Invisible
Chapter 7
"Maybe you should eat something," Manny mumbled, stuffing a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. Her eyes groggily strained to read the back of a cereal box.
Emma said nothing, continuing to stare at the empty spot on the table before her. She'd woken up earlier this morning to Lindey's cries, responding by feeding and changing her. She had just gotten her to go back to sleep an hour ago.
"I'm not hungry," Emma mumbled, leaving the table. She padded over to the couch, her body nearly throwing itself onto It and she flipped on the television.
Manny was silent a moment. Emma had done really well with the eating thing lately. Maybe she shouldn't have pushed the issue. She shuffled the food around on her plate in thought.
"Let's go," Jay urged. An overtly hyper Bella flailed on his left hand.
"I have to go potty," she whined. She scuffed one tiny reebok sneaker with the other, as she made an urgent face.
Jay stared, "You just went when we left the house!" He glanced around. They'd managed to walk five, maybe six blocks. There were only two blocks until Emma's.
"I have to go again," Bella sighed, frustrated with him.
Jay grunted, "Fine! Fine," he looked around. Their current location was in front of Jeremiah motors. He sighed, slapping one hand on his face. This was really great. It was.
"Nowow," Bella whined.
Jay grunted, tugging the toddler through the cars. He opened the door to the small shop at the end of the miniature lot.
Joey glanced up, ready to offer a cheerful hello. He stopped though, his gaze meeting Jay. The smile stayed though, until his gaze traveled down to Bella, in which his smile became confused.
He peered at Bella, staying seated at his desk.
"Good morning Jay," he said finally.
Jay grunted, "Morning Joey," he then jabbed his finger at Bella, "Do you uh, have a bathroom."
Joey nodded, pointing his finger to a door slightly behind him.
Bella let go of her grip of Jay's hand and bounded into the bathroom.
"Who uh," Joey asked, shaking his head.
"She's not mine, she's Mia's," Jay explained.
Joey Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. His curious look lingered on Jay a moment, as he took a deep breath, setting his pen atop his paper work.
"Look Jay, I'm not your father or anything, but, you just have to be careful. Emma's not gonna see it the way you do," Joey said gently.
The top corners of Jay's lips began to curl, and he conciousley stopped them. A fake smile resulted. "Thanks Joey," he said as Bella came bounding out of the bathroom, "I'm just helping Mia out for the day."
Joey nodded as the pair turned their backs on him, exiting the car lot.
"Who was that?" Bella questioned, her hand swinging Jay's as they continued to walk to Emma's.
"Joey. He's Angie's dad," Jay explained. Sometimes Mia watched Angie for Joey. Bella was just barely five though, and Angie was ready to turn eight.
At that second, Jay had the feeling time was kind of flying by him and no matter how many times he tried to catch it, he really was always just a second too late.
His mind began to nervousley rack over what to say to Emma.
It all came screeching to a halt though, as he realized Emma's door was two feet in front of his face, and Bella was happily jamming her finger against the doorbell.
He should have asked her to give him a minute. He cringed at the child's antics, and silently prayed Emma wasn't home.
Manny opened the door thankfully, Jack bouncing on her hip. Jack was in his terrible two's, and he shrieked wildly as he grabbed at Manny's hair.
She wove her head away from him, her eyes wide as she looked at Jay. Her gaze traveled to Bella, and she made a gurgling sound in her throat as she tried to clear it.
"Jay," she smiled meekly, swallowing.
"Manny!" Emma yelped from behind her.
Manny moved to the side, as Emma came to the door, an eyebrow cooly raised at the pair.
"What?" she asked Jay. She smiled, waving at Bella. Her face then returned to anger as she looked at Jay.
Jay caught Manny's eye over Emma's shoulder as she wandered back to the kitchen.
Jay had already decided what he was doing if this was her reaction.
"Emma. I'm babysitting Bella for the day, but tonight, I'd like to take you out to dinner," he said. The words gushed out of his mouth like pus from an open sore. He cringed.
Caught of guard, Emma's mouth opened, before she shook her head shutting it again.
She let her eyes linger on Jay a minute, before staring at Bella.
Manny, hearing the conversation from her eavesdropping place in the kitchen, let a slow breath hiss out of her mouth. Emma was in limbo. There was no telling which direction this was going to go.
Emma seemingly played a mental game of ping pong ball. Lindsey's crys from the bedroom interrupted her thoughts. Her head spun, glancing upstairs.
"Got it!" Manny yelled, bolting upstairs before Emma had a say so. Jack and Lindsey shared a room now, although Emma often slept in the bedroom with thw two, leaving Manny the basement.
Emma turned her attentions back to Jay, as she sighed.
She cleared her throat. It had been at least a full minute since he'd asked. Perhaps even a minute and a half.
Jay sighed, looking down at his shoes. He glanced back up at her, "You don't have to say anything. But, I'll be at Mericello's at eight. There's no pressure, but if your late, your lasagna will be cold."
He smiled that sly smile, before taking Bella by the hand, instructing her to wave to Emma, as he lead her back down the street.
Emma watched their retreating forms, sighing to herself. That same sly smile was what had initially attracted her to him, as well as that cocky attitude.
She smirked, shutting the door softly. So he still remembered she loved Mericello's lasagna. That had to count for something.
"Manny?" she whispered, not expecting an answer.
"Hm?" came her reply, her head coming around the corner of the hallway that lead upstairs. Emma's smirk grew. Leave to Manny to eavesdrop.
"Can you watch Lindsey at eight?" Emma asked hopefully, smiling at Manny.
Manny grinned, waving a bottle around the corner. She came out from the hallway, Lindsey cradled in one arm, and Jack clutching onto her leg as she walked.
He looked like a panther clinging to a branch as he roared, Manny struggling to walk with the two of them.
"Already taken care of!" Manny said, still waving the bottle in her other hand.
Emma laughed, shaking her head and thanking god for Manny.