Coming Clean by Sue Margolis

Author:Sue Margolis
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group, USA
Published: 2013-08-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Six thirty a.m., Christmas morning

“Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin’s run away. It’s no fun when his smelly bum keeps farting every day. . . .”

I pulled the duvet over my head and tried to ignore my children, who were bouncing on my bed and—in between belting out scatological versions of Christmas songs—demanding to open their presents.

“But can’t we just open one small present each?” Amy whined.

“No,” I said. “You have to wait until your dad gets here. That was the deal.” Greg wasn’t due until nine. A bit of me wished I’d asked him to sleep over last night in the spare room. I’d thought about it, but in the end I’d decided I wasn’t ready. Every time Greg and I spent time together—like at the kids’ multicultural generic holiday play—my emotions began churning and for the next couple of days I felt a bit discombobulated and down. I knew that having their father here on Christmas Day was right for the children. I also knew that I needed to protect my own emotional equilibrium. That meant keeping the time I spent around Greg—particularly in what had been the marital home—to a minimum.

For the umpteenth time I suggested the kids go downstairs and put on The Muppet Christmas Carol DVD, which they’d never seen and which I’d bought for the sole purpose of entertaining them until Greg arrived. “I’ll take a shower and then I’ll come down and make pancakes. How’s that?”

“I bet you’ve got us a puppy,” Ben said, landing hard next to my right ear. “To make up for you and Dad splitting up. Dillon in my class said his parents got him a dalmatian when his parents got divorced.”

“They haven’t got us a dog, dummy,” Amy said, climbing into bed with me. “We would have heard it barking.”

“Not if they gave it to the neighbors to look after, double dummy. So when can we get a dog?” My son yanked the duvet off my head. “When can we?”

Finally realizing I had no choice but to embrace the day, I hauled myself into a sitting position. “I’ve told you, it’s just not fair having a dog when we’re out all day—especially now that Klaudia’s gone. Now can we please change the subject?”

“So,” Ben persisted, “you and Dad definitely haven’t got us a puppy, then?”

“Correct. And please will you stop jumping? You’re going to damage the mattress.”

“I’m getting up,” Amy said, sliding out of bed. “I want to put on my glitter nail polish.”

Amy disappeared. Ben carried on bouncing. “But you’ve got me the go-kart I wanted, haven’t you?”

“What? Ben, this is the first time I’ve heard you mention a go-kart. And anyway, have you any idea how much they cost? They’re hundreds of pounds.”

“God, this is going to be such a rubbish Christmas.” He came down hard on his bottom. “I mean, now that you and Dad have split up, you’re meant to spoil us. Dillon’s getting a go-kart for Christmas. And his dad’s taking him and his sister to Disneyland Paris.

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