Home Field Advantage by Johnson Janice Kay

Author:Johnson, Janice Kay [Johnson, Janice Kay]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-03-22T22:00:00+00:00

*****

John insisted on taking the kids grocery shopping Monday while Marian checked out the couple of new rentals that had been listed in the Sunday paper.

"Are you sure?" she asked dubiously, watching him buckle the herd into his car. "I can take the kids. We could do the shopping on our way home."

Inside the car, Jesse declared, "I want Rabbit!"

Rabbit's bedraggled face popped furtively up from the front seat, then disappeared.

"Mine!" Jesse bellowed.

"We're playing peek-a-boo," Emma said. "See? There he is. Now he's hiding."

Jesse began to scream.

Marian and John said at the same time, "Emma!"

"Oh, all right!" Sulkily, she flung the stuffed animal at the red-faced two-year-old. "You're no fun!"

"Are you absolutely sure?" Marian repeated.

"I'll bribe 'em," he said blithely. "You can deal with the sugar buzz when you get home. I'll go hide in the barn."

"If you're really positive," she said. "John, thank you."

He just grinned, gave her the thumbs up, and hopped in behind the wheel. "See ya."

Watching them disappear, Marian felt peculiar. It wasn't very long ago that she'd longed for a day to herself. Even a few hours! Now she had them, and instead of kicking up her heels she felt rootless. Unsettled. Maybe she couldn't walk anymore without twin weights hanging from her hands.

"I can't afford to get spoiled," she told herself. The excitement of being able to get into the car without fastening numerous seat belts and checking for essentials like bottles, diapers, blankies, and rabbits was almost too much for her. She'd have sworn even the car was lighter bouncing over a rut and onto the narrow country road.

A mostly discouraging two hours later, she returned to find John and the kids having macaroni and cheese for lunch. She was grateful to be able to announce brightly, "I found a place."

John's expression didn't change one iota. Why she was watching to see what he thought, Marian didn't know. Jesse and Anna ignored her announcement and continued squishing the macaroni on their plates. Emma's was the only response.

"I don't want you to go."

"I know, sweetie." It felt so natural to hug her. "But you understand why we need our own house, don't you?"

Emma pulled away and wouldn't look at Marian. "I guess," she said flatly.

Marian leaned against the counter and talked fast, trying to sound cheerful. "It's bigger than the last one. And the backyard is fenced, so I don't have to do that. Don't you miss Aja and Rhodo? And the cats? I'll bet they miss us."

Emma pushed her bowl away, ignoring the spoon that clattered to the floor. "You could have had them here," she said. "Daddy wouldn't have minded."

"Touche’," John murmured.

"We're imposing enough as it is," Marian said briskly. "Your dad was nice enough to have us, but adding four more animals would have been too much. And you know Crystal is enjoying them." Even if her parents aren't, Marian thought. Perhaps it was wrong of her, but she resented having to feel so hopelessly in debt to so many people. She had always made it on her own.

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