“How is my little pumpkin?”Joey asked, blowing raspberries on her daughter’s cheek, to which she giggled.It wasn’t long before she started on her neck, her little girl wriggled, and Joey pulled away.
“How was time with your grandma?”Joey didn’t look toward her mother, as she watched the excitement build in Adeline’s eyes.
School was out for summer, so rather than have Adeline at the coffee shop all day, most days, her parents offered to babysit when needed.Her parents adored Adeline.
George’s parents had moved out of town after he was arrested.He’d even attempted to have her arrested for assault.The bruises and recent admission to the hospital made him retract his statement.
In the early days of them dating, when she was eighteen and he was twenty-eight, George had seemed nice.So calm.So stable.She’d fallen in love with him fast, and for the first couple of years, it had all been fine.
Then, it was like a switch had gone off.He began to yell at her.Then, he slapped her.It had been once, but he’d been so sorry, she had forgiven him.A few months later, he slapped her again.He wasn’t quite as sorry, but she forgave him, and the attacks started to pick up, from every few weeks to daily abuse.
When she got pregnant with Adeline, she thought things would settle down.They didn’t.Ending up in the hospital had been a wakeup call.One of the nurses knew her predicament, and her advice had been to run as far away from George as possible.
Joey didn’t run away.She stood her ground.
George wasn’t prepared for her to fight back.He hit her, and she hit him back.It had been dangerous, but she had also called the cops when she saw he was in that mood.She never should have allowed it to go on for so long.
He didn’t want anything to do with Adeline, and she didn’t want anything to do with him.In the last nine years, she hadn’t heard anything.She didn’t want his money or anything else from him.She had given birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl, and she only wanted her daughter.
Pulling out of those memories, she smiled toward her mom, as Adeline started to tell her how they had gone for a long walk in the park, and she got to play with Princess, their gorgeous Jack Russell terrier, who still at times acted like a puppy, although they got her nearly four years ago.Joey loved her, as did Adeline.They both doted on her.Knowing her mother, Princess was waiting back in the car.It was near closing time anyway.She had already put the CLOSED sign on the door, and the last customer was nearly half an hour ago.
“How about you go grab my things and get ready to leave while I finish up?”Joey said.
Adeline didn’t argue and rushed off toward her office.
“She’s growing up so fast,” her mother, Alice, said.
“Too fast.”
Joey had a feeling her mother wanted to say something else, and she sat and waited, hoping whatever came out of her mouth had nothing to do with her dating.
“So, your father and I were talking, and we were thinking of taking Adeline for the weekend.”
“The weekend?”
“Yeah, he wants to drive down to our cabin, teach Adeline how to fish.All that kind of stuff.”
“Why?”
“Just giving you some alone time, and to enjoy some relaxing time to yourself.”
“Mom, what are you trying to do?”
“I’m not trying to do anything.”Alice walked toward her and cupped her cheeks.“You’ve been a hardworking mom for a long time, and your father and I want to do everything we can to help.”
Her parents had long retired.She also had a sister, Ashley, but she had gone to the big city to become some big-shot lawyer, and she was doing amazingly well.Ashley had come home to help with the divorce, as well as the potential criminal proceedings.Her sister had wanted to make sure George ended up behind bars.That hadn’t happened.She talked to Ashley every single day.
Joey had a sneaking feeling her parents were up to something, but the truth was, right now, she was way too tired.She smiled at her mother, and rather than judge her and criticize what was being offered, she accepted it and thanked her.
Alice moved in close and hugged her tightly.“You know, I don’t know if I have ever said this to you before, but I am so proud of you.So, so, so proud.”
It was a few hours later, after walking Princess and putting Adeline to bed, that she told her sister, over a video call, what their mother had said.
“She’s hoping for you to find someone,” Ashley said.
“Find someone?”
“Yeah, you know, like a guy, or a girl, whichever choice you want to make.”
