Borrowed Time

Twenty Eight

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It was seven-thirty in the morning. The sun was shining through my kitchen window. I had a fresh brew of coffee going, breakfast cooking on the stove.

I could admit, I was feeling damn good. After making up with Janet—plus the sex—there was no other way I wanted to feel. Things weren't at all perfect, but they were just fine.

"Okay, Mommy," Josiah called out to me, entering the kitchen. He was dressed in his school uniform, carrying an enlarged smile upon his face. "I'm all ready to go now." He walked over to my presence, standing before me as I sat at the kitchen table, browsing through some news on my phone.

I smiled back at him, rising from where I was seated. "Look at you, being a big boy, not needing Mommy's help." I then opened the dial pad on my device, getting ready to call Joy—as it was her morning to drop him off at school. "Let me see where Mama is. She should be pulling up soon."

I exited the kitchen, while Josiah followed, heading towards the living room. I peeked through the window that was just above my grey pigmented chaise lounge, checking to see if Joy's car was in the driveway. Thankfully, it was, which meant she was on time.

"Goodmorning, baby!" She said to Josiah, reaching down to hug him. After he greeted her back, the woman then looked over at me and said, "Morning, Toni."

Within the past few days, we kept things as cordial as possible. We decided it was best to let our problems be, to let go of our differences and only think of the son we had to raise. Which, indeed, was the way it was supposed to be.

Giving a slight smile, I said back, "Morning, Jonathan—I mean Joy." I tried not to laugh, recalling just the name my mother had mistaken her for. "I was just getting ready to call you."

The woman rolled her eyes, giggling. "Yeah, it took me a little longer than usual to get here because there's some traffic a few blocks over," she then replied, pointing toward outside of the house.

"Mama," Josiah called out to her, beginning to walk back in the direction of his room. "I just gotta get my backpack, then we can leave."

Joy understood, shaking her head up and down. Once our son was completely out of the living quarters, she then faced me and said, "So...I'll be a bit busy tonight...and was wondering if it'd be okay for Jojo to stay in with you? You know, since he's been spending a couple nights with me."

"Oh, of course," I responded, trying to be understanding. I didn't think too much about whatever it was she had arranged. We were supposed to be moved on, she was grown, and that was her business. "I have no plans or anything, so."

She thanked me, then called for Josiah to hurry. Once he made his way back into the living room, they both exited, shutting the door behind them.

I went back into the kitchen, figuring I'd help myself to some of the coffee I prepared. I grabbed a mug from the cabinets, then searched my refrigerator for some hazelnut flavored creamer. Just as I was getting ready to pour the creamer into the mug, my phone began to ring. I glanced over at the caller-ID, only to see that it was Janet.

"Goodmorning, babe," I said to her, using my left shoulder to help balance the phone upon my ear, tending to my beverage.

"Goodmorning, baby. What are you doing?" She spoke softly. "You sent Josiah off to school yet?"

"I did, I did," I moved my head up and down, just after removing my phone from my shoulder and placing it on speaker. "Now I'm just having some coffee. What about you? What're you doing?"