. 

"You know what that is? Right?"

Kat shrugged.

"At first, it was just manic depressive. Like she'd be happy, but then she wasn't. She got us into debt. She would spend money we didn't have." Her father admitted. "And, and I wasn't sure how she might act around all of you."

Kat winced. She grew up knowing her mother was high-strung. But usually she just yelled at Dad. 

Kat licked her dry bottom lip. Maybe that was why she was on edge even if she'd grown accustomed to the drama.

"Your mom is having a hard time finding a job right now." Her dad told her this was why she was staying at Grand Betty's.

Kat sucked in a breath.

"It comes and goes." Her dad left it at that. But his words made her sad. She raked the back of her hand across her hot tears. Gavin would be here any moment. They were going with her cousin to find Mother's Day gifts.

It's time

 

Gabby had a feeling she did it this time when she looked at the receipt on her phone from the photo shoot. She winced hard, thinking why was she like this, spending money when she knew she should be saving. She put it on her credit card, so that had to help for something, right? It wasn't that she'd maxed it out, but she was still paying for Christmas.

When she got home, she noticed how the place had been tidied up.

"Did you do this?" She was shocked that Oliver had the energy to do it because he was always dragging with so many lesson plans, and now that track had started, he was helping the high school coach out for extra money from the school.

"No, Mom came over." He shrugged as if maybe he'd been through a horrible talk with her.

"What did she say?" Gabby asked out of concern, as if maybe she needed to say something to her.

"Not anything, she brought some dinners I froze so we'd have something to eat, you know-" He looked at her stomach as if he didn't need to tell her why.

Gabby nodded. "Well, what is it?" She knew they were actually doing OK. Carrie entertained herself a lot with her dolls and artwork.

"I just," he sighed. "I should have asked you sooner," He didn't look at her when he said it, but he took both of her hands, and they sat down on the empty couch that she'd forgotten was so yellow.

"I know we should be married by now," he said.

Gabby told him it was OK. She understood. They were both on the rebound, which felt funny to think. 

"I know it's me," Oliver explained. "I remember thinking when I was young, I always wanted to have a family. But..but it turned out different from what I expected.

"Well, you know, we were both in Foster care growing up." She remembered that, except that she was adopted, he wasn't until he was practically an adult. "I took advantage of my parents; I was not a good teenager." She nodded, thinking she still expected too much, but change was hard.

"You were, you were my friend." He recalled.

"You were a good listener," she told him. "You never once told me what was going on with you. All I could think about back then was what I wanted. And I'm still that way. I know that. "

His smile was weak when he looked into her eyes. She hugged him. Even if she was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She should be out walking, getting ready to have this baby, but they made plans to go down tomorrow to get a marriage license.

Well, it's like this

 Carrie kept talking about (her stepmother) Gabby's photo shoot, which her Grandy (Betty) couldn't help but chuckle.

"But..but honey, she's going to have a baby," Betty squinted.

"Well, she's been planning it for a long time," Carrie hugged herself as if she knew everything going on with her stepmother.

"Is it a new job?" They were busy at the dining table. Carrie was drawing while Betty was cutting out some simple patterns for Barbie clothes she'd found on YouTube. Hopefully, they would fit Carrie's favorite purple-haired Barbie.

"No. She only has the one job she goes to every day of the week except Saturday and Sunday."

Naturally, Carrie was very informative while she colored all over the page with her purple crayon.

Betty nodded. She knew this. Carrie's father, Oliver, taught at the elementary school, and these days Carrie spent her days with Betty. 

"Are you in this photo shoot?" Betty wondered how expensive this would be, but these days, maybe a friend was taking photos of  Carrie's pregnant step-mom.

"No, it's just for her and my baby brother."

Carrie liked the idea of a baby brother more than Gabby. This much Betty knew. Gabby was crushed when she found out they were having a boy instead of a girl, but evidently, she was making the most of her pregnancy, especially documenting her pregnancy with a photo shoot. Something Betty had never thought of doing during her days of early motherhood.

Of course, back then she might as well have been on a soap opera in so much turmoil. It was amazing she'd gotten this far. Something she hoped no one in her family had to go through. Of course, her girls went through their own drama, too. But none of them had time for a photo shoot while they were pregnant. It seemed these days everything had to be documented on social media.

"Your Dad's OK with it?" Betty couldn't help but ask as she started handsewing a sweater and shorts from some of Carrie's little leggings for Barbie's outfit.

"He didn't say," Carrie shrugged. 

"It seems to me he should be in those photos."

"He's at work."

"Yeah, he's working, all right." Betty found herself sighing. Gabby had a good office manager job at City, but she liked to spend money too. The things on her list at the baby shower were quite expensive and they still lived in her two bedroom apartment. 

"Nobody's got time to clean anything, lately." Carrie looked up at her.

"Oh, really." Betty practically rolled her eyes. She guessed she'd have to make a surprise visit.

"All the clothes are on the couch. You can't even find it." Carrie told her.

"I see." She guessed she could start prepping meals, and Oliver's dad could help with tidying up the place.

In every life we have some trouble. But when you worry you make it double

 Truth be told, Gavin didn't want his parents over for the Easter celebration at Kat's grandparents, but then his mom was curious about Kat and her family. He couldn't help but be furious.

"What? We embarrass you that much?" Her question was true, and yet it felt like she was trying to put him on a guilt trip.

"No, it's not that." He informed her it would be crowded, and he knew how she disliked crowds. Besides, she liked to have formal dinners, yet these days, he felt his parents were getting ready to be empty nesters. His sister was away at college, and he knew they couldn't wait for him to leave, too. They tended to be into going out without the kids. "You just won't like it." He swelled a frown as if this was his gig, not theirs.

He'd seen all the wine and beer they'd brought back from the Wall of Wine. Didn't she want to stay home and sip her Dirty Shirlies?

"Well, we could go for just a little bit." She sounded as if she wasn't interested in Easter Egg Hunts or cookouts.

"Mom," Gavin wailed. "Do you have to?" He winced as if she was going to wreck everything.

"I'll go just for a bit," She smirked as if she had something up her sleeve. As much as he reminded her that she knew Kat already. His mother came back with, "But I want to meet the rest of the family."

So his day with Kat was his mom's great monologues with Kat's mother about how Gavin was when he was little.

"I thought he would have lots of girlfriends by now. Especially, the way he liked to kiss everyone in preschool." She told anyone who would listen. Of course, he thought she was the only one getting a good laugh. "Oh, and he kissed the boys, too." His mom batted her eyelashes as if she couldn't wait to think of another tale to tell about Gavin.

"You think she's already drunk?" Kat cornered Gavin.

"No, she'd be wanting to dance with everyone if she was," He sighed. 

Of course, she gave him a hug and held his hand strongly as if she'd be by his side no matter how bad the embarrassing stories got. Gavin smiled back as if he was glad he had Kat.