Changing Seasons

Thirty-Six

****

It was finally Friday again, Atira would be back down and with him before he had to start work at the club. It had seemed like the four nights he'd spent without her had dragged by and his anxiety was high. She had taken PTO for half of her shift and would be leaving Seattle around noon, meaning he would have a few hours of alone time with her.

Rocco was in Head Start for the morning so Krist was out for grocery deliveries. The holiday months were his favorite. He stayed busy with little to no break between batches. The customers were full of holiday cheer and generous with the tips. A few of the older folks he delivered for regularly had even given him Christmas cards, wishing him and Rocco and Merry Christmas, with gift cards, cash, and small presents as a token of his appreciation.

Atira had made the suggestion of carrying Seasons Greetings cards with him to jot a friendly note in to give to his customers. He'd felt corny doing it at first but it actually seemed to boost his tips.

In just that week of work, he'd already made nearly fifteen hundred dollars in reported earnings, not to mention the three hundred he'd gotten between cash and gift cards. He was grateful for the money as he would need to be taking off the following two weekends for Rocco's birthday and the holidays. The money from Bill still sat in his savings, untouched and he planned on keeping it that way.

"I bet the little old ladies tip you so well because they think you're cute," Atira had teased him through text.

It was partially correct. There was one elderly woman in particular, Mrs. Eleanor Sanders, who had the hots for him. She'd make corny jokes about how if he'd seen her sixty years ago, he'd be chasing her and how his eyes must drive all the girls wild. She was a harmless flirt though and a great tipper. She'd even give him extra to put her groceries away or change a lightbulb. Once she'd paid him a hundred bucks to mow her tiny front yard. Money was money and he'd definitely done far worse things for it.

Rocco was his biggest factor in the tips. Elderly people adored him and his being the working single dad pulled at the heartstrings of women. Krist thought the double standard was bullshit but it was what it was.

It was around 10:30, and he was working on a batch in Fred Meyer when he was stopped by a woman. Although she looked somewhat familiar, it took him a moment to recognize who she was.

"Krist?" She said incredulously, pushing her shopping cart towards him. A young boy, probably Rocco's age, sat in the buggy dressed in mismatched sweats and light-up sneakers.

He struggled a moment to recognize her. "Athena?"

It had been several years since he'd seen her. He was 20/21-ish? She appeared to have gotten clean and gained at least fifty pounds, giving her a healthier appearance. The dope had aged her look, he would have estimated her to be closer to her mid-thirties than her twenties.

"How have you been?" She grinned, her blackened smile had been replaced by flawless white teeth. Dentures.

"Good, good." He replied. "That your boy?"

"Yeah, Mikey." She ruffled his dirty blond hair lovingly.

Ugh, Krist grimaced to himself. Michael was his father obviously.

"I got a kid as well," he told her, passing her his cell phone to show her a photo of Rocco. "Rocco, he turns four next week."

"Cute kid, who is his momma?"

"You remember Nina?" Athena nodded. "Her sister, Karla."

"Oh," she replied. "Y'all still together?"