"Mama??" the little girl yawned

Cleo sighed,"Yeah,baby??"

"Where's Daddy sleepin tonight??"

********************************************
I just want to feel
Safe in my own skin
I just want to feel
Happy Again
********************************************
"WILL YOU SIT DOWN MORGAN!!!" Cleo screamed,"ALEXIS!!GET DOWN HERE!!"

"I'm right here" the preteen glared,"I was letting HIM back in"

She reached up and tightened the ponytail on topo of her head

"I don't know what I did Cleo" Peter said quietly,"What did I do this time??"

"not now!!"

"I should be the one filing for divorce" he muttered,"Come on Morgan,Alexis..."

Cleo threw a plate over his head,watching it crash to pieces in front of him,"GET OUT!" she screamed

"I'll be right there" Peter said calmly,"Go wait outside"


The older girl took her sister's hand and led her outside

Peter closed his eyes,"What is it now??"

"I can't even look at you"

"Cleo..."

"I can't look at you.I swear to God" she started frantically sweeping up the plate

"I love you" Peter closed the door behind him. Cleo leaned on the broom and sobbed.

***************************************************
I just want to feel deep in my own world
But I'm so lonely
I don't even wanna be with myself anymore
****************************************************
"Have we discussed your unhappiness?" the therapist raised an eyebrow," Why you want to leave Peter"

Cleo shook her curly hair

"Can we??"

"He's diffucult" she took a deep breath,"I ......especially when he has Reese..I can't do it anymore..balance everything"


"Why??"


Cleo tensed her jaw,"He's not the same.Peter's no longer the man I fell in love with.He's all about work,and the kids"


"He doesn't pay enough attenion to you??"

"I miss his hands" she wiped her eyes with the balled up tissue

"Have you ever told him that??"

Cleo shook her head."I can't.He's unapproachable"

"He might change..."


She nodded,"Then I'm the bad guy"


"And we can't have that...can we??"
**********************************************************
On a different day
If I was safe in my own skin
Then I wouldn't feel so lost
and frightened
*********************************************************

**************One Year Later*******************

"I still love him Mama,and that's the problem" Cleo slammed the dryer door close,"I just can't bring myself..."

"To screw him??" the old woman laughed


"MAMA!" Cleo cried,her cheeks beet red

"I know I didn't raise no prude" she waved a pair of panties over her head,"Lots of people aren't married no more"

"Like who??"


"That funny white lady" she replied,"That funny looking white lady..."


"Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon , Mama??" Cleo threw the basket of dry laundry on the couch as she started to fold

"Yeah,Goldie Hawn"

********************************Two Weeks**************************


Cleo watched Jing Mei's face,"I'm sorry"


She shook her head,"Abby's going to have a baby,it's behind me now"


"I didn't mean it" Cleo picked at a piece of loose thread on the quilt,"I have a date tomorrow night"

Jing Mei looked at her curiously

"Can you watch Morgan and Alexis??"

"She's going to have strange men in her house,I will" Kerry scooted across the porch to sit next to them


"Turns out" Cleo gave a small chuckle,"Turns out we might just be the black Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell"


The other women looked at her strangely,making Cleo laugh harder