Every Other Weekend
Erin/Dave
…
Every other Friday
It's toys and clothes and backpacks
Is everybody in
Okay, let's go see dad
Same time in the same spot
Corner of the same old parking lot
Half the hugs and kisses there are always sad
We trade couple words and looks and kids again
Every other weekend
Erin pulled up in the car park to see Dave standing by his black SUV, even away from work, he still loved those bloody cars, she thought to herself. He was less than thrilled when he found out she was going to be his boss, considering they barely spoke these day unless it involved the kids. Erin sighed as she parked up, Sasha poking her head though the front seats.
"Is daddy here?"
"He's here sweetheart, you ready?"
"Huh huh."
"Sammy honey, are you ready for daddy."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Okay then, let's go kids."
As they got out of the car, Dave looked up to see Erin dressed in a white t shirt and jeans, with her black blazer, looking as elegant as she always did, his heart skipping a beat at the mere sight of her.
"Hey you two, are you ready for a busy weekend?" He smiled.
"Daddy." Sasha smiled, as she hugged him.
Sammy shrugged before going back to his game on his phone.
"Do you have much planned this weekend?" He asked Erin.
"No much, I just thought I'd catch up on some paperwork while I have the time."
"Good, anything I need to know."
"Just one thing, Sammy has some math homework to finish."
"Oh mom."
"Don't oh mom me, I told you to do it last night and you didn't, so I need him to get it done this weekend, please."
"Sure, no problem."
"Well I better go, come on kids, give me a hug."
Dave watched as both Sammy and Sasha hugged their mother, before Erin for to her feet, straightening her jacket before looking back at Dave.
"Well I better go, have fun you three, bye Dave."
"Yeah…bye."
…
Every other weekend
Very few exceptions
I pick up the love we made in both my arms
It's movies on the sofa, grilled cheese and cut the crust off
"That's not the way mom makes it, daddy," breaks my heart
I miss everything I use to have with her again
Every other weekend
Sasha ate the grilled cheese regardless of how Dave made it, Sammy however refused to eat his lunch.
"It's either that or an apple kiddo, it's up to you."
"Awww geez, fine. Just ask mom how she makes it next time dad, please."
"Sure thing son."
Dave brought his arm around Sasha and Sammy as they watched Toy Story on the TV, Dave watching the way Sammy picked at his grilled cheese, his heart breaking just a little that he couldn't make a simple sandwich for his son.
"After the movie it's homework time for you okay?" He said to Sammy.
"Oh dad."
"Don't dad me, you heard your mom…if you had done it when she'd asked then you…"
"Okay, fine, I'll do it."
"That's my boy, and if you finish it, we'll go out tonight for dinner okay."
"Oh yay." Sasha smiled.
…
I cant tell her I love her
I can't tell him I love him
'Cause there's too many questions and ears in the car
So I don't tell him I miss him
I don't tell her I need her
She's(He's) over me, that's where we are
So we're as close as we might ever be again
Every other weekend
Every other Saturday
First thing in the morning
I turn the TV on to make the quiet go away
I know why, but I don't know why
We ever let this happen
Fallin' for forever was a big mistake
There's so much not to do and all day not to do with him
Every other weekend
Erin walked back in to the house, placing her car keys on the kitchen table, before she took a seat, looking around the room. She closed her eyes tightly before sighing, getting up she put on the small tv that sat in the corner of the kitchen counter, and began making coffee in the percolator, anything to stop her thinking about her kids not being in the house. She hated the weekends without them, it was bad enough she barely saw them during the work week because of her commitments to the BAU. There were times she wondered why she'd agreed to come in as Section Chief, then thought about the extra time the kids got to spend with Dave when they were dropped off at the office after school occasionally. Her mind always drifted back to Dave and how it all went wrong between them, he understood that she needed to work, but being away from home so often had begun to put a strain on their relationship, which had inadvertently ended it. Deep down, all he wanted was her to be at home, being a good mother to their children, but Erin Strauss was never going to be a stay at home mom, it just wasn't who she was and Dave should have seen that long before it tore them apart. If she could turn the clock back, perhaps she'd have done things differently, tried to be a more hands on mom and paid more attention to her marriage. She'd never fully admit it, but there were many times she missed Dave, sitting side by side as they watched one of Dave's documentaries, or when he'd shower her with butterfly kisses in the morning to wake her up, or even just pouring her a large glass of red wine after a busy day and allowing her to talk about her day, but those days were no more, now it was just her, just Erin, alone on the weekend.
…
Every other Sunday
I empty out my backseat
While my children hug their mother
In the parking lot
We don't touch,
We don't talk much,
Maybe goodbye to each other
As she drives away with every piece of heart I got,
I re-convince myself we did the right thing,
Every other weekend
I can't tell her I love her
I can't tell him I love him
'Cause there's too many questions and ears in the car
So I don't tell him I miss him
I don't tell her I need her
She's (He's) over me that's where we are
We're as close as we might ever be again
Every other weekend
Yeah, for fifteen minutes,
We're a family again
God, I wish that he was still with me again
Every other weekend
Dave pulled up in the parking lot on Sunday to see Erin already waiting for them, the ride had been a quiet one. The kids knowing exactly how things would play out. As Sammy as Sasha got out, Dave took out their backpacks from the back of the car before slamming the door and walking over to Erin and the kids. Sammy turned to look at his father to see the same sad look on his face that he always had when he had to say goodbye all over again. Sasha hugged her father before he passed the backpacks to Erin.
"Thanks, so…did you kids have a good weekend at dad's?"
"It was fun, we watched Toy Story, and we played basketball and went to pizza hut." Sasha smiled.
"Did you, well that sounds like so much fun."
"You can come with us next time mommy?"
Erin looked at Dave who looked lost for words.
"Oh, well I…"
"You're always welcome to join us Erin, always."
Erin smiled before looking to Sammy.
"And you, did you do your homework?"
"Yes mom, I did it, dad helped me."
"Good, well you two go and get buckled up. I'll be over in a moment."
Sasha and Sammy did as they were told, Erin turning back to Dave who was watching her closely.
"Well, thank you for keeping them amused, I'm glad they had a lovely time."
"Yeah, it was good spending time with them again. It's just hard you know, only seeing them every other weekend."
"I know, but the court decided that we…"
"I know, we brought this on ourselves huh."
"Dave, if I could change things I would. I wish things hadn't turned out like they did for us."
"Yeah, me too. I always thought you'd be the one wife I wouldn't divorce, guess it just wasn't meant to be."
Erin and Dave locked eyes for several minutes, Erin's hand in his, not actually remembering taking it in the first place. Sammy yelling, brought them back to reality.
"I should get them home."
"Of course, I'll see you at work tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, bye Dave."
"Bye Erin."
Dave watched as the woman he would always love, walked away from him, taking the rest of his love with her.
…
-Fin