Page 13 of Grumpy Girl and Amaryllis

Sounds familiar.

“What is wrong with you?” Cali startles me as she calls me out. I glance around and notice our other employee’s left the area.

I sigh and roll my eyes. “Nothing.”

I return to picking up the mess I made when Cali reaches my hand and stops me. “Hey, stop. We can’t keep things inside. We promised each other honesty. Remember when I was doing everything?”

You weren’t doing everything. But you were doing the most.

Crap. Why does she have to use my own advice against me? It should be a rule that it’s not allowed.

Leaning back against the workbench, I slump as my shoulders sag. “Dave’s back at threatening to take away the kids.”

She blows up her cheeks and when she exhales, she says, “And you know that he’s just full of hot air—like my cheeks were, right?”

Ugh. If she only knew.

“Cal, he caught me…”

I let the sentence trail off because I’m embarrassed to be discussing this. It doesn’t matter that she is my sister and we are as thick as the leaves in here. It’s been a long time and I know she’ll freak out. Not in a bad way, but almost in too good a way.

When I don’t go further, she elaborates, asking, “Doing what? Drugs? Stripping? Putting up Christmas lights before December first? Whatever it is, it’s not enough to warrant taking away your kids.”

My soiled hands cover my face as I mumble my response.

Cali forces my hands down. “Say that again, you were mumbling.” She has always gotten irritated with me when I mumble. And it’s disrespectful. I can’t be that person. My ex has ripped my solace and my spine out of me.

“I said I slept with Mr. Young.”

Her eyes brighten up, and a huge, toothy smile spreads across her face. “Their teacher? Really? So? Was he good? I bet it was really good. He made you have the big O? Scream the roof down? Toes curl? Oh, sis, I’m so happy for you. Finally, your system is washed away from the dud, and you get yourself a stud!”

My sister does a crazy dance that is a little more suggestive than I am comfortable with. She continues, unfortunately, “A younger one at that. Woo-friggin’-hoo. Tell me how good it was. Remember, we talk. And it’s not good to hold things in. Honesty.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me and clicks her tongue.

I groan at my sister’s antics. Seriously? Can she be even more embarrassing?

“Can you stay on topic, please?” I ask.

“Huh? Mari, thisisthe topic. The most important topic. Your cooter needed some lovin’, and it’s been way too long. I feared it would dry up and crack or be sealed up like the sands of time. The only way to open it was to have an archeologist excavate the poor thing.”

My sister even dares to wave her hands around my lady bits.

“Oh, God.” I groan and move to lift my hands when Cali stops me again.

“Okay, okay. Sis, you need to stop worrying about what Dave has to say and worry more about living your life.”

I throw my hands in the air, using the workbench as a ballast for my ass. “Ash and Irisaremy life.”

She sighs and leans against me on the workbench.

“They know that. It’s impossible for them not to know that. You are the mother of the freakin’ decade. But now you need to have a life. What do you plan on teaching your kids if you let your ex control your life and decisions? Is that an example you wish to set for Ash and Iris about love and loving yourself?”

I frown at her. She’s giving me serious thoughts to mull over, and I’m not too fond of it. Only because I know she’s right. I like being the right one. She’s the flighty and irrational one.

Not now. The times are a changin’. Crap.

“People see you, Mari, and admire what an incredible mom and business owner you are. You make people jealous.”

I fight back my tears, and in a scared voice I hate revealing, I ask, “Really?”

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