Kay’s Story (Part Nineteen)

 

 Looking for the beginning of Kay’s Story?

• Kay (Part one) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay (Part Two) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay (Part Three) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay (Part Four) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay (Part Five) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay (Part Six) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay (Part Seven) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay (Part Eight) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Nine) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Ten) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Eleven) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Twelve) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Thirteen) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Fourteen) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Fifteen) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Sixteen) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Part Seventeen) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)
• Kay’s Story (Jeff’s Turn) (Part Eighteen) (thinkinlikegavroche.wordpress.com)

 

 

Kay awoke with a start. She stretched carefully, stirring from the rocking chair where she had fallen asleep feeding Destiny in the night. A thought skittered elusively in her consciousness, and she strained against the sleepiness to grasp it. Something important about today… what day is it?

She bolded upright, jarring the sleeping baby on her chest. Sunday? It’s Sunday! The picnic and Jeff and… and… I have to get dressed! What time is it?

Destiny’s fussing got louder as Kay placed her in the crib and turned toward the clock. Nine thirty already?

Kay groaned and glanced down at herself. She hadn’t even changed out of yesterday’s clothes, which were decorated with spilled formula and baby spitup Nice. I smell like sour mile and a shower will take too long. Perfect for a first date. She stumbled over that thought. It had just popped into her mind unbidden. Was that what this was, a date? No, surely not.

She yanked off her clothes, heaping them on the floor. Destiny let out a particularly demanding squawk, remind her in no uncertain terms that she was hungry again and probably need a changing too. She sprinted into the bathroom, grabbing a wet facecloth in one hand and a diaper in the other.

Juggling was her newest found talent; no one had ever told her it was a requirement for motherhood. A dry bottom placated her lovable tiny dictator enough that the screams were now whimpers mixed with coos. Kay tested formula on her wrist, noting that it was still too cold. She ran the towel over all the stinkiest spots on her anatomy, giving herself a passing sniff test. It’ll have to do. At least her outfit was all laid out from the day before, along with a cute pink dress for Destiny. Wiggling into her jeans, she dripped some more formula onto her wrist. Just right.

“Okay, Princess Pea, one yummy bottle, made to order. Then, you get to wear your new dress. I know, I know, you don’t care about those things, do you, Sweety? you will, soon enough.”

Kay had never understood her own mother’s remarks about how fast children grew, until now. Every day seemed to go by faster than the one before. She pictured Destiny older, going off on her first day of school… having her first crush… “Mommy is silly, you know that, Little Dee?”

The baby’s suckling noises almost sounded like a grunt of agreement. Kay threw back her head and laughed. Setting the bottle aside, she burped the baby with an expert hand. “Okay, Punkin’. Into your pretty dress you go.”

Kay rushed down the steps, baby and gear in hand. As she maneuvered, the VW into an empty space, she realized just how nervous she was. The familiar buckle on the carseat suddenly wouldn’t cooperate with her trembling fingers.  What if he doesn’t come? What if-

 Kay took a deep breath and tried to reason with herself.  It doesn’t matter. I’m not doing this because of some stupid flutters in my stomach. It isn’t like a date. I’m just trying help him acclimate. It’s the Christian thing to do. She backed out of the car, shut the door and turned. Movement in the red pickup truck next to her caught her eye. It was Jeff. He rolled down his window.

“Hey there. Some spunky girl asked me to a church picnic today. You wouldn’t have happened to see her wandering around somewhere, would you?”

A silly grin spread across Kay’s face. In that moment, her logical list melted into a meaningless mental pool. Then, Jeff stepped out of the struck, resplendent in a suit and tie, freshly shaved and his hair slicked back. I have a feeling this will be a memorable service. Kay unconsciously brushed her hair back with her fingers, feeling a bit of unidentified something matting it together. Her dark-wash denim pants, which had seemed so perfect only the day before suddenly felt painfully plain.

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