All I Ask

02

I stared out the dining room window as Jack stopped the car, got out, and walked to the back to get Emilie in her car seat. Leah emerged from the passenger seat, and slammed the door. After she did so, she stood up and glared at my brother over the car. They must've been fighting on the drive. I then remembered I had to give him the cash, so I stood up and ran to the door, and walked outside. Jack looked extremely tired, purple circles under his eyes and his black hair unkempt and tangled. Makes sense, he was up at 3 o' clock this morning. He stopped in his tracks and stared at me, wide-eyed.

"Harper, what's wrong?" he said as Leah walked to where he was standing. She stared at me with a raised eyebrow.

"The gas bill is due, I need you to take this cash to the gas building now. It's gonna be below freezing tonight, and we can't afford to treat hypothermia."

"Fine," he said. "Take the baby, she needs to be fed, I'll run the cash to the gas company on my way to work."

"Why can't I take Emilie? I am her mother!" Leah shouted as Jack walked over to the car.

"Because Harper can actually hold her without dropping her every five minutes!" Jack shouted back at her as he opened the car door.

I was about to start walking back to the house when I remembered the extra $20 mom gave me for groceries. Emilie was fidgeting in her seat.

"JACK!" I yelled as he started the car. He looked at me.

"There's an extra $20 for groceries in there!"

He smiled and gave a thumbs-up as he started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

Emilie wriggled and began to cry.

"I know, I know, I feel the same way" I said to her as I walked back to the house.

I set down Emilie on the kitchen counter and set up her high chair by the table. I then walked back to the kitchen and unbuckled Emilie from her chair, picked her up, and cradled her as I walked her to her chair. I set her down and walked to the fridge and pulled out a jar of baby food. I went back to the table and set her food and a spoon on the small table on her chair as I pulled a chair in front of her. I unscrewed the top from the food and she began to settle down. I spooned food into her mouth, and she swallowed it willingly, giggling in between each spoonful.

Once she finished the jar, I took her out of the chair and carried her to her play pen and set her down. She immediately fell asleep.

I walked to her high chair and placed everything in the places they originally sat. I sat back down at the table and did my homework. Chara and Danny seemed to have abandoned me.

Thirty minutes later, I look back up at the clock.

5:00

Damn. Time for work.