Page 35 of Cinderella Screwed Me Over
“I took care of her all day yesterday,” Anne yelled. “I think you can handle a few hours.”
“I’m taking her,” Devin said. “I just wanted to know if you’d be back before I needed to drive home and put the kids to bed.”
“I don’t know. All I know is I’ve got to get out of here before I go insane!” Anne swung the screen door open with such force that I had to jump out of the way. She charged down the stairs and climbed into her car. I don’t even think she saw me.
I stepped into the house and saw Devin holding Ava, while Levi, my five-year-old nephew with hair so blond it was almost white, was parked in front of the television, watching cartoons.
I gave Devin a tight smile. “Hey. I’d ask how it’s going, but I’m pretty sure I already know.”
Devin shook his head. “Ava’s teething, so she’s crabby, and I’ve been working long hours, helping out with the cows and getting the machines ready for first cutting.” He ran a hand through his hair. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. “Needless to say, things are a little tense lately. I try to keep the mood light by joking around. Back when we were dating, Anne said she loved my sense of humor. Lately all I get when I tell a joke is a glare.”
I looked down at Ava and her epically chubby cheeks. In her six months on earth, all I’d ever seen her do was cry or sleep. With her dad bouncing her around, though, she seemed pretty happy. “On the bright side, you two sure do have cute kids.”
“That’s about all we have,” Devin said.
Ava seemed to take offense to this, even though we’d been calling her cute, and started screaming again.
“I’m going to go walk her around outside. Janet and Dad ran to the store, but they should be back in a few minutes. Until then, could you keep an eye on Levi for me?”
“Sure.”
I felt bad for Devin, but I also felt bad for Anne. Everyone talked about how much she’d changed. I once heard this statement that women marry men hoping to change them, while men marry women hoping they’ll never change.
So maybe it’s a little true. After all, there are definitely some fixer-uppers out there that could use a good coat of paint. Or five. And while I’ve never been married, I’ve been in long-term relationships before. I’ve also been around my fair share of married people. And it did seem like the men always complained about how much their girlfriends and wives had changed. But men change, too. While there used to be a little effort put into date night, he now drapes his smelly feet over his significant other and sits blank-faced, staring at the television with little conversation besides, “What we got to eat?”
He used to dress up; now he doesn’t even bother getting dressed. Responsibilities and stress replace the romance. So, yes, things change. Really, guys? You didn’t see that coming?
Okay, rant over.
I sat down next to my nephew. “Hey, Levi. How are you doing?”
He peeled his gaze off the TV and looked at me. “Ava cries all the time. Then Mommy does. It’s lots of crying at my house.”
I ran my hand over his head. “It’ll get better.”I hope.
A few minutes later, Mom walked in the door holding Ava. Mom had this gift with babies. Whereas my first instinct was to run from a screaming kid, hers was to take the child and comfort him or her.
Devin and Dwight came in, arms loaded with groceries.
“Are there any more?” I asked, motioning to the bags.
“Nah. We got ’em all,” Dwight said.
I stood and followed everyone into the kitchen. Dwight set down the bags on the table, then turned and gave me a hug. “How’s my girl? Still showing everyone in the city what’s what?”
“I’m not sure about that,” I said. “I do show them how to rearrange their homes, though. Plus spending other people’s money is always fun.”
Dwight pulled out a bar stool for me and then sat down on the one next to it. “You take Major out?”
“Of course. How’s he doing?”
“Damn thing bit Caleb the other day.”
Mom stopped her humming and shot Dwight a look. She’d been trying to get him to break his cussing habit for seventeen years, and obviously had no intention of giving up.
Dwight continued his story about Caleb, the neighbor kid who sometimes worked on the farm. “Anyway, while Caleb’s trying to saddle him, Major kept biting him. So Caleb smacked him on the nose.”
“Oh no,” I said, already knowing it was going to be bad. Not only was Major stubborn, he also held grudges. You had to show him who was boss, but you had to be careful about it.
