Mrs. Independent: Part Two

Chapter One: Puberty

Okay so the reason the description chapter isn't actually a real description is because I haven't decided what I'm going to put in it. I'll come up with it eventually :)

Chapter One: Puberty

Josh

Yelling can be heard upstairs, and seconds later I hear footsteps thundering down the staircase.
Matthew comes stomping into the living room looking very upset.
"Dad!" He says frustratedly. "Emma went into my bathroom forty five minutes ago and she won't get out!"
I look up from my phone.
"Okay, so use the one down the hall."
"She said she isn't coming out until Mom gets home."
I sigh slowly.
"She's not getting home for a few hours."
"Exactly."
I shove my phone in my pocket and wander upstairs. Matthew is right behind me.
Matt's bathroom is the only upstairs bathroom that has a door to the hallway. A lot of us use it, which I know makes Matt mad because he doesn't use anybody else's bathroom.
I reach out and knock on the bathroom door.
"Emma, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, go away!"
My eyebrows raise.
"Don't tell me go to away."
"I'm not coming out!" She says. I hear her sniffle.
"What's wrong?" I press.
"Nothing!" She yells. "I want to be alone!"
"Be alone in your own bathroom!" Matt argues with his sister behind me.
I shoot him a look and turn back to the door.
"Emma, go in your room to be alone."
"No!" She says. "When is Mama coming home?"
"Honey, I told you she isn't getting home until after dinner."
"Well what time is it?"
I look at my watch.
"It's three thirty."
"What time is she coming home?"
"After dinner."
"When after dinner?"
"Emma, just come out of the bathroom." I sigh.
"No."
"Emma, I will take the door off the hinges." I threaten.
"Just leave me alone!"
"Dad is gonna call Mama!" Matthew threatens.
"No I am not." I say. "She's working. Does she call me when I'm working?"
"Well, no, not really."
"Then I'm not calling her either." I turn to the bathroom door.
"Emma, Mama will hear about this when she gets home." I warn. "And you know she won't play around."
"I'm not coming out." Emma replies.
"Well, that's your choice."
"Dad!" Matthew groans.
"I don't want to hear it." I say. "Just let her be."
He rolls his eyes and goes storming into his bedroom.
The door slams shut behind him and I shake my head.
I always try to be patient when it comes to the kids. The boys are all in puberty and their moods are changing constantly. Emma has been super moody lately because she's starting to enter puberty, and I know it's a struggle for them. It wasn't exactly the poster child for my parents, either. I used to sneak out of the house and have sex in my car in the street. I slammed doors, screamed, and I was flunking classes.
While our kids get moody, they have good grades and they listen for the most part. While I'm sure the boys swear at school, as long as they don't do it in front of Katherine and I or at their other siblings, we don't care.
The kids don't know about Katherine's past. They think she was my first girlfriend and vice versa. It's much less complicated than delving into Katherine's history with Alex.
On top of that, I'm not about to tell my sons that my first time was in the car in the driveway of my parents house.
I go downstairs to the living room, looking at Lucy.
Lucy is our golden retriever that Katherine bought for the family eight years ago.
She is very loving and prefers to sleep in Katherine and I's room.
I yawn, looking at my watch.
It feels like six.
I wish it was six.
Katherine left for California for work yesterday morning. Even though I saw her yesterday, I miss her like crazy. On top of that, I slept like crap last night because I can't sleep well without her.
"Come here Lucy." I pat the couch.
She gets up, walking over to the couch and climbing up next to me.
I shift my body and lay against her.
I swear, I'm tired enough to fall asleep.

_______

"Dad?" I feel my shoulder being shaken.
I stir slightly, feeling movement under my pillow.
I lift my head in confusion and see I fell asleep against Lucy. Caiden is standing in front of me in basketball shorts and no shirt.
"What?" I rub my eyes.
"Can we have pizza for dinner?"
"Did you seriously wake me up to ask if we could have pizza?"
"It's six."
"What?"
"It's six."
Confused, I look down at my watch seeing it is six at night.
"Oh. Did your Mom call?"
"I don't think so. I need help with my homework."
"What is it?"
"It's for economics. My teacher is making us open a business. Well, not really, we just have to everything to open a business except for actually opening it."
I yawn, pushing myself upright.
"You're talking to the wrong parent, buddy. I don't know anything about opening a business."
He sighs.
"Okay."
"What kind of pizza do you want?"
"Five meat." He says.
"Can we get breadsticks?"
I turn my head and see Bryson is on the couch with his DS, looking at me with green eyes that match mine, patiently waiting for my response to his question.
"Alright."
I walk to the kitchen and open the drawer of menus, pulling out the Dominos one.
I order a five meat, a cheese, and a pepperoni, a two liter of coke and one of sprite, and some breadsticks.
"Are you paying cash or card?"
"Uh card."
"What's the card number?"
I pull my wallet from my pocket and grab the joint card that Katherine and I share.
I don't even wonder how much money is on it because I know there's plenty.
I recite the information to him.
"Okay, it's going to be about forty five minutes."
I hang up the phone and set it on the counter.
Almost on cue, Matthew comes walking into the kitchen.
"What's for dinner?"
"Pizza." I say. "Is Emma out of the bathroom yet?"
"No."
"It's been three hours." I exclaim.
"Actually four, because she was in there for forty five minutes before I came and got you."
I shake my head to myself.
"Where's Mom?" Caiden asks. "It's quiet around here without her."
"I know." I frown. "I don't know where she is."
I grab my phone and text her.
Me: where are you
After a moment it goes to read.
Wifey: I'll be home soon
Me: how soon is soon
Wifey: I'm not sure, why?
Me: I miss you. And the kids miss you
Wifey: I miss you guys too lights green ily gtg bye
Me: I love you too baby, drive safe
"When will she be here?" Matthew asks.
"She said soon."
"Soon with Mom could mean two hours or two minutes." Bryson says.
"I know." I sigh.
I lean against the counter.
Lucy gets up and sits down on the floor of the kitchen, looking at the four of us and wagging her tail.
"Somebody feed her." I say.
Bryson walks into the hallway where her food is and scoops some out, filling her food bowl. Lucy sits down and waits until Bryson gives her the okay, and then she starts to eat. Bryson grabs her water bowl and dumps it out. He rises it, and then fills it back up.
Just as he puts the water bowl back, the front door shuts.
A moment later, I hear high heels clicking on the wood floor, and my heart soars.
I set my phone on the counter and rush to the front door.
Even though she's forty two years old, a lot of people mistake her for the kids' big sister. While yes, she has laugh creases on her face and lines on her forehead, she's still the same woman I fell in love with sixteen years ago.
She is everything. She's the whole world.
"You're home!" I exclaim.
"I am home." She smiles.
I walk right up to her, pulling her in for a hug. I lift her off the ground, and then set her back on her feet, placing a long kiss on her lips.
"You guys are so gross." Matt grumbles.
"Oh, shut it." Katherine says. "Come here, give me a hug."
The boys each hug her and kiss her cheek.
I know she can be a pain in the ass in their minds sometimes, but they love their Mama.
Katherine runs her fingers through her hair.
"Where's Emma?"
"Oh yeah, Emma is in the bathroom." I say.
"Oh, okay." She shrugs.
"And she has been in the bathroom for four hours." I add. "And she won't come out."
Katherine frowns.
"Why?"
"Beats me." Matt grumbles. "I would like to take a shower, but all of my stuff is in the bathroom."
"She's in your bathroom?" Katherine asks.
"Yeah."
She frowns slightly and then turns around and goes upstairs.
I follow her and the three boys follow me.
My wife walks right to the bathroom door.
"Emma?" She knocks loudly.
"Mom?" Emma asks.
"Yes. What are you doing? Why are you locked in the bathroom?"
The lock on the door clicks and a blue eye peeks through the crack.
"I need to talk to you." Emma says. "Alone."