A/N: I'm sorry it's been so long since I've written a chapter for this story. There aren't going to be very many chapters in this story so hopefully it will be finished soon, or it may take me four years; I'm not sure yet. Just stay with me. =) Now, I'm sure that it's no mystery to all of you readers that Mary Jo Shively is my favorite character from Designing Women.It is probably mainly because she's the one that I'm most like; anyhow without further ado.
"Claudia! Quint! Time for breakfast!" Mary Jo hollered up the stairs for her children. She walked from the stairs over to the table where her husband was sitting at the table eating breakfast.
"This is good. Thank you." Ted said as he finished eating and then stood up and walked into the kitchen. Mary Jo followed him in there.
"Ted, we have to talk about this. I don't want you leaving here for days without us having this taken care of. I hate it when we fight, especially about money." Mary Jo said. Ted turned to face her.
"Mary Jo, this is a medical convention that I have to attend in Savannah. Look, we need the money right?" Ted asked. Mary Jo stood there and looked at the floor with her arms crossed. "Mary Jo?" She looked at him and had a pouted look on her face.
"We don't need anymore. You keep saying we do, but I think we seem to be staying afloat." Mary Jo replied.
"You don't pay the bills around here Mary Jo. I do, and if I need to go for a week for a conference I'm going to go!" Ted exclaimed.
"Is this really a medical convention or do you have a date in Savannah Ted?" Mary Jo asked. Ted whirled around and looked at her.
"Don't even go there! You know that if I got anything at home-" Ted started to say when Claudia and Quint walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Morning mom!" Quint said with a huge smile. Mary Jo picked him up and hugged him.
"Good morning Quint." She put him down and hugged Claudia. "How did you guys sleep last night?" Claudia sighed.
"Well, I would have slept better if you guys wouldn't have been up fighting all night long." Claudia stated. Mary Jo sighed and walked towards the living room, but then turned around and walked back over to them. She ran her fingers through Claudia's hair.
"Why don't you guys sit down and eat breakfast before you leave for school? I know you have to be hungry. I made some pancakes." Mary Jo stated. They both sat down and started to eat. Ted walked into the living room and Mary Jo followed him. "Ted, we need to talk about this." He turned around.
"What is there to talk about? I want to do this for work and you think I'm going off to have some kind of affair?" Ted asked and faked a hurt expression. (A/N: I say this because we all know the man's track record.) Mary Jo sat on the couch.
"It's just because it's happened before Ted, and I just know how possible it is now and I don't want life to be like that." Mary Jo replied. Ted looked at her.
"If you want out, just leave. I'm certainly not holding you here. You have a college degree; you don't work. Go ahead and go." Ted exasperated and walked towards the door. Mary Jo stood up.
"Ted, look I don't want to fight about this. I'm sorry." Mary Jo walked over to him. Ted looked down at the ground.
"I shouldn't have gotten so upset." He mumbled to the floor. Mary Jo put her hand on his shoulder.
"I do love you. I hope you have a safe trip to Savannah. Call me when you get there." Ted opened the door and walked outside. Mary Jo went and sat on the couch. She took her sketchbook off the coffee table and opened it up. She stood up and walked into the kitchen where Claudia and Quint were sit eating breakfast.
"Why do you guys fight mom?" Quint asked looking up at his mom and her eyes filled with tears.
"Sometimes people just fight Quint. Like how you fight with your sister." Mary Jo said.
"Well yeah, but that's because you're a pipsqueak." Claudia leaned over and said to him with a huge smile. Quint balled up his fists and lifted them up. Claudia rubbed her hand through Quint's hair. "You know I love ya even though we fight right Quint?" Quint nodded. Mary Jo smiled.
"That's the way it is with your dad and me guys. Now come on. Let's get a move on." Mary Jo stood up. Claudia and Quint put their plates in the sink. They all went out to the car and Mary Jo drove to the junior high to drop off Claudia.
"Oh mom, I forgot to tell you; I'll be coming home after school today, but then I'm going to the sleepover at Melody's tonight." Claudia stated. Mary Jo nodded.
"Okay sweetheart." Mary Jo replied. Claudia closed the door and walked away from the car and into the building. As she drove away, Mary Jo looked in the rearview mirror and saw her six year old little boy sitting in his seat. She smiled at him. He was getting so big; she could hardly believe he was in school already.
"Now Quint, I'm going to be picking you up from school today okay? Not daddy." Mary Jo replied. Quint nodded.
"I know. You told me that last night." Quint said. Mary Jo pulled up to the elementary school and parked the car. Quinton was in morning kindergarten and so she had to pick him up around noon. They got out of the car and she walked him to the building. When she got him into his classroom, she went back out to the car and headed home. On the way home, Mary Jo took some deep thoughts. Ted was right. She didn't work, but she had a degree. Both of her kids were in school, she needed something to do. She and Ted agreed when they had Claudia that she wouldn't work because they wanted somebody to be home with the kids; but maybe if she had something to do while they were in school. Mary Jo shook her head. What was she thinking? There wasn't anything she could really do. When she got to the house, she unlocked the door and walked into the kitchen where she had left her sketchbook on the table. She walked into the living room and sat on the couch with a pencil and continued her sketch. Mary Jo looked up at the clock. She felt as if her life was slipping away from her while she sat back idly watching. What could she do? She had this artistic ability, but Ted told her years ago that nobody would ever buy her artwork and that she'd be alone on the street because he'd take the kids and leave. She sighed, there has to be something out there for somebody who's determined to do something.