Charlotte

CHAPTER 4

I glanced up from the body wash I was looking at, and down the aisle as Patsy and Brows went past us. Brows made a motion to the boxes of contraceptives and I held in a gag. I'm not naive, but thinking about their relations turned my stomach. After their treatment of Charlotte, I couldn't help but wonder why he simply didn't get a vasectomy, or her tubes tied.

I chalked it up to none of my business, but yanked my head up again when Patsy began to chuckle.

"We can try again."

Please don't let them be talking about bringing another child into the world!

I was so thankful that Charlotte had no idea what they were talking about. Or, at least I hope she didn't. Maybe she didn't understand then and there, besides, she was so distracted with finding a single chocolate egg to roll between her fingers inside the package, but I wondered if they ever let on in any other ways that they wanted more children.

I tossed the honey orange scented body wash into the cart and went down the next aisle to get away from them even though they were my drive "home".

Charlotte looked sad again when I took the chocolate eggs away to pay for them. Brows and Patsy had paid first and scrutinized the situation.

Patsy's eyes darkened, and in a moment she had come and pulled Charlotte out of the cart, the child's leg catching in the hole. Perhaps it would have been smarter for me to put her in the trolley part. Charlotte's eyes watered and she held her right leg. "Stop making a scene."

For her nastiness, I was furious, but even more so that she said it with a plastered on smile and a singsong voice. To an onlooker, she looked like the idea mother, putting Charlotte on her own two feet and holding her hand.

I shouldn't have given Charlotte the chocolates to hold, I chastised myself as I paid for my purchases. It only was a temptation for her, though I was certainly going to share with the girl. I realized as I wheeled out behind the couple, Charlotte running at her mother's side that I would have to change the way I dealt with her, and other things, not getting her into trouble again, though it had never been my intention.

I clambered into the back of the truck, my few bags in between my feet, the chocolates hidden at the very bottom, kind of hoping that the little girl would just forget about them.

Brows drove to A&W, going in with Patsy. I gave him my order and forgot to tell him I didn't want sauce. Mustard, relish, ketchup, mayonnaise- they all make me want to vomit. I considered calling him, but figured he might not pick up, or it might be too late. I could have run in, but I wasn't about to leave little Charlotte in the truck alone. I've heard all the horror stories of children locked within vehicles. While it wasn't hot out, that would never happen on my watch. I'd have to grin and bear it.

Sure enough, my burger was smothered with ketchup and mayonnaise. Just the smell of it made me want to vomit. Why didn't I opt for something unwreckable, like chicken nuggets? I tossed my burger to the side, munching on fries and comforting myself that I would fill up on chocolate eggs after. I probably should have bought chips too, something a little bit more substantial. As much as I was fond of Charlotte, just seeing ketchup smeared on the side of her mouth made me involuntarily gag. I have a weak stomach.

"Where's my purse?" Patsy whipped around, staring at both Charlotte and I like as if we made off with it somewhere. Charlotte flinched and I looked back at Patsy incredulous.

"Did you bring it inside A&W?" Brows inquired.

"No."

Brows swore, "Must be at Costco. No sense going back there to get it. Did you have cash in it? Maybe we ought to-"

Patsy grew more and more aggravated with him with each passing second. Why wouldn't they go get her purse, I wondered. Whether there was cash in it left or not, seemed irrelevant. Apparently she agreed, though Patsy said nothing. She yanked Brows' cell phone out of the console and dialed up Costco's number. The way her voice changed as she singsonged a hello, reminded me of my mom.

Mom could be furious with us kids and the phone ring, or she had to make a call and it was like night and day, a beautiful happy person on the phone, until the receiver hit the cradle again. I hated to think we might be related through my mother's side. I wouldn't bring it up to Patsy- ever- though I supposed to only way to tell for sure would be through a genealogy test, or the like. I surely wasn't going to mention it to my mom that I thought we might be related for that reason. Mom would be upset. She still intimidates me a little.

Thinking of that, I wondered if I were being too harsh on Brows and Patsy. Maybe no parent was perfect, and that the child took the brunt of rage every so often. Still, I couldn't stomach it happening to Charlotte. It turned me off more than the mayonnaise and ketchup on my innocent burger.

"Thank you, we'll be back in a few minutes to pick it up." Relief showed on Patsy's face, hanging up the phone as she turned back to Brows. "They have it at the front desk."

"I can't believe you did something so stupid."

I could, but I didn't say anything.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Charlotte squirmed in her seat, yet she still clutched on her orange juice fountain drink cup. It wouldn't help her out, but she didn't seem to understand.

"You'll just have to wait," Patsy waved her hand at Brows as if he was the chauffeur- I suppose he was- and he turned back towards Costco.

Charlotte's eyes widened pitifully and brimmed with tears. I could only hope for her that she could hold it. Costco was a good twenty minutes drive away and the traffic was nearly unbearable in comparison to the small city that we resided in. It would only have taken Patsy a minute to bring Charlotte into A&W. Even Brows could have.

It only frustrated me all the more as one tear drop, after the other fell down her cheeks. I prayed that she would not pee herself. What kind of punishment would she face?