Marla got up from the desk where she was typing notes feeling a sudden urge to pee. Holy shit. She thought to herself as she opened the door out of the office to the restroom in the outside of the office. As she walked down the hallway she started walking with another one of the therapists- Tovah.
”How are you and the hubs?” she asked Marla as they waited for the two bathroom doors to open.
”Ehhh..we’re okay. He left this morning for South America. He’ll be gone for three weeks..so it’s a bummer. But I think we’re okay.” Marla answered.
”Ahh…okay. I just don’t know what I would do if my husband wasn’t around like he is. It must be really really tough.” Tovah responded.
”Yeah. It’s tough. But we figute it out somehow. Lots of ichat, texts and late night phone calls.” Marla answered as they walked into their respective stalls. ”But what I’m really afraid of is that I’m pregnant again.”
”You what?” Tovah asked as the toilets flushed and they walked to wash their hands.
”Yeah..I’m like two weeks late.” Marla replied.
”It could be the stress. I mean…y’all have been in stressful situation and all.” Tovah answered.
”I don’t know. I feel pretty shitty and I haven’t even felt like I’ve had any seizures at night and good lord..I have to pee all the time.”
”You should probably at least take the test….” Tovah told her.
”Yeah….” Marla sighed as they walked back to the office.
**
Marla sat on the couch watching Rosie draw on a big piece of paper laying on the floor. She glanced down at her phone alerting her to e-mails and text messages.
Call me when you get a chance.
She texted Bruno with no urgency, just needing to hear his voice. She watched Rosie finishing her drawing running over to her mother to have her finish the drawing. Marla laid down on the floor next to her daughter asking her what she wanted to be on the paper. ”Mom….draw love…” she told her.
”Okay…” Marla smiled writing the word out in bubbly letters.
”No! What is looks like mommy….” she restated her request.
”Oh…um.m…okay…” Marla said sliding over to get a few markers starting to draw the three of them with Rosie standing in the middle with Bruno and she holding her hands.
”Wait…” Rosie said taking a marker from her mother drawing a circle with strings on it. ”There…now it’s love….momm…you need music for love. Isn’t that what dad said?”
”Oh…” Marla remembered one of the songs on his second album that mentioned that exact phrase. ”You’re right….” Marla responded holding the markers. ”Are you ready for bed?”
”No.” she answered standing up to get the markers Marla had just put away. What is with this attitude? Is it because he’s gone? He does exactly the same things that I do. Marla wondered to herself.
”Rosalia…if you stay up late then you’re not going to be able to get up for school..and I know you want to go to school tomorrow…”
”No, mama. I don’t want to go. I want to stay home like I do when daddy is home…I want to stay home with you and watch Finding Nemo.” she told her mother.
”We can do that tomorrow, night, mama…” Marla said taking the markers from her daughter’s hand.
”No.” Rosie answered taking the marker from her mother’s hand walking to the wall uncapping the marker.
”Rosalia…” Marla called her daughter in a low calm voice as she saw her daughter slash colors along the wall. Marla walked into the kitchen picking up a magic eraser from the cabinet handing it to her daughter. ”I need you to clean that up and then we’ll get you a bath…” Marla took the marker from her daughter’s hand putting them on the highest shelf possible. She watched her daughter scrub the marker starting to cry.
”Mamaaa….I don’t want to….I want to talk to dadddddddyyyyy…” she whined. I’m holding my own tonight. He’s not gonna have any part of this little booger’s temper tantrum. She said to herself feeling her phone vibrate. Damnit. She ended the call before it could ring feeling it vibrate again. She reached for the off button as she watched her daughter finish cleaning up her mess.
”Are you done?” Marla asked wiping the small tears off her daughter’s chubby cheeks. Rosie nodded her head hugging her mother.
”Mama…I love you.” she said running into the bathroom grabbing her pink towel.
”Okay Rosie..let’s get this movin’ lady…I’m tired…” she said covering her daughter’s hair in water and shampoo.
”Sing a song with me mama….” Rosie said starting to sing one of the songs they sang at home. Marla finished the bath with her daughter getting her ready for bed. ”Mommmaaaa….I can’t sleep. I can sleep with you….” she told her mother.
”Not happening, my love.” Marla said turning off the light to the bedroom.
”Mommmmm…..” Rosie got out of the bed hanging on her mother.
Marla reached down to talk to her daughter. ”Baby..you have to be a big girl and sleep in your bed. I know it’s hard. Growing up is hard.” she told her daughter laying her back down.
”No.” Rosie said running back into their bedroom. I’m gonna Super Nanny the crap out of this kid. Marla thought to herself picking up her daughter taking her to the bedroom without saying a word. Rosie started to cry even harder as she sat by her bed making loud noises to make her mother pay attention to her. No. Not happening. She looked at her phone switching it on seeing 4 voicemail messages from Bruno. She texted him back telling him she was dealing with Rosie. And we want more. She sighed putting her headphones on to listen to Lana Del Rey. She felt her phone vibrate from one of Bruno’s text messages.
I love you. You can do it.
Marla pulled out her headphones about 30 minutes later to make sure Rosalia was okay since she was okay. She walked slowly to her daughter’s room running her fingers along the pictures on the wall. She peeked in the room seeing her daughter laying on the floor stretched out every which way possible holding onto the frog her father had bought her. I’ll leave her there for a little. Marla thought to herself walking back to the living room by her phone. She picked it up calling Bruno.
”Hey there lovely girl.” he sang to her as he picked up the phone.
”Were you sleeping/? I’m sorry.” she told him.
”No, baby girl. I was just waiting for Rosie to fall asleep. I knew she would.” he told her sweetly.
”She’s passed out in the middle of the floor.” Marla laughed.
”Dammmmnnnnn.” he said to her. ”She’s starting early. What was she drinking? Red Bull and vodka?”
”She ODed on Capri sun.” she told him.
”That shit is strong, babe. Are you sure she’ll make it through the night?” he asked her.
”It’s questionable. She might wake up with a hangover.” Marla answered him.
”Oh. Just make sure to get her some advil. I think she’ll be okay. But did she get chocolate wasted?” Bruno asked her continuing their ridiculous conversation.
”Woah there buddy. She’s only 4. Not 44.” Marla answered.
”You’re right Capri Sun and chocolate cake may be too much.” he replied starting to laugh at her. She felt his smile through the phone making her melt.
”Bruno…I’m pregnant again.” she exclaimed trying to get his attention.
YOU ARE READING
The Good Life
FanfictionThis is my first fanfic. SInce I've written several more, but this is my baby. It's been on tumblr for a good while now, but if you haven't read it, I think it's pretty fab. Bruno is just starting out when he takes the time to perform at one of his...
