My Buddy Archie [3]

82..

i suck. i know. i hate me too.

but here is the next chapter.

hella sorry in advance....................................................... >:)

~~

August

"This was the lake I told you about in my letter. We got to swim in it all day long once. Jonas can do the coolest flips off the dock. And he's a really good swimmer. One time we played glow in the dark tag at night and Jonas was on my team and..." Archie went on, rambling about things he told me and Connie in his letters, as well as things he left out because 'he didn't have enough time to write it down'.

We were here to pick him up today, and he just couldn't let us leave before he showed us everything. He introduced us to his new friends, showed us the camp-y art work he did. Seeing the ways his eyes lit up as he told us about all the fun he had, it warmed my heart. I missed him while he was gone though, and I couldn't wait for all of us to be back home.

"Mum, hurry up!" Archie called over his shoulder.

"The lake isn't going anywhere Archibald. I'm coming." I turned my head to look at Connie as she struggled to push the babies' stroller over the soft pine needles. She'd used her playfully stern voice with a small grin on her face, the first I'd seen on her in weeks.

She's been so distant the last couple days, so spaced out and absent, it was almost numbingly alleviating to see her smiling and joking around now. Maybe that's what's been bothering her. Maybe she just missed Archie.

Once she was standing next to him, he went on telling his story about him and four of his other friends sitting on the doc at night pointing out stars and eating chips. Connie asked him tons of questions, smiling and laughing-she really seemed like a whole new person.

Just yesterday we got in an argument-because I left the room for three seconds while the twins were alone in the living room-and it was blew up into me never being around to know how to take care of them, or recognize what's dangerous for them. I said some shit I didn't mean, saying she was going crazy and wallowing in self-pity because she didn't have a job. By the time I went to work last night we were avoiding each other.

This morning was a little better. Mainly because it was too busy to actually work in any apologies or any kind of talking, but things were less tense. She was quiet during the car ride, except for telling me to pull over so she could change Aria's diaper. When we got to the camp though, she lit up, just like she is now as Archie tells her about the last six weeks.

Archie toured us around to a couple more places before I finally told him we needed to head home. Jonas was going to meet us there since he was done working here and headed back home to see him own mum for a week. There was only a couple more weeks until school started, and having Jonas around for a little longer will allow him to make the most of his time off.

Dinner was great. Connie's mood stayed smiley and bright as she chatted with Archie and Jonas. The babies-well, Aria-wasn't as fussy as usual. They were laughing at every damn thing, and I gave them tiny, pre-chewed pieces of my burger, and French fries that I licked the salt off of.

It was a good evening. A great one, spent with my family. And Jonas-but he's a bit of the family too.

When I was getting ready for work, Connie sat in bed, reading something on an iPad Regina got her for her birthday a couple months ago.

"Angel, how's the job hunting going?" I meant to ask her yesterday, but...that fight...

She didn't look up as she said, "I've done three interviews for different organizations. And I have another for a head event organizer position for The Hampton hotel on Monday morning."