UPS

We made it to the sliding glass door that opened to the backyard. Not wanting mommy to notice we were watching, we hurriedly gathered our stuff and sat by the door, secretly viewing the two women out back. Mommy looked angry. She kept pointing her finger at the other lady, and yelling. She always did like to yell I think. The two finally finished the little argument and mommy walked briskly toward the driveway. Tommy and I picked up our stuff and hauled it out to the car as fast as we could.

Out of breath, we sat waiting for mom, but she didn't come right away. Instead, we heard her yelling again. Tommy and I just stared at each other for awhile. This is normal for us, you get used to this kind of stuff. She finally walked back, wiping herself with the hanky she always carried around.

"Let's go babies, time to go," she said.

"Can we say goodbye to the daddy's friend? She was very nice to us, isn't that right Tommy?" I asked, knowing full well what the answer would be. I hid the smile that was trying to force its way onto to my lips. Pissing people off was always fun.

"Yes, she was really nice. I liked her a lot." Tommy said.

Mommy's face had a slight red tinge to it. "I will not tolerate you talking with that woman anymore, you understand me? Nod to me now."

"Yes, mom," we said in unison.

"Now let's get in the car, c'mon." Mommy said.

"Can I stay a little longer? Please mom." Tommy pleaded. I cringed in anticipation. Not a smart move Tommy, I thought. Mommy won't like hearing that.

She surprised me by not saying anything and stepping into the car. Tommy pissed and moaned, but mother would not stir from her silence. We both sat in the backseat, hoping mom would break the stillness in the atmosphere of the car. She sat there like a volcano about to blow, her anger festering. They say that the people you can be comfortable around when silence arrives are the people that are the truest friends. You can sit in their presence and just be at peace, never forcing the conversation, or saying anything unneeded. We were never comfortable around mom in silence. She wasn't our friend, she was our mother.

The whole ride back I sat there pondering our collective fates. We could sit with mother the rest of our lives. That would be hell. We could live with daddy, and that lady that stole daddy away from our happy family. I think that was what bothered me most, daddy never apologized for leaving. He never apologized to me or Tommy or mommy, he just left. Maybe that was why it was always strained around him, everything was forced. It wasn't the same for Tommy. Tommy was young enough not to remember the beginning, when we were happy, well, happier than now.

The new lady was nice enough, it would be ok with her, but living with daddy all the time might not agree with me. He was the opposite of mommy; he never yelled, mommy always did; mommy never hit us, daddy did. I think that's why I like mommy better, even with her faults, she never hit me. Daddy would hit me with his belt, and Tommy with his hand. "The leather's gonna catch your behind girl, you don't watch your mouth," he always said. He said we needed more respect for him, but the more he talked about it, the more we could not.