Shambles

Chapters 26: Ember

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom. I need to get up and start getting everything together," I tell Gabe who has his head buried under my pillow, and his arm wrapped around me tightly.

"You can lay here for a little longer." His voice is muffled by the pillow.

"One minute Gabe then I have to get up. Your mom and dad will be here to get the kids." There is a little tension going on between him and his family. He hasn't been talking to them much and was a little hesitant for them to keep the kids for the weekend.

"What time are they coming?"

Squinting at the clock on the dresser it reads 8:07 am. "In fifty minutes. That's why I need to get up."

"Ok," He lets me go and sits up. We both get up and head to the bathroom. This has been a real adjustment for me. The two boyfriends I have had and lived with never came into the bathroom with me. So to be peeing while Gabe is brushing his teeth has been very weird, but he seems to not have a care in the world.

"What all do you have to do once they pick up the kids?"

"Kita and I have to go get our eyebrows and lashes done. I think she's going to get a sew-in, but I'm just wearing a wig. The party planner I found is doing everything else so I will be free after that."

"Is Kita all packed?"

"Yes, she was packed last week. If you noticed she hasn't been over here sitting by the pool. She said; she needed to be ready for the sun in Fiji."

Gabe starts laughing. Tonight is Kita's fortieth birthday party. Tomorrow her and her best friend Michelle will fly off for a week-long trip to Fiji. She didn't want to take her current boyfriend Larry because she might meet someone new - her words.

"What are the kids doing this weekend?" Gabe turns on the shower. He motions with his hand for me to get off the toilet since I'm just sitting here.

"Your dad said something about a cabin y'all have. They will be back Monday sometime." Gabe starts to laugh. "What?" I pull off the long shirt I was wearing to sleep in. Grabbing my toothbrush I rinse it off and then add the toothpaste. With my toothbrush in hand, I step in the shower.

"I would like to be the fly on the wall when Bash and Papa find out there's no wifi." My eyes go big.

"Are you serious?" I say around my toothbrush.

"Yes, but it's nice out there. They can swim in the lake, fish, and hike. Down the road is a ranch where they can ride horses. My mom never goes down there and doesn't stop at the horse ranch."

Spitting down the drain I ask, "Do y'all own the ranch"?

"It was my great grandfather's ranch so my daddy's brother Elijah works the land there. He has a son Michael's age, named Joshua, that helps him run the place."

"Is your uncle or cousin married?"

"My uncle's wife died of breast cancer three years ago. She was awesome at jumping the horses, her and my mother were best friends in college. Joshua has a wife, a girlfriend, and about six kids; they all live in this big house on the property." Gabe flushes the toilet and steps in the shower.

"They live together? What kind of shit is that?"

"It works for them. Both women are really sweet and will do anything for you. He would marry both of them if it wasn't illegal."

After we both shower and throw on some clothes I finish packing the kid's bag. Gabe helps with the brushing of the teeth and putting their clothes on. When we are done and heading downstairs the front door swings open.