It's All About The Money

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Charla woke up the next morning to find an empty bed. She wasn't surprised at this. When she was out late, usually her kids woke up before her. She heard the familiar sound of Bugs Bunny on the television and she knew that her kids were awake. She smiled slightly and carefully got up. Her abdomen still stung slightly from the workout she had last night, but she managed to get up. She stretched her arms and only her arms before moving to get off the bed. She stayed in her pajams but just put on her zebra like slippers. Moving out of the room, she turned in the living room to look at the clock. Nine thirty in the morning? Wow, she did oversleep.

            The instant that Charla came into the room, Allie looked up to check the sound and a wide smile came on her face. She got up and ran to her mother. Charla gave her a wide smile back and she picked up her daughter once she was close. She lifted the girl to her hip and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek. Allie giggled and wrapped her small arms around her mother's neck and gave a long kiss at her mother's cheek, making a 'mchwua' sound a bit dramatically. Charla smiled and said, "good morning sweetie. It's always nice to wake up to see a smiling face." Allie giggled and turned her head back to look at Conner. Charla looked as well and she told him, “Hey bud, good job for watching your sister.”

            She took out her other arm and she asked, “can I get a good morning hug from my little bud too?”

            Conner giggled and got up. He walked over to her and hugged her legs. She smiled and leaned down slightly to have half her arm around him and holding him close to her leg. She giggled and said, “there, the best good morning ever.” She kissed Allie’s cheek once more before kneeling down. She let her daughter go and she kissed Conner’s cheek.

            Charla gently placed her hands on Conner’s face and she told him, “I mean that, Conner. That was very good of you to watch your sister was so long. Thank you.” She kissed his forehead once more before she patted his shoulder. Conner was blushing and he kissed her cheek too. Charla smiled and let him go back to the television, watching cartoons.

            Standing up, she turned to look at them. God knew just how well behaved her kids were. Conner was always responsible and calm and good. He rarely acted out. Allie was just the same and Charla knew she had gotten lucky. It was as though a gift from God that if she had to do this to keep her kids safe, he would at least help her out by giving her kids who she knew could leave for work by themselves and they would know how to stop a burning fire if it happened.

            Smart, brave, responsible, loving, caring kids.

            Charla got lucky, and she wouldn’t take advantage of that luck. She only left Conner and Allie when she had to and she would always praise them. She would praise them for almost everything. Charla never got praise from her parents growing up and she loved the blush and smile on her kid’s faces when she had praised them. Her kids were the only thing that Charla was willing to give her life for. Everything about them made her so….so happy that she would literally feel her heart swell in size.

            She wondered how their acts didn’t come from their fathers. Charla knew that the two had different fathers. They had to be, of course. She hadn’t seen Conner’s father nine months before he was born and she had narrowed Allie’s father down to four men, but she never bothered to try and contact them. She doubted that they would want Allie in their life, not to mention that she was scared that they would take her from Charla.

            Charla wouldn’t lose her little girl.

            Standing for a couple of seconds more, Charla looked over the house. The windows were letting in some sunlight and she moved to shut off the lights before heading to the kitchen. She noticed their dishes into the sink. She could see some of the cereal crusting at the sides so she put some hot water in it to get it to stick off. Charla wished she could buy better and more child-like cereal for her kids, but so far Special K was going to have to make due and that usually left a sticky mess on the plastic kiddie Disney bowls that the children used.