Page 40 of Pooh

Katrena: I have to think about my future. I can’t worry about Craig’s too. I’m sorry.

Tammy: What are you saying Katrena? Craig is your son! Come here and we’ll talk.

Katrena: It’s better if I don’t. Please tell him I’m sorry but he’s better off without me or his dad.

Tammy: No, Katrena! Don’t do this! Come here so we can talk. Don’t do this to him.

Tammy: Katrena? Please!

Tammy: This is so wrong! Don’t ruin his life like this!

“Oh shit! She can’t seriously be doing this to him!” I shout.

“It looks like she is, the selfish bitch,” says Tammy. “What do we do now? I’m not telling that little boy that his mom has decided her future is more important than his.”

“Let’s not do anything for a few days. She might come to her senses and show up. She might not. But if not, we’ll decide what needs to be done at that point. Jesus, this is a mess.”

“I don’t think she will, Pippa. She didn’t spend any time with him if she could avoid it. She’s not a mom. She’s just an egg donor. And his dad’s parental rights have been revoked since Craig is a victim of his. So, the kid now has no parents and no close living relatives that we know of.”

“Fuck, Tammy, if she doesn’t come back, how do we tell him this? I’m not okay with him going into the system. He’s had enough traumas and being uprooted in his life. He’s just a little boy!”

Tammy stands and walks to my side of the desk. Leaning over, she wraps her arms around me and places her cheek on the top of my head.

“We’ll figure it out, Pippa. Together, just like we do everything.”

-*- -*- -*- -*-

“Hey Pips,” says a dirty little face as it walks past me.

“Are you Craig or someone else? I can’t tell because I can’t see your face through all the dirt. What exactly do you do outside? Roll in the mud?” I ask, exasperated.

“Of course, I do. What do you do when you’re outside?” Craig asks innocently.

“I don’t roll in the mud. That’s what pigs do, not humans. If you didn’t get so dirty you wouldn’t need so many showers, Craig.”

As soon as I said the word showers, I knew I’d screwed up. Craig hauls ass down the hall, out the back door and disappears out of sight. I learned my lesson about following him out the back door so I continue my trek to the kitchen.

“Fresh coffee is brewing,” Tammy informs me. “Have you seen Craig lately?”

“Yes, he just went out to the backyard. What do you need him for?”

“I want to check his sizes. He needs new clothes and a different jacket.”

“You’ll want to hose him off first. He’s covered in dirt again. I’m not sure how he can get that dirty but he’s made it an art form.”

“Hopefully, I’ll be able to read the tags on his clothes and not have to take him with me to the store. The last time I took him shopping with me I was tempted to buy a leash just to keep him within sight,” Tammy chuckles as she heads for the back door.

I pour myself a cup of fresh coffee and lean my ass against the counter to take a sip. A moment of peace is all I receive before hearing Tammy and Craig shouting. I smile while taking another sip. I hear the back door slam and footsteps coming down the hall. Tammy walks into the kitchen and she is soaked from head to toe. Yep, Craig still has a thing for the hose.

“I can’t believe that little shit! I asked to look at the tag on his shirt and he hosed me down while shouting that he was not dirty enough for another shower! I swear to God, I’m going to drown him the next chance I get!”

I try hard to smother my laugh but I’m not successful and Tammy glares in my direction. I can’t help it. Her perfectly done up hair and makeup are now in disarray and her dress slacks and silk blouse are drenched. She’s dripping water everywhere and her shoes are squeaking when she moves. I toss her a hand towel and she wipes her face with it and it just smears her makeup even more. She’s currently looking like a drowned raccoon.

“He’s not so cute when he has that hose in his hand,” I tell her while smirking at the damage he caused again.

“Trigger is going to be here soon. He’s taking me to lunch and I can’t go looking like this! What the hell is wrong with that child?”

“Go home. Get changed and cleaned up. If Trigger gets here before you get back, I’ll entertain him. Or I’ll beg and plead and see if I can talk him into fixing the ceiling fan in my office,” I tell Tammy.

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