The morning hadn’t gone well for Solana. Rosalie did not want to get up and the lure of Nick picking her up from school wasn’t as much help as she had counted on. They fought, Lani spilled an entire pot of coffee and Rosalie went through three dresses before deciding on the one she wanted. One with brand new leotards and a new hair barrette, which of course meant longer prep time. This mom was ready to explode.

So, all in all, a day at work sounded like vacation. She was surprised to find the clinic still locked, but was relieved as well. A few minutes peace and quiet with some coffee and her ever-growing pile of mail sounded like a perfect way to disengage from the fouled up beginning to the day.

She left all the lights off, illuminating only her office and sifted through the stacks on her desk as the coffee brewed, filling her small cement walled room with the smells of morning. It smelled so much better dripping from a filter than it did splattered all over her kitchen tile. In a short time, she was immersed in a long letter from the state, distancing herself from any noise anywhere else in the building.

Until she heard shuffling out front. Barry normally came in back and Patty wasn’t supposed to come in all week. It was too early for any kids to show yet, so she startled and took a peek out.

Patty’s backside greeted her as she bent down to pick up a box of Kleenex that she’d knocked off while…

“Patty? What are you doing?”

Patty jerked up, knocked her head on the overhang of the desk and spun around. “Miss Romero! I’m sorry…I didn’t think you were here yet.” Rubbing her head, she averted her boss’s gaze and plopped a picture frame into a large box on the floor.

“I am…what are you doing?” Solana could tell full well what she was doing. She was packing up her personal belongings.

“I’m saving time.” Patty never looked up from her chore, and lifted the box up onto the desk so she didn’t have to bend over so often. “Figure I’ll use this week to make my next move.”

“Your next move?” Solana walked over to Patty and peered into the box. Seeing pictures her children had drawn that typically decorated her desk’s backboard, she yanked them out and smacked them back onto the table. “Move where?”

“I don’t know…I’m sure you can’t give me a good recommendation.” Patty sighed and put the drawings back into the box.

“I don’t need to give you a recommendation. You have a job here.” As a coffee mug hit the bottom of the box, Lani’s patience hit the end of its rope. “Patty! Stop it! What are you doing!?”

“You’re going to fire me, so I just thought I’d come in and clean out now. No sense waiting ‘til next week.” Patty took the smaller copy of the Christmas photograph that decorated Nick’s hallway and gently put it into the box. That one was special.

Solana pulled it back out and set it right back on the desk where it had been since Patty brought it to work. “What makes you think I’m going to fire you?” As a handful of pencils hit the box, Lani grabbed Patty’s arm and sat her down in the chair. “Sit. Do not move.” Seeing Patty take a breath to argue, Lani’s motherly finger went to Patty’s face. “I mean it. Don’t you budge.”

As Lani left and poured her secretary a cup of coffee, she mentally went through her bedtime phone call with Nick, trying pull some meaning from it as to why Patty seemed to think she was going to lose her job. Granted, the night hadn’t gone well at the Casey’s, but that was a mother/son situation and had nothing to do with her job at the clinic. When she got back to Patty’s office, she sighed in total exasperation. “I told you not to budge. You budged.”

Patty blushed and rolled up the poster she had just pulled off of her wall, sticking it into her box. “Yeah, I budged. I’m leaving.”

Handing her the steaming cup of peace, Lani pointed at the chair with her eyes. “Sit. And talk until you can’t talk anymore.”

Reluctantly, Patty took a sip of the brew and sighed, looking around her office as if she’d already left it. She had been so happy here. So fulfilled. “There’s nothing to say.”

“Bullcrap. You had a fight with your son last night…that doesn’t affect your job.”

“I brought a man to your house who smoked marijuana…I broke your trust.”

“Yes, you did. And that won’t happen again, but Patty…you stayed at my house as a friend, not an employee. Your work here has been…I couldn’t replace you. Unless that behavior affects your job, you’re not in danger of losing it.”

“But the kids…I mean…” Patty finally let the tear that had been threatening to escape win and it dropped down the side of her pudgy cheek. “...Amy was asleep when he came, you have to know that.”

“I’m sure she was, Patty. I don’t mind that you had a boyfriend there…you’re not a teenaged babysitter. I am unhappy about the pot…and that Ro could have found it.”

“Yeah, I know.” Patty looked down, angrily wiping tears away and hiding her now blotchy face with her mug.

“So, we’re okay? You’ll unpack?”

“No. I’m leaving…I’ll train someone or help you find someone, but I’m too embarrassed to stay.”

“You’re not leaving. You screwed up. I think you need to be worrying about your relationship with Ben more than me.”

“He hates me.”

“He loves you…that’s why he’s so angry.”

“No, Miss Rom-…Lani. He hates me.”

“Yes, it’s Lani…” Knowing that this conversation was going private and fast, and definitely one that was “off the record”, Lani got up and closed the door, pulling her chair in closer to her friend, removing the distance of the desk from between them. “Can we talk as friends now and not boss/employee?”

Patty finally looked up and blinked another stray tear away. “I could use a friend…”

“Then I’m your girl.”

Patty nodded and let the tears flow freely, sobbing words of regret, foreboding and fear. “I’ve really screwed it up this time.”

“Now…let’s take this apart and look at it. Ben thinks with his heart first and then his head.”

“Ben’s head is in his heart…and I love that about my boy. He’s right, you know. Darren is no good for me.”

“Why did you take him back then?”

“Because he said he had counseling and had changed. He said he wants to be a daddy to Amy.” Wiping her nose with the back of her hand, Patty heaved a sigh, frustrated that she’d let her life get out of control again. “None of my kids have had a daddy.”

“Now, I thought Liz and Jack’s dad tried…”

“Used to. He’s not been around for months.”

“Okay…so, has he proven his words? Has he changed?”

“Yes. No.” Patty shrugged and grabbed for a Kleenex, remembering that they’d been moved in her nerves when she came in this morning. “I don’t think he uses anymore…I mean, besides the weed.”

“Okay, that’s good…what about drinking? Did he ever drink?”

“Yeah…he still drinks. But he doesn’t get drunk. Not around me anyway.”

“And how is he with Amy?”

“Awkward. But okay. I won’t let him be alone with her.”

“That’s very smart. Do you understand why Ben’s upset, Patty? He’s worried about his brother and sisters is all. He’s worried about his Mama. He feels responsible for all of you.”

“He’s too young to be responsible for us, Lani…I’ve put too much on him. It’s a miracle he’s not the one smoking weed and doing stupid shit.”

“Yeah, in many ways it is. And we’re all pitching in to make sure it stays that way, but part of the team to help him includes you, Patty. You can’t give up on him…or on you…not now.”

“He has Nick now. And you. He doesn’t need me anymore.”

“He always will need you, Patty. You’re his Mama. No matter what, you always will be.”

“I’m not so good of one.” Patty blew her nose and giggled at the funny noises she produced in the process. “Sound like a sick goose.”

Lani sat quietly and let Patty work through her thoughts on her own a bit, being a support just in her presence. Patty wasn’t wise in seeing Darren again, that was definite. But, it was also definite that she loved her kids more than she ever thought imaginable. Her love for them would win…eventually.

“So, you’re not gonna fire me because of the joint?”

“Nope. I will tell you I’m disappointed and angry that it was brought to my home.”

Patty nodded and wiped her nose again, standing to retrieve the Christmas photo. “Nick’s been a better dad to them than anyone…than their own daddy’s.”

“Nick’s a good man just trying to do his best…just like you, and Ben…me, Barry. We’re all here for each other, hon.”

“I guess I should put this stuff back, huh?”

“Want help?”

“No, I think I need to be alone for a bit.”

“Okay…and Patty?”

“Yeah?”

“As soon as you’re done unloading that box, you get yourself home and take care of things there. That’s your priority this week, not this place, okay?”

A smile finally spread across the older woman’s face, crooked, missing teeth and all. “Yeah…home. My home.”

“Okay, Muñe. Stir the pasta.” Nick lifted the lid so his helper could stir, nibbling her ear as she tried to obey his command.

“Nicky! Stop it! That tickles.”

“Aw…but it looks yummy.” He lifted Rosalie from the counter and put her on the awaiting chair gnawing on her earlobe the whole time. “…and I’m hungry.”

“Eat some pasta. It’s almost done.”

“Yeah, but the sauce is still a big old frozen block. How do Mom’s get the timing of things right, huh?”

Rosalie shrugged and hopped off the chair not the least bit worried that the sauce was still frozen and the pasta was almost mush. Especially when she heard the front door open.

“Mamí! Mamí! We’re making supper for you!”

Solana dumped her bags on the tile and scooped up her daughter, instantly trying to fix her daughter’s matted bed head from an afternoon nap. “You are? Nick’s cooking?”

“Yep! And I’m helping. We took a nap, too.”

“We?” She brought her daughter into the kitchen and offered Nick a questioning look. “You taking naps now too?”

“Yup…whadoya do when the pasta gets done before the sauce?” He knocked on the block of pasta and leaned in to kiss his girls.

“This is homemade?”

“Moms. She always has me keep some frozen…to impress the chics.”

“Cheater.”

“You hungry or not?”

“Hungry. Drain the pasta now and we’ll unsticky it with water later.” Plopping her daughter back onto the counter, she leaned up for one more kiss to the chef and went back to her bags. “I’m gonna go in your room and change. I feel like yesterday’s left overs.”

“Stay here, baby…this is hot.” Nick held his gaze on Ro before he turned his back on her to dump the pasta into a strainer. “Oh yeah, I rock. Who needs those dumb pasta pots anyway?”

“Those are silly…mamí say if you can’t strain pasta you shouldn’t be in the kitchen.”

“Mamí’s a smart woman.” And with that last thought of “Mamí” he wiped his hands on a towel and gave another fatherly glare at the munchkin on his counter. “What do you touch in the kitchen when there’s no adult around?”

“Nada.”

“Bingo…I’ll be right back.”

He disappeared down the hall, tossing one more glance over his shoulder to make sure little Miss Rosalie didn’t touch the pan and found his love with her arms over her head pulling off a shirt, exposing a bare belly just wanting to be kissed. He happily obliged.

“Aigh! Nick! Good god, you scared me.” She jumped back, pulling the shirt off completely and hit him with it. He grabbed hold of the fabric and pulled her into him, moaning as his bare arms touched her bare back. “I like this…” He kissed the top of her head, resting his cheek on the soft waves and slowly walking her backwards to the bed.

“Nick…Ro…”

“Mmm-hmm…is fine.”

His lips connected with her neck just before her legs connected with the side of the bed and she was being pushed up onto it with his gentle force and irresistible touch. She arched her back to him, softening as his lips descended down her collar bone and his tongue slipped under the soft fabric of her bra. “Where’d…” She gasped when she felt her bra unhook from the back and mindlessly lifted so he could slip it off. “…you leave her?”

“On the counter.” His thumb found the pebble of a nipple first, but his mouth closely followed, warming it as he gently licked it. “We’ll just be a sec…”

Lani’s hands swam in his hair and her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him in, ignoring the fact that clothes and a child and hungry tummies were definitely in the way of consummating this encounter. “Only a sec?”

“Mmm-hmmm….” His hips pushed into hers and she grasped him more tightly, licking his neck, sucking on his earlobe.

“I just want to taste you.”

She slid one hand in between their bodies, settling on his erection and squeezing firmly. “I just want to feel you.”

He lifted up and rested on his elbows, rubbing her hair from her face, looking deep into the chocolate brown of her eyes as he continued to push against her body, her hand, her warmth. “You feel me?”

“Mmm…yeah…” She lifted her head up slightly and captured his lips, sucking his bottom lip in between hers, never moving her hand away from his crotch. “You taste me?”

“Mmm…yeah…”

“I want to taste dinner. It’s makin’ funny noises!”

Nick jumped up, slipping his arms out from under Lani so fast that she bounced back onto the bed, her breasts jiggling and suddenly feeling the chill of the air. “Ro! Hon…how’d you get down?” He quickly smoothed the front of his pants, thanking the gods for young ignorance as to why he’d have a bulge in his jeans.

“You left the chair there…I hopped.” She innocently jumped onto the bed with her mother and handed her her bra. “You dropped this.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m hungry and the sauce is bubblin’ funny. What you two doin’ anyway?”

“Just sayin’ hello, Muñe…I’ll, uh…” he watched as Lani’s breasts disappeared behind the fabric of her bra and then her stomach beneath the fabric of a t-shirt and sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll go see what’s up with dinner.”

The girls watched him leave the room and Lani tried to put her Mommy hat back on. He shouldn’t have left her unattended in the kitchen and she was too…he was too irresistible for her to think responsibly. Kicking herself for losing control, she turned to her daughter and smiled. “So, what’d you and Nick do today?”

“We went to the park…”

“Oh yeah? How high did you get on the swings?”

“Almost to the bar, Nick’s a good pusher.”

As Lani finished getting dressed, Rosalie filled her in on her day at school, her day with Nick and then stopped short.

“What is it, Ro?”

“Nothing. We have to help Nick finish dinner. He’s a yucky cook.”

“Ro…what made you stop talking?”

“Nothing, Mamí. Let’s go eat, dinner.”