"Look, Dixie!" Sam called. "Watch us!"
"Be careful you two!" Dixie said as Sam and Maddie started to sled over the snow covered ground, coming to a slow stop at the bottom of a small hill in Memorial Park.
Maddie left Sam and ran up to Dixie. "Is Daddy gonna be here soon?"
Dixie reached out and fixed the little girl's scarf. "Your Daddy wasn't lucky like us," she said. "We didn't have to go to school today, but Daddy had to go to work."
"How come Daddy didn't get a snow day?"
"I don't know, sweetheart." Dixie said. "But he promised that he'd come home nice and early, OK?"
"Come on Maddie!" Sam called to her.
"Coming!" Maddie called back, running away from Dixie.
Dixie leaned back on the bench and pulled her hat down to cover her ears, smiling as she watched Sam and Maddie repeatedly ride their sled down the hill. realizing someone was standing beside the bench, Dixie turned her head.
"Hi," Tad said. Dixie was silent, giving him a partial smile. "Mind if I sit?"
"It's a free country I suppose," Dixie said, going back to watching the kids. Tad sat down beside her, closing his jacket tightly.
"Watch us, Dixie!" Maddie called this time.
"I'm watching, honey. Go ahead!" Dixie responded. "What are you doing here, Tad?" Dixie asked, still watching Sam and Maddie.
"Like you said. Free country." Tad paused. "I'm actually on my way to give an interview."
Dixie laughed. "What are you, Tad Martin, national superstar now? A pop culture icon?"
"Don't hurt yourself." Dixie's laughter continued. "The interview's for a communications class at PVU."
"Oh, so you've decided to go back to school, huh?" Dixie said, still keeping a forward stare. "Finally decided what it is you want to be when you grow up?"
"It's a favor to one of the interns," Tad said. Dixie snapped her head to the side, looking at him. "She needs to write..."
"She?" Dixie said. "I take it that nobody else knows about this little tryst."
"What are you talking about?"
"Out of all the people down at the station who she could have interviewed, she chose you?"
"Is that so unbelievable?" Tad asked.
"As a matter of fact." Dixie nodded.
"You're jealous."
Dixie laughed. "You're kidding."
"No. No that's what it is. you're jealous."
"What do I have to be jealous of?" Dixie said. "You? You and Liza? You and you love smitten intern? Oh, oh. You and what we used to have?" Dixie paused. "I'm not a liar. I loved you more than anything. And no matter what you did, I always gave you another chance. But there are just so many second chances, Tad." Dixie tried to hold herself together. "We were married... while I was sharing your bed, you were off somewhere sharing Liza's. And... as much as Liza isn't my favorite person at the moment, I hope she realizes what she's getting herself into." Dixie paused again, standing this time. "You need to get your libido in check, Tad." Dixie turned. "Sam! Maddie! One more time and we've got to go!" She looked back at Tad and shook her head. "Jealous? No, I'm not jealous. I'm getting married to a man who loves me more than you ever did. I have two great kids who I would give my life for. What exactly is it that you have?"
"Dixie?" Maddie said, pulling on her pant leg. Dixie took the little girl's hand.
"Are you two ready?" Sam and Maddie nodded. "OK, then." She laughed before looking back up at Tad. "Think about it." she told him. "Come on, guys. Let's go see if Daddy's home yet." Dixie didn't even give Tad another look as she walked with Sam and Maddie to the car.
Tad leaned back, running his fingers through his hair. He thought for a moment on what Dixie had said, tucking it in the back of his mind before continuing on his way.
"Be careful you two!" Dixie said as Sam and Maddie started to sled over the snow covered ground, coming to a slow stop at the bottom of a small hill in Memorial Park.
Maddie left Sam and ran up to Dixie. "Is Daddy gonna be here soon?"
Dixie reached out and fixed the little girl's scarf. "Your Daddy wasn't lucky like us," she said. "We didn't have to go to school today, but Daddy had to go to work."
"How come Daddy didn't get a snow day?"
"I don't know, sweetheart." Dixie said. "But he promised that he'd come home nice and early, OK?"
"Come on Maddie!" Sam called to her.
"Coming!" Maddie called back, running away from Dixie.
Dixie leaned back on the bench and pulled her hat down to cover her ears, smiling as she watched Sam and Maddie repeatedly ride their sled down the hill. realizing someone was standing beside the bench, Dixie turned her head.
"Hi," Tad said. Dixie was silent, giving him a partial smile. "Mind if I sit?"
"It's a free country I suppose," Dixie said, going back to watching the kids. Tad sat down beside her, closing his jacket tightly.
"Watch us, Dixie!" Maddie called this time.
"I'm watching, honey. Go ahead!" Dixie responded. "What are you doing here, Tad?" Dixie asked, still watching Sam and Maddie.
"Like you said. Free country." Tad paused. "I'm actually on my way to give an interview."
Dixie laughed. "What are you, Tad Martin, national superstar now? A pop culture icon?"
"Don't hurt yourself." Dixie's laughter continued. "The interview's for a communications class at PVU."
"Oh, so you've decided to go back to school, huh?" Dixie said, still keeping a forward stare. "Finally decided what it is you want to be when you grow up?"
"It's a favor to one of the interns," Tad said. Dixie snapped her head to the side, looking at him. "She needs to write..."
"She?" Dixie said. "I take it that nobody else knows about this little tryst."
"What are you talking about?"
"Out of all the people down at the station who she could have interviewed, she chose you?"
"Is that so unbelievable?" Tad asked.
"As a matter of fact." Dixie nodded.
"You're jealous."
Dixie laughed. "You're kidding."
"No. No that's what it is. you're jealous."
"What do I have to be jealous of?" Dixie said. "You? You and Liza? You and you love smitten intern? Oh, oh. You and what we used to have?" Dixie paused. "I'm not a liar. I loved you more than anything. And no matter what you did, I always gave you another chance. But there are just so many second chances, Tad." Dixie tried to hold herself together. "We were married... while I was sharing your bed, you were off somewhere sharing Liza's. And... as much as Liza isn't my favorite person at the moment, I hope she realizes what she's getting herself into." Dixie paused again, standing this time. "You need to get your libido in check, Tad." Dixie turned. "Sam! Maddie! One more time and we've got to go!" She looked back at Tad and shook her head. "Jealous? No, I'm not jealous. I'm getting married to a man who loves me more than you ever did. I have two great kids who I would give my life for. What exactly is it that you have?"
"Dixie?" Maddie said, pulling on her pant leg. Dixie took the little girl's hand.
"Are you two ready?" Sam and Maddie nodded. "OK, then." She laughed before looking back up at Tad. "Think about it." she told him. "Come on, guys. Let's go see if Daddy's home yet." Dixie didn't even give Tad another look as she walked with Sam and Maddie to the car.
Tad leaned back, running his fingers through his hair. He thought for a moment on what Dixie had said, tucking it in the back of his mind before continuing on his way.