Swanson Farms

Chapter 4

The grocery store was packed at this time and I followed Mom around, helping her get things for the house, with a cart of my own to get supplies for the bakery. Since it was Sunday, almost everything was closed today.

Bailey was in the cart sleeping, holding her small teddy bear tightly. I reached to stroke her cheek softly while Mom compared two brands of chips.

"I think we'll just get the no name..." She said softly and I glanced over at her,

"Mom? Are you having money problems?"

"No. We are not having any money problems, okay?"

I nodded and continued to grocery shop, and Mom looked over at me,

"Do you think that Jackie and Zach will be getting married soon?"

"Well... I think so. Zach loves her a lot but if I remember right he wanted to wait until he was done school and possibly had a job so that he could help out with the wedding."

"I know with Jackie's two businesses she's been saving towards a wedding as well... I just didn't want her to... miss out."

"Why did they hire a stable hand?"

"Well... Between Bailey and the bakery... And your father and I are getting a little old to do what we used to be able to..."

"Bailey is only going to young for a couple more months then I'd be able to help her out."

"Charlie, I know you and so does your sister. You're protective over Bailey and we both doubt very much that you would send Bailey to day care. With Zach at school and you with Bailey... That's too much work for Jackie to handle. She can't be a dog groomer and board horses and take care of our own horses."

"I..." I sighed and rubbed my head,

"And, it's not like you have a man to help you around the house..." She said quietly and I glared at her,

"Really? You're going to bring that up now?"

"I'm just saying... You had a good relationship with Noah and... You dumped him for no reason."

"No reason?! Noah is an asshole Mom! He's never going change!"

"I think you're blowing this out of propo-"

"Mom! He insulted Zach and told him his mother deserved to die back in high school!"

"I... I didn't know that."

"Toronto was to get away from him. I couldn't settle for marriage with him... He would have destroyed the family and the farm."

"Well Toronto obviously wasn't your best idea."

"Seriously?! I'm twenty three! Yes I'm a single mom and I don't know who my child's father is but that doesn't matter to me! I have my own business and now I have a family of my own. Isn't that what you wanted for me?"

My Mom didn't meet my eyes and I sighed, walking to the cash register. I glanced around and saw some of the towns folk looking at me and I rolled my eyes. I had just confirmed what they'd all been expecting- Bailey was a mistake.

However, in my eyes, Bailey was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Hell when I was seventeen and I thought about my future, I thought I'd be in love and partying when I was twenty three. Not a single mom running a (successful) business.

Once leaving the grocery store I sighed and sat in my truck, rubbing my face. I hated fighting with my Mom, but I knew what she was hiding and silently communicating with my dad would come out eventually. I guess the next thing I needed to find was a place of my own, so instead of heading home I decided to stop by the bank and see what was available.