I’m awoken by my daughter’s giggling. She’s lying on the bottom of my bed coloring with Meme. I sat up and glared at them, “uh-oh Gabby, we woke mama bear”! “Funny Mems”, I told her as I climbed out of the bed and headed to the bathroom. When I came back out, I asked her, “where is everyone”? “Spin left for the shop early because he’s leaving early for your date later tonight, and Jonny said he was running to his mother’s to drop off the grocery order you insisted on making”, she states. “Ugh! He went without me?” I whined. “Chill Lala”, she says. “I doubt he’ll be gone long. The man came in here and checked your damn vitals before he left! Wanna tell me what that shit is all about”? “Yeah, embarrassing actually that he still does that! After I pushed Gabby out, I technically had a minor heart attack or a heart palpitation or something to that effect. Anyway, my heart stopped for a moment, like literally skipping a beat”, I told her. “So now when I have my period, Jonny thinks I’
I get the living shit scared out of me in the middle of my sleep when a small body topples from the top of the back of the sofa onto me. “Daddy!”, it squeals excitedly. “Hey, baby girl”, I tell my daughter as Meme starts to laugh. “Hey, Spin”, she says as she looks down over the sofa at me. “Excited about your date tonight? Mikey told me you’re taking Lala to Broadway”! “Yeah, not a word to her, Mems”, I told her. She rolls her eyes at me, “don’t worry Spin. I gotchu”! I wrap my arms around my daughter and I kiss all over her when Jonny comes out of the guest bedroom and heads for the coffee pot. When Stephany realizes Jonny is up she squeals again, “YaYa”! His gaze instantly snaps at her, “hey, princess. Why are you up so early”? “Meme snorts”, she says, making us all laugh. I give her a few more minutes of snuggles before I hand her off to Meme, “I have to get an early start since I’m leaving Mikey to finish up tonight without me”.
Today we are heading upstate early because Jonny is taking Stephany and me out on a casual date, and I dunno why this excites me more than the idea of having a solo date with him. We’ve been out together numerous times, just the three of us… But this is like a date, seriously! Unlike every other weekend, the bags are loaded into the Subaru instead of Jonny’s car. We’ll be heading right to wherever he is taking us, while everyone else will head to the lake house. My period is tapering off thankfully, but I know my hormonal rage will reign on a little longer, so this weekend should be interesting! I have a lot to be upset about… The lake house yard is a construction zone since Spin insisted on having the pool put in this year, so the excavation has already started and is due to be completed today! The electrical and plumbing are supposed to be completed tomorrow and Sunday, and the vinyl liner is supposed to be put in on Monday with the stone edging before the inspection, w
This morning I left for work before anyone else, but Jonny was up. Since they’re all headed upstate to the lake house anyway, I’ll see them earlier than I usually do. Again, the traffic was minimal since it was so early and I managed to get through another few cars before anyone else showed up at the shop. I’m surprised to see the alert go off so early that they’re all already at the lake house, but the cameras show Meme armed with Loyalty’s keys entering the house with just Bo and Melanie. Bo unloads my Subaru that Meme drove with everyone’s stuff, but even a few hours later, Loyalty, Jonny, and Stephany have still not arrived. I decided to check that other app Meme told me about. “What is she doing in Rhinebeck?” I said out loud to myself. “I dunno”, says Mikey, like he’s confused about why he’s being asked. “The Dutchess County Fair opens this weekend. Maybe they went”! After a brief pause, he looks up from the engine he is working on and says, “hey did you k
I woke up early and went in search of Jonny. Surprisingly, he was still asleep and startled when I woke him. “Mi Amor?”, (my love) he questioned in his sleepiness. “Can you come with me?” I asked him and he nodded his head before climbing out of the bed and sliding his jean shorts back on. “We’re leaving, let Melanie know and meet me in the garage”! He didn’t say a word as I left the room and went back to mine to grab my phone, bag, and shoes. I’m momentarily thrown off when I spot a fully clothed Gabe asleep on the couch, but I keep moving! In less than five minutes, Jonny is sliding into the driver’s seat of my car. “Game plan”? “Starting at square one, take me to the colonial”, I tell him. He nods and pulls the car slowly out of the garage. When we get there, we walk into the unlocked front door and head right for the bedroom… “I hate this room”! “For owning the place, I’m surprised Spin didn’t take the master bedroom”, Jonny says. “It’s not?” I aske
Stephany stirs and wakes me. It’s after nine in the morning and I’m surprised we were left to sleep in. Melanie is knocking at the door! “Jay told me earlier this morning that he was leaving with Amory. He didn’t say where they were going or when they’d be back, but I’m supposed to feed Gabby now”, she explains when I open the door. “Jay?” I said to her because to me Jay is Jared. “Jonny, sorry! I’ve known Jonny since I was like twelve. I lived down the block from the Knight’s when I was younger”, she explains. I had no idea they'd known each other that long. Stephany gets out of the bed and whines as Melanie leads her down to the kitchen. I started texting everyone to find Loyalty. Twenty minutes later, Brenda texts me that her car is parked out front. Why would she go to the colonial? Brenda tells me she has Jonny measuring rooms in the old wing that hasn’t been used since before my parents lived there. When Brenda texts that they have left, I head ou
At Sunday morning breakfast my thoughts are scattered! My brain is fried, and Jonny is literally spoon-feeding me oatmeal with fruit while I’m holding my head praying for the pain to go away. “What’s wrong with her?”, says Spin when he sees me. “Onset of a panic attack”, he says as he holds the spoon out to me. I shake my head no, but he doesn’t relent. “Amory!”, he eventually snaps at me, causing me to finally open my mouth. “Swallow it, Amory”. “That would be sexy if it wasn’t oatmeal”, says Gabe from the doorway of the kitchen, causing both Spin and Jonny to shift uncomfortably in their seats as I laugh. “Haha, G”, I say, easing the tension while Jonny uses the opportunity to spoon another lump of oatmeal into my mouth. Gabe laughs at my scowl before he says, “so who am I riding with”? “If you don’t come on your bike, you’ll be stuck in Brooklyn until the weekend unless you take the train back upstate”, Spin tells him. “I’d prefer everyone
I woke up on Sunday morning stressed out already, and walked into the kitchen to Loyalty sitting on the kitchen table with Jonny on a chair in front of her. Her elbows are on her knees as she holds her forehead, and her bare feet rest on his thighs. Jonny is holding a spoon full of oatmeal mixed with what I think is diced peaches up to her mouth. “What’s wrong with her?” I asked him. “Onset of a panic attack”, he says without taking his eyes off her and pushes the spoon closer to her mouth. She shakes her head no, like a stubborn child until he barks out, “Amory”! She opens her mouth and he shovels it in, but clearly, she just holds it there in her mouth. “Swallow it, Amory”. “That would be sexy if it wasn’t oatmeal”, says Gabe from the doorway of the kitchen, making Loyalty laugh. “Haha, G”, she says. But as she turns her opened mouth back to look at Jonny, he’s ready and spoons more oatmeal into her mouth. Gabe now laughs at the annoyed look on her fa