Incarnate

Date

"Mom, please, for heaven's sake please, let me go on this date. I will leave you alone the entire day." Her mother stoically stared past her. "I will go out to lunch with him and spend the night with Jackie. Dad can find someone else to babysit her kid. I am tired of doing it."

"That's not how this works and you know it." Not even a flinch of emotion betrays her mother's face.

"I never ask to go out. Why can you not just let me go this one time?" Renée's mother sat before her with her arms crossed and a sour look on her face. She couldn't believe that she was being so obstinate.

"I don't think I should allow you to go. It's not like you have been really respectful to me lately. You have been bossy, and quite frankly, I should keep you home for a month or just send you to live with your father altogether."

"What? I do not want to live with Dad. He does not want me there. He has his own life and has made it clear that he wants nothing to do with Jake or me. The only reason he allows us to come every weekend is because he can have a free babysitter and because you push the issue on him so you can have some free time. I want to give you the free time. This way, everyone wins. He does not want me there, and you want a break. Please, Mom." She grew so furious that her mother picked now, of all times, to punish her for her attitude. But her mother showed attitude just because of her father. It was not her fault that her father acted like such a moron.

"If you want to do this, you spend the night with Jackie tonight and Saturday. You will tell your father and your brother. I wash my hands with it." She huffed and stormed off to her room.

"Renée, what's going on out here?" Jake leaned his head out of his slightly opened door. I might as well get one done while he is here.

"I am not going to Dad's this weekend. I am guessing that she expects you to find something to do from tonight to Sunday seeing as Mom wants total peace." Her brother stared at her for a moment.

"Okay, care to explain what exactly happened? Why did she stomp off to her room over that?"

"I have a date on Saturday afternoon. I am not going to miss it so I can go babysit for Dad."

"Wait. You have a date? When did this happen, and who? I thought you didn't like anyone in school." Jake seemed suspicious.

"Is it really that hard to believe that I would have a date?" She grumbled. "His name is Gage Casey, and he asked me out Thursday. Is that all right with you, or are you going to say something against it too?" He flinched like she'd slapped him. She knew she was being mean about it, but she just couldn't stop herself. She felt so angry with her mother and not having time to vent yet caused her to lay it all on her brother.

"I'm happy for you, really, sis. I just worry about you, that's all. It was only a few days ago you said were not interested in anyone in school. I feel you deserve someone, but I would like to know the guy. This Gage guy, he's new, isn't he? He's got a brother too, right?"

Of course her brother had heard of them. Jake had friends that were still in school so he was still in the loop. "Yes, he does. They are like night and day, he and his brother. You will have to meet him some other time as Mom has made perfectly clear I will be at Jackie's tonight in order to go, and Gage will have to pick me up there tomorrow morning." She still couldn't help the acid in of her voice. She would have to make a point to apologize to him later when she calmed down.

"Tomorrow morning? Aren't you going out at night? Usually that's when a date takes place." His surprise almost made her laughed.

"Well, yes, we are going out for lunch though. I am not sure where. He said he would like to keep some things a surprise."