Pb & J: Five

Mom and dad fight over Zoe.

- Five -
Days until Christmas.

 

The doorbell rings, and mom answers it.

 

“James.”

 

She says surprised that he actually came up to the door.

 

He stands at the door waiting for her to invite him in.

 

“I think it might rain.”

 

He hints with a laugh.

 

“Oh. Come in. Come in.”

 

She blushes.

 

He walks in, and looks at the couch.

 

“You changed…”

 

He looks around the house.

 

“Everything.”

 

She walks into the kitchen, and looks at me sitting at the table.

 

“Where’s your brother, and sister?”

 

I lift my shoulders.

 

She looks back at dad.

 

“Sit. Sit.”

 

She pulls out a chair for him.

 

“Thank you.”

 

He says to her, and his eyes fix on her hair.

 

“You highlighted your hair.”

 

She pets it with her hand.

 

“Yeah, Zoë helped me with that.”

 

She hands him a cup of coffee.

 

“Well, that’s why I’m here actually.”

 

He sips on his cup.

 

She looks at his head, and points at his gray hair.

 

“Oh, no. Not for highlights.”

 

He laughs.

 

“For our daughter.”

 

“Oh?”

 

She asks a bit let down that he isn’t here for her.

 

He looks down at his cup again.

 

“Yeah, is everything okay here? Do you need some money?”

 

He pulls out his wallet.

 

“No. No.”

 

She stops him.

 

“Please let me help you Liv.”

 

He put his hand on hers that is resting on the table next to me.

 

I look at her, and her eyes brighten.

 

She pulls it away.

 

“We’re fine here James.”

 

She persists.

 

She walks away, and leans back on the counter behind me.

 

“Did Zoë tell you that we needed money?”

 

“No, she just tells me things that she probably wouldn’t pass by you. She‘s a very dynamic person.”

 

He looks down the hall to Zoë’s bedroom.

 

“Is she home?”

 

“No. She had a football game to go to. Winter vacation starts in a couple of days. She’s trying to fit everything onto her pallet.”

 

He nods.

 

“Yes. I know.”

 

“What has she told you?”

 

She asks him.

 

“Just a couple things that are bothering her.”

 

“Like what?”

 

She walks to the back of my chair, and places her two hands on it.

 

He looks at his empty cup, and then back at her concerned face.

 

“It seems she’s unhappy here, and I think it will be better if I take her for the rest of the year.”

 

It wasn’t a suggestion.

 

“No, you left them here James under my wing.”

 

She sits in a chair next to me, and shakes her left leg under the table like she couldn’t control its motion.

 

“You can’t just leave them for a year, and come back wanting to change their lives.”

 

She says trying to keep her cool.

 

I stop her leg with my hand.

 

She looks at me.

 

He inhales deeply.

 

“I think we should talk about this with Zoë around.”

 

“So she could agree, and leave with you?”

 

Mom asks knowing that he can be as cunning as she can.

 

She shakes her head, and stands up.

 

“You can’t take her before she leaves James.”

 

She takes his cup, and walks to refill it.

 

He looks at me.

 

“How do you feel about all of this Jules? You know your sister better than the both of us.”

 

His voice sounds welcome.

 

Mom pounds the cup onto the counter.

 

“Do not bring Jules into this! Do not try to make her pick sides here!”

 

Mom says loosing control.

 

The front door opens, and all eyes focus on Zoë.

 

She notices mom’s face.

 

“What? It’s only seven.”

 

She points to the clock in the kitchen.

 

She looks at dad.

 

“Hey, dad. Are you? Now?”

 

She asks him surprised that he came to mom with the matter so soon.

 

“Come take a seat Zoë.”

 

Mom says slowly.

 

“Okay.”

 

Zoë says leaving her purse on the couch.

 

She sits down.

 

“It looks like things have already been said from the looks of it.”

 

Dad nods.

 

“And?”

 

Zoë asks looking at them back, and forth.

 

“Your father had just said a ridiculous proposal.”

 

Mom says laughing.

 

Dad leans into Zoë.

 

“It’s not ridiculous.”

 

He states looking at mom.

 

He looks back at Zoë with the same eyes that he looked at me with.

 

“How do you feel about living with me for a while?”

 

“How long is a while?”

 

Zoë asks.

 

“The rest of the year.”

 

He smiles.

 

“Really?”

 

She looks at mom who shakes her head.

 

“You could come around here anytime you’d like to visit mom, and Jules, and Jonas.”

 

He informs her.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

She looks back at him.

 

Mom jumps up.

 

“You see James? She doesn’t feel comfortable right now with an answer.”

 

Mom puts her hands on Zoë’s shoulders.

 

He nods a bit disappointed.

 

“Alright, take your time sweetie.”

 

He pats her hand, and stands up.

 

Mom rushes to the door, and opens it for him.

 

“Thank you for your time Liv.”

 

He says, and walks out.

 

“Thank you for yours James.”

 

She says watching him off.

 

She closes the door, and looks at Zoë.

 

“I knew you didn’t hate me as much as I thought.”

 

She smiles.

 

Zoë stands up.

 

“You haven’t won just yet mom. I haven’t said yes or no.”

 

Zoë insures her.

 

Mom’s smile vanishes.

 

“You are going to say no. Right?”

 

Zoë picks up a banana from the bowl in the center of the kitchen table.

 

“We’ll see.”

 

She walks to her room.

 

“You're not going to live with him Zoë! He doesn’t know how to do laundry properly. He can’t make pancakes like I do!”

 

 Her voice echoes down the hall, and Zoë closes her door.

 

“He…”

 

Mom sighs, and shakes her head.

 

“I’m going to lose her. I know it.”

 

She says to herself, and sits on the couch.

Author's Note

:) enjoy.