Five Years Old and Counting
Chapter 2: Five years
When we pulled into the driveway, Mom announced that she had to do some work on the computer but that we could do whatever until Mitchell arrived for dinner at six.
Bailey and I ran up to our rooms and we both kept our doors open. I got out my new coloring book and and went in search of my crayons. I looked everywhere in my massive room, but I couldn't find them. I went to Bailey’s room. " Did you borrow my crayons?" I asked. She spun around from her desk that held her laptop and frowned. "I think they're in the living room, Kiddo." I ran down the long hallway, through the front landing, down the stairs, down the other hallway, past the den, past the office, and past the parlor to the living room and sure enough, They were sitting on the coffee table. i ran back to my room and started to color the page with the rainbow on it. I colored three pages before I heard mom's footsteps on the stairs. She came down the hall to my door and knocked even though it was open. "Can I come in, Rosie?" She asks. "Sure mom. What's going on?" I ask slowly, focusing on my coloring. "Well Mitchell is coming over and I was wondering what we should wear..." "We?" I ask. "Yes, we. You, Bailey, and me! Why don't we do a fashion show?" She asked enthusiastic "Sounds like fun! Let's ask Bailey said yes. We were modeling clothes in the hallway. We changed in our rooms and shouted "Ready!" once we were ready. Then we'd all step out and walk around like models! It was so fun.
Then we heard a knock at the door. "No way! He's two hours early!" Mom said, panicking. "Open up! it's just me!" Said a familiar voice. "Chris!" I squealed, running to the door. "Hey, Munchkin!" It was summer (the last day, actually!) and Chris had gone off to a . Now he was back and what seemed like taller and definitely more deep-voiced. "Wow, your voice got deep, Chris!" Bailey said hugging him. "Let him take his bags up to his room, girls!" Mom said (In case you're wondering, Bailey and Chris are twelve, and I'm five) picking up Chris's duffel bag. "Pick something to wear; Mitchel’s coming over at six." Bailey said "Would you like to join the fashion show?" I asked. "Sure! just let me put these away." Chris said, kissing my forehead.
After a several more rounds we all said "Ready!" and jumped out of our rooms. "These are the ones!" Mom said, tying her apron on to finish dinner. "Fifteen 'til six!" Chris said looking at his watch. "Oh, my goodness!" Mom said, panicked. "Kids, go set up the table!" We did as we were told, zippy quick. "Bailey, you put ice in all the cups and put them at the table. Rosie, you put all the plates and napkins down. "I'll do the utensils." We did it as quick as possible and as we put the finishing touches on everything, mom asked, "Time?" "One minute!" Mom plated all the food and carried the salmon fillets to the table. Chris carried the rolls, Bailey carried the steamed vegetables, and I carried the pesto macaroni. Then mom told us to sit on the stairs and wait for him. So we did. Chris was wearing a Polo shirt, Bailey was wearing a fancy pink sundress, and I was wearing a red blouse and a black velvet skirt. Mom was wearing a fancy sundress like Bailey’s except silk, not cotton, and blue instead of pink. Mom joined us and almost as if on cue, we saw headlights in the window; a car pulling into our driveway."Mitchell!" mom says, fixing her hair and smoothing out her dress. The doorbell rings and mom counts to ten then opens it. I always thought counting to ten was something grown ups did when they were mad... I guessed she wasn't mad so I wondered why she was counting. Mitchell walked through the door and kissed mom on the cheek, just like dad used to, back when he lived here with us.
Mitchell had been coming over for almost a year and mom said he was her very special friend. Once we were all sitting down for dinner, Mitchell started talking about how he would love to be a bigger part of our family, how he'd love to come to one of Bailey’s poetry readings or one of my ballet recitals. "Chris, I'd love to come to a swim meet," Mitchell said, "I've always been interested in your sports career." He smiled. "Maybe I could coach you?" He asked. "That's always kind of been dad's thing with me..." Chris said. "Well, it could be our thing... when your dads not around, right?" Mitchell was starting to talk in a skin-tight voice. "May we be excused?" Chris asked mom. "Who is 'we'?"
"Rosie, Bailey, and I?" "Fine." Mom said with her lips stretched out into a pretend smile. Chris picked me up and carried me upstairs. Bailey came up behind us, still chewing her salmon. We all walked into Chris's room and I sat on his bed. "Chris, what's the matter?" I asked in my I'm-still-a-baby voice. "I hate Mitchell!" he said with his fingers clenched "He's talking about being our step-father!" Chris screamed tossing his basketball at the wall. It made a loud thump as it bounced back. I looked at him. He never screamed at me. I felt tears in my eyes. "Oh, Munchkin I'm so sorry, don't cry!" Chris ran over and hugged me hard. "I don't want a new daddy!" I said quietly. "I don't either, Kiddo, but it's not up to you, or Chris, or even me. It's up to mom." Bailey said, tucking her hair behind her ears.
None of us kids liked Mitchell that much; he wants to be our new dad. That's all he ever talks about, being 'part of our family' and being 'like a second dad' but I don't want him to be.
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