Chapter 30-Camden Meet Caroline
“Mommy who is that man that keeps coming over at night and leaving in the morning?” Caroline asked as she ate a bowl of cereal before school.
“Umm, he is a friend of mine. I was thinking about inviting him over for dinner tonight so you guys could meet. Is that okay?” I said chewing on a granola bar.
“Will daddy be here too to meet him? I really want to see him. I miss him a lot.” she said then stared down at her cereal bowl that was empty as if it had answers.
“I don’t think so sweetie. He is with Mrs. Kellie.”
“Oh, she doesn’t like me. I think you and grandma are the only girl’s that like me. I don’t know why, I am always nice to everyone.” she says and looked at him trying not to get upset, her lip was quivering.
“Oh honey, that’s not true, Auntie Melonie and Harmonie love you very much.” I said trying hard to hope a five year old doesn’t think people don’t like her.
“But I want daddy to like me, and if daddy’s friends don’t like me, he doesn’t like me.” she said and wiped away a tear that fell.
“Caroline, where is all this coming from.”
“That’s what daddy said on the telephone, he can’t see me because Kellie won’t let him.”
“Alright well, we will see what we can do to change that, okay? I will speak to your dad.” I said and slipped her bowl into the sink, while she grabbed her book bag and went to the car. I put a reminder in m phone to call Johnathon at noon, to discuss some time of visitation. Caroline needs him, or she will only have me, and maybe Camden depending on how that goes.
“Are you excited for your last day before Thanksgiving break?” I asked as I started up the car.
“Yes ma’am, I’m ready to see grandma.” she said happily. The rest of the ride was silent except for a text, but I didn’t read it until we got to the school parking lot.
‘Can you bring Caroline into class today, please.’ It read from her grandma/teacher. I quickly turned into a parking space and walked Caroline to class after getting a visitors pass.
“Oh, glad you came. Okay, so please sit down at a table. I need to talk to you about these wedding cancellations.” Johnathon’s mom said. I did as I was told, while Caroline put her backpack on the rack.
“Daddy!” screamed Caroline. I turned and seen Johnathon pick her up. He looked sort of broken. Like he hasn’t gotten sleep in ages.
“Hey Carrie, how have you been?” he asked. Then Kellie came around the corner and Caroline was quickly set back on the ground. Caroline ran over to my side and had the look of pure devastation on her face.
“Told you he doesn’t love me anymore because of her, he is just like my real mommie.” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck and started crying. Johnathon’s mom looked at Caroline’s fragile frame crying her eyes out, and looked heart broken too.
“So I guess the wedding cancellations are set in stone.” she said breathless. I gave a nod.
“Of course they are. Johnathon needs to be with a real woman, not some male trapped in a female’s body.” Kellie said as if she was the queen of the world. No wonder her and Diana were friends, they were both straight up self-centered bitches.
I gave Kellie a smile and turned to look at Johnathon’s mom. “I’ll be here to help you with fun friday.” I said giving Caroline’s crying face a kiss on the forehead.
“Sweetie, I’m going to work now. I’ll see you this afternoon. I love you.” I said as she wrapped her arms around me tighter and with each tear that fell onto my shirt, my heart broke for her. Why could someone so small, be dealt with cards that not even a professional poker player could play with.
“Look Grandma needs you in class today. You want to participate in Fun Friday don’t you?” I asked trying to help this crazy situation I am dealing with.
“I want to go home with you.” she said in-between sniffles.
“Callie, just take her home with you. We are just doing some games today. People will be leaving early anyways, since it is the last day before Thanksgiving break.” Johnathon’s mom said. She shot a death glare at Johnathon who was just standing there holding Kellie’s hand while she just smirked.
“Okay, just send me over any paper work she might miss. I’ll see you later.” I said picking Caroline’s sniffling body up as i stood up. She clung to me like a little monkey. Her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist.
“I hope you're satisfied with your decisions, because at the moment your five year old things that two of her parents hate her.” I said to Johnathon before I left, I was even fighting tears for myself. No one deserves to see their child cry, especially over something that is even out of your control.
I drove home while Caroline, had practically cried herself to sleep. It was quiet until my phone rang and scared the crap out of me.
“Hello?” I said into my car’s bluetooth.
“Hey babe, where are you?” Camden said. I totally forgot we were supposed to see each other before my first client arrived.
“Sorry, but something came up. I will be there in two minutes.”
“Okay, you can tell me all about it when you get here, you sound upset.”
“I’ll explain in a bit. I lov- I’ll see you in a second.” I said hanging up. Camden and I haven’t said I love you since my we got together, nearly two months ago. I said I wanted to do a real relationship with him, so that’s what we’re doing, plus I sort of want to see how he is with Caroline, before I say it again. I pulled into my drive to see Camden waiting patiently on my front porch swing. I got out of the car and grabbed a “sleeping” Caroline from the back seat.
CAROLINE’S P.O.V.
When I noted we were pulling into the driveway, I quickly closed my eyes so I could pretend to be asleep. I love it when my mommy carries me.
“Hey baby, what’s a matter with Caroline?” said a stranger’s voice.
“Just an emotional morning. Johnathon’s mother got me and Johnathon in the same room, not expecting Kellie to be there to talk about the wedding cancellations. Once she understood everything and Johnathon had Caroline crying she sent us home.” my mommy said. I continued to listen to their conversation about my dad and Kellie.
“Mommy, who’s voice is that?” I said in my sleepy voice.
“Remember my friend you asked about this morning? Well if you quit fake sleeping you can meet him now.” she said and set me down.
“How did you know?”
“Because I’m your mom. I know everything.” she said smiling her beautiful smile. I am so glad she adopted me. I love my mommy, I pretend I look like her more than my real mom. I have only seen my mom once, and she wasn’t very nice. I turned around to see the cutest boy ever. I remember seeing him when I went to visit mom to talk about her adopting me.
“Hi, I’m Camden, your mom’s friend. Are you Caroline?” he said smiling. I couldn’t speak, he just so cute. I nodded at him then ran to hide behind my mommy with my red cheeks.
“Caroline, do you want to go play with Camden while I go set up for my first client?”
Oh no she is gonna leave me alone with him. What if he notices my red cheeks, and doesn’t think I’m cute. I came out from behind my mom’s legs and nodded my head softly at him.
“Okay, you guys have fun. I’ll be in the basement if you need me.” Mommy said and walked with us inside before going to the basement.
“So what do you wanna do?” Camden asked.
“Can we play dress-up?” I said and put on my begging face. Daddy never played that game with me, he just bought me stuffed animals.
CALLIE’S P.O.V.
I felt nervous leaving Caroline with Camden. Especially since they only met five minutes they went off playing, and that was three hours ago. I have had three clients and I haven’t heard from either one of them.
After my last client for the day left, I went to check on them. There wasn’t any noise coming from any part of the house. Until I came to Caroline’s room. Where soft snores came from. Caroline was fast asleep on Camden’s shoulder, who was doing the snoring.
But the most precious thing was what they were wearing. Camden had on a purple feathered boa wrapped around his neck. He had on some hot pink messed-up lipstick some blush and eye shadow. While Caroline had on some lipstick, a tutu, her nails painted and some uneven pigtails, I bet Camden did. I guess playing dress-up was tiring.
I quickly turned around before they felt me staring and woke up. I walked to the kitchen, to start making them some lunch, when the doorbell rang. I stopped what I was doing to answer it.