Time after Time – She'll Hate You
Kate sat outside on her back patio cringing at every shout and anger filled word that came from the two inside. Looking over when she heard the gate unlatch and saw the 14 year old Henry walk in the yard coming towards her leaning down for a kiss on his cheek. "Hi baby, how was school?"
"Good." Came his normal teenage response as he took a seat next to Kate dropping his bag with a thud on the concrete.
"Why're you coming in the back way?"
"Same reason you're sitting out here."
"World war three." Nodding her head to the house.
"I think they're setting a record, third time this week. What's it about this time?"
"I don't know, grades, skipping school, smoking just pick one. We'll I've avoided it long enough I'm headed in, time to break it up." Kate said standing up looking at Henry who remained seated. "What you're not going to back your Mama up?"
"Not even if you promised me a car."
"Watch your sister then." Looking at the four-year-old Gloria who joined their family somewhat unexpectedly. Where Mabel looked like Kate and had Happy's temper, and Henry looked like Happy but gentle and quiet like Kate. Gloria was the perfect combination of them both, she had Kate's mouth but Happy's nose, Kate's eyes but Happy's signature black hair but you could see the soft brown highlights when she was in the sun. She had Kate's calmness but could unleash a fury like Happy.
"Good luck Ma."
"Thanks kid." Kate said opening then sliding glass door closing quickly before the neighbors could hear too much of the yelling match.
She walked in at the end of it just in time to hear Mabel yell out. "I hate you, I wish Mama never took you back and that you'd just stayed in Tacoma." Going down hallway slamming her bedroom door leaving Happy sitting at the kitchen table hands running over the top of his head. Kate could see the frustration in his posture and wasn't sure, if he'd stay seated or go after Mabel to yell at her for slamming doors.
"She didn't mean it." She said going to him putting her hand on his back as he turned around and looked up at her. She could see the lines of age in his face but he was still handsome as ever.
"Yeah she did, she brings it up enough." Mabel was the only one of the Lowman children old enough to remember a time when Daddy wasn't home. She knew it hurt him and used it as a fighting technique ofern, knowing it was the soft spot of his heart.
"She only brings it up because she's trying to hurt you. I told you Hap she'd hate you when she was a teenager."
"She doesn't hate you?"
"Sure she does, she just does it quietly, but I get the same eye rolls as you. She's emotional, she's stuck between being a kid and being a woman. It's a shitty time to be a girl, especially when your Dad is as hard headed as hers is. Why don't you take the two good ones outback, that still like us and go get ice cream I'll deal with the bad one."
Once Happy had left she stormed down the hallway, knocking on Mabel's door trying her hardest to respect their eldest daughters privacy but really wanted to throw the door open and beat the hell out of her. "Go away!" Came the shout of the angry teenager on the other side of the door.
Kate having enough turned the knob flung the door so hard it bounced off the wall "Mabel Lowman, you can be as pissed off as you want but don't you dare speak to me like that in my house."
"Sorry Mama, I thought you were Dad." She apologized turning over on her bed letting Kate see her tear stained face.
"Well if I was you think yelling at him some more is going to help." Taking a seat on her bed.
"No, but I don't know what else to do when he gets like that."
"Mabel, honey you're stuck here for at least another two years, you should probably learn how to deal with him better than just saying things to hurt him. Did you really mean that?"
"No." Pouting at her.
"Then don't say it, he loves you baby."
"Then why does he yell at me all the time."
"Because you're doing stupid shit."
"You don't yell at me like that."
"He does enough for the both of us. Mabel we just want you to do better than us, a high school dropout and college flunky."
"I'm not like Henry, he's smart he gets shit, I don't."
"We don't want you to be like Henry, but we do want you to at least try. And you're not even doing that."
"You and Dad turned out okay."
"Is that what you want out of life baby? A mother at 20, because it's not easy, your Dad and I struggled a lot, you were too young to remember that."
"What if I do want that?"
"Then you're going to keep getting yelled at because he doesn't want that for you, hell he didn't want it for me."
"Did he yell at you too?"
"God yes, we had some real screaming matches."
"You don't now, how'd you get him to stop yelling at you."
"I started talking to him. No more yelling Mabel all we want is just some sort of effort from you. And you're grounded for the weekend. And don't even try that pouty lip bullshit it doesn't work on me."
Two hours later Happy came through the front door with Gloria bounding in first Henry behind her. Gloria ran to Kate who was sitting on the couch the little girl crawling into her lap. "Mama, Daddy bought me chocolate."
"I see that, did you get any of it in your mouth?" Seeing the sticky chocolate all down the front of her pink dress.
"Yes silly Mama, and we had pizza too."
"Brought cheese home for you." Happy said pizza boxes in hand.
"Yeah, what's in the bags?"
"Chocolate peanut butter for you and strawberry for the teenage asshole. Got her pepperoni and mushrooms too."
"Good you can go give it to her, she's probably mad at me more than you now."
"Yeah?"
"Grounded her ass for the weekend."
"Nice." Smirking at her dropping Kate's pizza and ice cream in the kitchen. "Little Bit go get cleaned up for your Mama." Giving Kate a kiss on the head as he made his way to Mabel's room.
Kate sat at the kitchen table with Henry watching him more than helping him do his homework while Gloria played on her lap with her most recent doll. Carefully listening for any sign of yelling coming from the other side of the house, smiling when she heard Mabel giggle and Happy chuckle. When Henry retreated to his bedroom for the night Happy still hadn't emerged from Mabel's room. She had bathed Gloria and they were cuddling on the couch watching The Aristocrats, Gloria singing along with the songs when Happy came out of Mabel's room scoping up Gloria in his arms giving her a nuzzle tickling her as he'd once done to Mabel "Time for bed Little Bit."
"Aw Daddy we was just gettin to the good part."
"It'll be just as good tomorrow." Taking her to her room coming back to the couch sitting next to Kate "Fucking singing cats." He commented towards the TV.
"Things all good with Mabel?"
"Yeah, said she was sorry. Asked if she was still my Munchkin, goddamn kid knows how to tear my heart out, musta learned it from her Ma."
"Did you cave?"
"Me, fuck no, took the car away for the next week and her damn phone."
"Nice." Kate said laughing with him. "You want to have another one?" Happy quickly punching her in the arm. "Ow what was that for?" Holding her arm from the sting.
"You told me when your were in labor with Liitle Bit if you asked to have another one I should remind you how much pain you were in."
"I said no such thing."
"You did, right between yelling at me and telling me to get the fuck out of the room then begging me not to leave a second later. That's all I need is another chick around here driving me crazy."
"Why don't you come to bed with me and I'll show you crazy." She smirked climbing into his lap straddling him. Going in for a kiss.
He turned his head before her lips connected "Not a chance after you just asked me if I wanted another baby."
"I was just kidding, we already have one juvenile delinquent in the making and who the fuck knows how Gloria's going to be. I promise no baby making just good old fashion sex." Leaning in kissing his neck.
"Nothing old fashion about it little girl and it's a whole lot better than good." Reaching his hands up entwining them in her hair pulling her in for a kiss.
A kiss that was interrupted when Henry came out of his bedroom headed to the kitchen. "Gross you two."
"How the hell do you think you got here little man, your Mama's smoking hot."
"Really gross Dad." Rolling his eyes left over pizza in his hand as he retreated again to his bedroom. Leaving his parents in the couch laughing before Happy scooped Kate up in his arms retiring to their own bedroom for the night.
