Pretty Sassy

When Kelly and Jack arrived home, Stella was back from her hair appointment. Kelly complimented her on how great she looked, adding, "But you couldn't get any more beautiful, anyway."

Jack made gagging sounds. "Geez, Dad, shouldn't you be past the flirting stage by now?"

"Watch it, Bub. I'm not flirting with your mom. I'm just telling her the truth."

Jack, shaking his head, just said, "Hair looks great, Mom," as he headed to his room.

Once he was around the corner, Stella said, "Y'know, I think that kid's getting a little too big for his britches, as my granny used to say. He's been pretty sassy lately."

"He really has," Kelly responded. "I need to talk to him about it, I guess. He asked me for a skateboard today. Maybe I need to tell him he can have one if he straightens up."

"A what? Oh, no, no, no. When I was a paramedic, I saw so many injuries from those things! Head injuries, broken bones, dislocations...nope, nope, nope. Uh-uh."

"I hear you," said Kelly. "But here's the thing. He hasn't ever asked for anything like that before, so I didn't want to say no right off the bat. And when I said we would have to think about it, he handled it. No begging or pouting. Just okay, Dad, whatever you say kind of stuff. So...even though my instinct was no, I felt like I had to at least think it through."

"Well, I don't have to think it through. I refuse to put my Mama stamp of approval on that. We can get him a bicycle, a scooter, anything but a skateboard."

Kelly raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. No skateboard."

"No fair!" shouted Jack. Kelly and Stella whirled around to see Jack standing at the end of the hall that led to his room. They had not heard him come back in. "I tried to be cool about it when Dad didn't say yes right away, but at least he asked why I wanted one! You couldn't even do that. You just decide. Why do you hate me?"

Stella stood with her mouth hanging open a bit, but Kelly had no hesitation. He crossed the room in three or four long strides, turned Jack around, and landed one mighty swat to his butt. "You do not talk to your Mom that way. Ever. We've had this conversation before. Go to your room, now, and stay there until you hear from me." Jack glared up at him. "There's more where that came from, Jackson, so you'd better move. Fast."

Jack stalked around the corner, and a few seconds later his bedroom door slammed so hard the frame rattled.

Kelly drew a deep breath, turned to his wife with his palms raised, and said, "Well, as we were saying..."

Stella shook her head. "What has gotten into that boy? We let him out into the world for one day, and this is the result? I say back to virtual school."

It was Kelly's turn to shake his head. "I doubt school has anything to do with it. I know it seems like we've had him forever, but it's only been about six months. He's testing limits, that's for sure, but I have a feeling it's just the next step, you know? I mean, he's not about to get away with it, but I don't believe it's a crisis or anything."

"Probably not," said Stella. "But I still don't like it."

"Neither do I, and I'm going to do something about it in a little while, but he needs to cool off first. So do I, as far as that goes. Little brat. I knew when he acted so cool about me not saying yes right away that he was just manipulating me. He outsmarted himself this time, I guess." He pulled Stella close and kissed her forehead. "It's going to be fine. You know that, right"

"He thinks I hate him, Kelly."

Kelly couldn't help but laugh. "He thinks no such thing. He was just trying to upset you. Don't let him succeed. He's a ten-year-old kid. We're the grownups, remember. He doesn't get to control the climate in our home. We do that. So, he can pout all he wants in his room, but he doesn't get to drag us into his drama. Okay?"

"Okay. You're a very good daddy."

Kelly sighed. "I'm trying. But you aren't going to like what I do next."

"Don't spank him, Kelly. I don't think it will help."

"Oh, trust me, it would. But I'm not going to. Not this time, anyway. But I am going to make him a promise. Come here." He took her by the hand and led her to their room. He rooted around in the top of the closet, eventually producing a small wooden novelty paddle. "My mom used to use this on me," he told her."

"Your mom? Your mom? No way. I thought she was a saint."

Kelly grinned. "She is. I'm still alive, aren't I? The thing is, even before Benny left us, he was the definition of an absent father. For all intents and purposes, my mom was raising me on her own by the time I was six or seven. And I was a wild, rambunctious, seriously disobedient kid. So every now and then...Anyway, a few years ago she was going through some stuff and she came across this. She sent it to me and told me it was just in case I ever had a little boy who was just like me. Gee, thanks, Mom."

"Kelly..." said Stella.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, the impact is mostly psychological. It isn't heavy, it wouldn't seriously hurt or bruise or anything like that, unless you just intended for it to. But it does pack a sting, and it makes a point. And I should know. I won't use it unless I have to, and you know I'd never really hurt him. But there are two things I take a hard line about, and you and he both know it. He doesn't get to endanger himself, and he doesn't get to disrespect you—or me. So if he keeps pushing the limits, then he'll have to deal with a painful consequence. I don't want to do it, but it's up to him whether I do or not. So there you have it. But don't worry. Everything will be fine, I promise."

Stella buried her head in his shoulder. "I trust you," she said.

He kissed her forehead again. "Thank you."

After giving Jack an hour or so to calm down, Kelly went and knocked on his door. He did not wait for an invitation to enter, however, but opened the door and walked in, paddle in hand. He was about to make a point.

Jack was on his bed, staring at the ceiling, tears tracking down in the direction of his ears. Kelly felt a little bad for him, but not enough to change his opinion about Jack's behavior, or his rules about respect.

"Sit up and slide on down, Jack. We need to talk."

"I don't want to."

"That wasn't a request, Jackson Everett. It was an order. I suggest you do it now." Jackson finally looked in his dad's direction and saw what he was holding. Eyes widening a bit, he climbed down and stood on the floor. Kelly pulled the chair out from Jack's desk, sat down, set the paddle on the floor, and pulled Jack in front of him. "Now, I'm willing to hear what you have to say, but first you are going to listen. Respectfully. When I'm done, you can have your turn. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay. Number one. The decision about the skateboard is mine and your mother's together. Num-"

"It didn't sound that way," Jack opined.

"Why are you talking?" Jack clamped his mouth shut. "Number two. You never, ever, under any circumstances, speak to your mother, me, or any other adult the way you did a while ago. But most especially your mom. She may be your mom, but she's my wife, and nobody talks to my wife that way. Not even my son. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Third, I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but you need to get it out, because it's not going to fly. You keep crossing the line between joking around and literal disrespect, and you know exactly what you're doing when you do it. You're testing the boundaries, Jack, and you're really close to finding out what happens when you cross them. You see that?" Kelly nodded toward the paddle on the floor.

"Yes, sir."

"Keep on the way you are, and you're going to find out what it feels like across your backside. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, here's the last thing. You want a skateboard for no other reason, as far as I can tell, except that some of the other boys have one. That's a normal thing. But I don't want you to be the kind of kid who does stuff just because other people are doing it. I don't want you to be a crowd pleaser or a follower. You're smarter than that, better than that, and stronger than that. When you want something, I want it to be what you want, not what somebody else tells you you should want. I know from hard, personal experience where that kind of thing can lead, and it's not where I want you to go. I've been there, and it's not much fun in the end. Hear me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now. Your turn. What's going on with you?"

"I don't know. I mean, really, I don't know. I just...feel like my feelings are all over everywhere. I don't even care that much about the skateboard, not really. It just feels like I never get to do what I want to do, even though in my head I know that's not true. I don't know, Dad. Am I crazy or something?"

Kelly smiled a little. "No. You're going on eleven, that's all."

Jack sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"That's great, but I'm not the one you should really be apologizing to, am I?"

"No, sir. I'll apologize to Mom, too."

"Oh, you sure will, bud. Not only that, but you're going to help her fix dinner, set the table, whatever she needs. And you're going to clean up the kitchen afterwards on your own. And then you're headed straight to bed. No reading, either. Lights out by 7:30. Understood?"

"Understood."

Kelly pulled him into a hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Your mom loves you like nobody's business, buddy. She doesn't want you to get hurt, ever. Now, I know it's not possible to always protect you from every risk, but moms don't generally get that. And I will protect you as much as I can. So...no skateboard, and I don't want to see you on one that belongs to somebody else, either. Got me?"

Jack sighed a little. "Yes, sir."

"Good man." One last squeeze of his son's shoulder, and Kelly picked up the paddle and stood, exiting the room with Jack close behind him.

Stella was seated on the sofa, and Jack went straight to her. He sat down next to her, scooted close, and looked up into her face. "Sorry, Mama," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean it. I know you don't hate me. That was mean to say. I'm really, really sorry."

Stella put her arm around him and kissed the top of his head. "It's okay, sweetie. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all. People get hurt very badly on those things sometimes, and I've seen too much of that. Sorry, but that's what you get for having a mom who was once a paramedic." Jack nodded and snuggled close. When Kelly came back into the room a few minutes later, the two were dozing, arms around each other. He smiled and covered them with a blanket, then left them to rest.

Wednesday morning found Jack up and eager to return to school. Stella took him, letting Kelly rest today. Although he had grown restless during his recovery, his body still had a little bit of healing to do, and the run the previous day may have been a bit too much. Jack had cooperatively helped with dinner and cleaned up the kitchen the previous evening, then showered and gone to bed, lights out by 7:10, well before the deadline set by his dad. When Kelly peeked in a little before 8:00, Jack had already been sound asleep. As far as either parent knew, he had not stirred during the night. It made Stella wonder if part of the problem yesterday was simple fatigue. After all, it was only Jack's second day of actual school, and his first in over a week. So it was possible that the simple adjustment to the busyness of school had had an effect.

In any event, he was ready early, completely sweet and polite and cooperative. He thanked her for making his breakfast and took his plate to the sink and rinsed it without being told. He even asked if there was anything else he could do before they left for school. Stella wondered if he really felt that badly about what he had said to her the previous evening. What she suspected, though, was that Kelly had put the fear of God into him. So far, Kelly had not failed to follow through with any promise he made concerning discipline or otherwise, and Jack was certainly aware that Dad meant what he said. And although Kelly would never abuse his child, he made sure that when he spanked he got the point across, which was probably the reason why, except for the occasional isolated swat, he had only needed to do it twice so far. It would be unsurprising if Jack was apprehensive at the thought of a spanking with the paddle.

For Stella's part, she was just happy that they had a pleasant morning. When she dropped Jack off, he leaned over and kissed her quickly on the cheek before sliding out of the car. Once out, he turned to her, smiled, and said, "Love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, angel. Have a good day."

"You, too. Bye." And then he was off, running to join a small group of his new friends. Stella shook her head and drove off, headed out to do some much-needed grocery shopping.