Picking Up The Pieces

Picking Up The Pieces (Chapter 5)

Picking Up The Pieces

By: Stacy Leonhardt Gravely & Nichole Harrison

© All Rights Reserved - 2010

5.

I woke up the next morning with regret filling my mind, knowing that I would start my job at the pharmacy on Monday making what I could only guess as minimum wage, ugh. I needed to get a jump on looking for a place to live just so I knew what I was up against. Then it would be time to sit down and ask my mom for the biggest favor ever, babysitting the kids, maybe I could even convince Krista to help out when or if she has the time something to question when I can.

I got out of bed taking the morning head on, getting the girls something to eat, clothed, and out the door. I wanted to check out a few apartments, and houses in the area for rent getting an idea of rent rates, what I would be able to afford, and what kind of deposit they would be expecting.

"Sommer, Riley, we are going to be running around a lot today. I need you to stay with me and be patient today." I told the girls with severity in my voice hoping they caught onto the gravity of our errands.

Of course Riley would be okay with whatever I asked of her, Sommer on the other hand, decided she would roll her little eyes at me and then just nod at me.

"Sommer, I need to hear your words in order to understand, I don't read head language." Again nothing, just staring out the window into oblivion like I was talking to a wall.

We pulled into the parking lot of the first place that had a sign "apartments for rent", I was not pleased with the way they looked on the outside. Swallowing my fear, I walked into the office and asked about the apartments after seeing a floor plan, the price, and what they called a model I was not sold on anything like this one.

We went through the morning looking at several different options, the girls were bored I could tell but I had to get an idea. I wish that I could just sit down and have an adult conversation with my children about getting out of mom and dad's house, the divorce, and everything else on my mind. That's what my friends are for, not my children. After everything we had seen today, I was not totally convinced I would ever make it out of their house, but I was determined.

I decided while in town to take the girls to the park next to the pharmacy let them stretch their legs and rid their little bodies of all the energy they had. While I sat there watching my children running around playing with one another, I knew I needed to call Krista and see about the whole babysitting thing. I pull my phone out and dial her number, "Hey Lynds!"

"Hey Krista whats up?"

"Nothing much, but I can tell something is wrong with you, whats going on?"

"I'm just depressed after looking all morning for a place to live in this shitty town." I sighed deeply feeling more lost than I had when I set out this morning.

"Don't let it get you down girl its only day one." Krista was always the one that had my back, always there to reassure me things were going to get better in the future.

"Yeah but money is going to be so hard to come by, if my rent is out of this world."

"You got that right and I know just where you are coming from."

"Well I have another problem child care?!"

"I know what you're going to say and girl, I can only help out two days a week."

"REALLY?!?!" I was elated that she could spare even two days.

"Yeah, Tuesday and Thursday are about all I can offer you."