The 22 days

Day: 8

I know it sounds funny, but I just can't stand the pain,

Girl, I'm leaving you tomorrow,

Seems to me girl, you know I've done all I can,

You see I begged, stole, and I borrowed,

Yeah... Oooh,

That's why I'm easy,

Aah, aah, aah, aah,

I'm easy like Sunday morning...

She sang along with the radio, actually feeling at ease for the first time in a while. Yesterday had been a really good day. She realized now, that she needed that day off to just enjoy being with her child. She could still hear the sound of his laugh as she chased him around. She even made herself laugh as she did. It helped her hopes of it being like that from now on... an easy, happy life for them.

I wanna be free,

Just me,

Oh babe...

She glanced at Joey from the rearview mirror, to see him playing with his truck, making sounds with his mouth. He also needed the day they had. If not because how sad he was and would be without it, then just because that way he would have a good memory of their "vacation". Pretty soon, they would be settling down in a new house, and have a new routine... she hoped. And everything would be different.

"Baby, are you hungry?" She asked, getting Joey's attention. He took a minute to think about it, and then nodded yes with his head. It hadn't been long since they ate breakfast, but it wasn't a very good one. Just slices of cake and crackers in the car. Now she was hungry again.

It took her a minute to find a good place to stop, but she was satisfied with the one she chose. It looked a little crowded, leaving only few vacate parking spaces outside, and creating a bit of a wait to get a waitress' attention, but she actually liked it that way. It distracted her and helped with the tension that tried to take over her every time she stepped out of the car. She order a generous meal for both of them, wanting to feed herself well this time, but also hoping it would keep her full until night, when they would be done with the long drives, at least for a while.

"What's wrong?" She asked noticing Joey squirm in his seat.

He made a face, still squirming, "I need to pee."

"Come on." She got up and helped him do the same before heading to the ladies room.

"See, all little boys come in here, it's not just you." A woman said seeing Joey enter. The little boy she was talking to seemed to be her son. She looked down at her own child and smiled. She knew she had had that conversation with him already. He used to be very upset whenever she took him into the ladies room with her, instead of the men's room.

"Mommy, I'm done." A little girl's voice said from inside a stall.

After helping Joey with his jeans, she stood there watching the woman alternate her attention between her two children. Letting herself think that would be her in one or two years. She smiled at the thought. She pictured a little girl, then a little boy. Both made her smile harder. She really didn't have preferences about her second child. Just to have it would be a joy. This time it would happen. This time she would only be separated from it to hear her baby's first cry.

"I'm done." Joey said getting her attention. She helped him with his jeans again, then to wash his hands before going back to their table. She had yet to tell Joey about the sibling he was going to have, but she wasn't sure of how to go about it. And deep down, it wasn't the only thing she wasn't sure of, so for now... she was going to wait.