Blended Family

Lin

I was surprised to come home that Friday to find Joey sitting on the couch, watching Netflix.  She was supposed to be at her mother's all week.

"Hey," I greeted her, setting down my stuff.  "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but aren't you supposed to be at your mom's?"

She sighed and popped a grape in her mouth.  "She was being a total bitch."

"Hey," I chided her.  "You know I don't like that language."

"Well, you divorced her," she reminded me.

"I would never call her that name," I told her.  "She's a very nice woman.  What did you get in an argument about?"

I walked over to sit on the couch with her.  "I wanted to order some stuff online with my own allowance and she wouldn't let me."

"Hmmm..." I stroked my goatee a bit.  "What was it?"

"Clothes," she told me.  That was something they disagreed about a lot.  She had expensive taste and what she liked wasn't always appropriate for a 14 year old.

"Well, she has the right to tell you no," I said, resting my arm on the back of the couch.

"I can't wait til I'm in college," she mused.  "I can dress however I want and do whatever I want."

"Well, you've still got four years, kiddo," I told her.  "Were you fighting about anything else?"

"The whole football thing," she said, examining her nail beds.  "She doesn't want me playing football."

"Why do you want to play?"

"Because it looks like fun," she said.

"Or is it just because you were told no?" I asked her, giving her a look.  She grinned a little and bit her lip.  "Sometimes you've got to pick your battles."

My phone buzzed with a call from Clarita.  I stood up and walked back to my bedroom, assuming it was about our daughter.

"Hi," I greeted, her closing the door.

"Is Joey there with you?" I asked her.

"Yes," I told her.  "She was here when I got home.  I hear you were arguing about some things?"

She sighed heavily.  "She wanted this skirt and top that were completely inappropriate.  And I've told her she cannot play football.  With all the research about head injuries, I don't want her anywhere near it.  Plus, since she's a girl, the guys will be out for her.  She stormed out, so I just wanted to make sure she was there."

"Yep, she's here," I confirmed, pacing the floor a bit.  "Anything I can do?"

"No, just back me up like you always do," she said.  We'd always been good about that.  I was grateful we were able to be civil, especially after hearing what Pippa had to deal with regarding Steve.  "If she wants to stay the weekend that's fine with me, as long as it doesn't interfere with your plans."

"No, it's fine," I said, thought I wish she'd spend more time with her mother.  I guess a lot of mother/daughter relationships went through this phase during the teenage years.  We wrapped up our conversation and I went back to the living room.

"Wanna order pizza?" I asked her.  She agreed so we ordered in a large pizza and breadsticks.  I spent the evening hanging out with her, watching movies on Netflix.  I was glad we were so close and she wasn't too cool to hang out with her dad.  She fell asleep so I covered her up with a blanket before heading off to bed.

____

The next morning, Pippa texted me that she needed help right away.  I woke up Joey and took her with me, which she wasn't terribly happy about.  She would have rather slept in until noon.  She dragged behind me in the hallway and plopped down on the couch as soon as we'd arrived.  Alex tackled her in excitement, and she started to cheer up a bit.