ONE
She winced as Juice rolled her car into the workshop, the engine groaning, protesting to move another inch. She knew it was overdue for a car service but kept putting it off because the car was used daily, whether it was to get to CaraCara or pick the kids up from day care.
The mobile came alive in her hand, making her groan in displeasure at the name displayed on the screen. "Matt?"
"Bonnie, I need you to pick the kids up from school." There was no hint of asking or even apologizing in his tone.
"You promised."
"Something came up." Placing a hand on her hip, she struggled with the same old frustration.
"They are your kids Mathew, you promised them you'd pick them up."
"Bonnie." She briefly closed her eyes at the anger rising in his tone.
"They'll stay at my house for the night." For the kids. The chant always repeating in her mind.
"Alright, see you." Snapping the phone shut, she let her head fall backwards and stared at the blue sky, wishing for a miracle.
"Trouble in paradise sweetie." Bonnie turned her attention to the Old Lady walking towards her.
"Same as always Gemma, nothing changes." She watched the cigarette in the woman's hand burn, the ashes falling to the ground, it made her almost craved for one herself.
"You picking the kids up?" Gemma nodded to Bonnie's car parked in the garage.
"Like usual." A frown formed between her eyebrows as Bonnie realized she had no wheels.
"Well let's go pick up these kids." A smirk of some sort appeared on Gemma's face as she made her way towards her vehicle, Bonnie following close behind shaking her head.
The car came to a standstill at the front of the day care, other vehicles' moving around them as children and parents shifted through the double doors. "I'll be back in a minute." Exiting the car, Bonnie made her way towards the double doors.
She could never get over the bright colours and abnormal shaped windows as she walked down the corridor to room seven. It was a break from the videos and chaos, it was refreshing to know that there was still some innocence in the world.
Opening the door a smile came to her lips as the sound of laughter filled her ears. Her eyes picked out Ethan from across the room, helping another boy with the race car track. This was why she put up with the crap through and through, because that five year old boy had become one of the two most important things in her life. "Aunt Bonnie!" She stumbled a bit as the kid crashed into her legs, the smile never leaving his face. "Is Daddy with you?" The question itself notched down her own happiness.
"Not today buddy." Regret filled her stomach as Ethan's bright face lost some of it's spark. "You're staying with me tonight." Bonnie was left breathless at the flicker of hope that flashed across the young boy's face.
"Chinese?" He pleaded.
"You'll have to ask Gemma." She replied having no doubt that Gemma would say yes to the boy.
"Gemma?" The boy's eyes went wide with excitement, she didn't get a chance to reply as Ethan raced to the locker room and grabbed his bag, ready to leave the day care.
"Miss Gipps." Turning her attention away from the boy, she faced the teacher. "I would just like to remind you that Ethan and Conan's fees are long overdue."
"How much?" She didn't want to know the answer but she didn't want Matt's problems to effect her nephews' education.
"Two thousand." The amount shocked her, she didn't realize her older brother was that far behind in his pay.
"Can you give me a couple of weeks?" The female teacher nodded her head, concern shining in the older woman's eyes. Bonnie dismissed the questionable look on the woman's face and turned to Ethan. "You ready to pick up your brother?" Ethan nodded his head while his eyes' darted between the two adults.
"We'll see you in a couple of days Ethan." He smiled at the teacher and tugged on his aunt's hand, leading the way to the class room door to find his younger brother.
"We did cooking today." Bonnie let herself relax against the leather seats of Gemma car and listened to Ethan tell them about his day.
"What did you cook darling?" Gemma's voice filled the car, only making the boy in the backseat smile wider at the attention he so rarely reserved from his father.
"Cupcakes...and we got to use colourful icing...and one thousands." The words rushed out of his mouth, stumbling as he couldn't say them faster enough.
Gemma flashed a smile at Ethan through the rear-view mirror, promising him that he'll have to come around one afternoon to help her bake. Bonnie didn't mind the promise made by Gemma, she knew the woman would stick to her word. It made Bonnie happy to know that her nephew had something to look forward to, she just had to get the other one involved in something.
Conan otherwise stayed quiet as he squeezed the stuff monkey against his chest, it had become a safety blanket of sorts for the young boy. She knew that as the years speed by and he grew that she would have to make him part with the monkey, but every time she tried she could never deal with seeing the hurt in his eyes at the loss of something solid in his life.
"Conan?" The boys brown eyes' flickered away from the window and stared at her, there was no hint of a smile gracing on his lips, and he merely looked at her. "How was your day?"
"Good." The simple word left his mouth as his attention turn back to the window.
Bonnie shifted in her seat, facing the windscreen as Ethan carried on with talking. The personality of the two boys was completely opposites. Ethan rarely talked this much in front of his father, always curious of his actions while Conan would spoke simple words, keeping the attention anywhere but him. And Bonnie hated leaving the kids with their own father. Matt's personality had changed a great deal, including the choices and people he slept with. The boy's mother simply got fed up with Matthew's crap, the weight of the children and packed up, leaving one morning. The kids mother, Marsha never rang or even sent the boys' a birthday or Christmas card, it was simply silence.
As the car rolled to a stop at her driveway, she grabbed the plastic takeaway bags and moved around the vehicle to Ethan, unbuckling him as he bounced in the seat. "Come on Gemma." Ethan grabbed the hand of the Old Lady and led her to the front door, Gemma opening it with the spare key attached to her car keys.
Moving around, Bonnie opened the door and watched a Conan took in her every move before lifting his arms up and wrapping himself around her hip, the monkey getting squished between their bodies. She wrapped a supportive arm around the child while the other hand gripped the takeout Chinese, swiftly turning around she use her ass to close the car door before making her way to Gemma's voice.
Placing the Chinese on the kitchen island, Bonnie wrapped the other arm around Conan as she watched Gemma talk into her mobile. Bonnie knew the woman wouldn't be here any longer from the look that flashed across her face as she pocketed the mobile. "Honey, I've got to run." Bonnie nodded her head, putting Conan on the couch and went to work at setting three bowls on the kitchen bench.
"The club." It wasn't a question, simply a statement. "Thanks for picking the kids up today."
"That's alright darling. You need anything else, you give me a call." Bonnie nodded her head again as Gemma shifted her handbag over her shoulder, making her way to the door. "Night boys."
Ethan left his spot on the lounge room floor, dropping the blocks as he run over to Gemma. "Night Gemma." He gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek before the screen door slammed behind Gemma. Moments later, Ethan poked his head above the table, trying to get a better look at the food. "Chinese?"
"Chinese." Bonnie agreed as she scoped a spoon full of fried rice into a small bowl for the boy.