Scene 7
November 2014
Married 3 and 1/2 years.
CJ (Cooper Junior) is 22 months old.
Ella (Charlotte Elizabeth) is 5 months old.
Setting: Morning breakfst in the kitchen.
"Oh no." Charlotte says.
"What?" Cooper asks. He's making cheesy eggs for CJ for breakfast.
"Ella just spit up all over her outfit. Now I have to wash her up and put a new outfit on and I'm already running late for the hospital." Charlotte wipes up the dark haired baby girl that has Cooper's blue eyes.
"Just leave her. I'll clean her up as soon as I'm done making the cheesy eggs." Cooper tells her.
"I can't leave her here sitting in a puddle of spit up. That's gross!" Charlotte complains.
"I can't just leave the eggs on the stove and change her." Cooper tells her.
"I said I'll do it!" Charlotte yells as she brings the baby upstairs to clean her up and change her.
"Eggies eggies!" CJ points to the pan.
"They'll be done in a minute CJ." Cooper stirs the eggs and sings songs with CJ to distract him while they wait. "The peanut sat on the railroad track his heart is all a flutter. The number ten comes round the bend and squash peanut butter. Cooper sings,
CJ laughs every time Cooper sings it so Cooper sings it over and over.
Charlotte comes back into the kitchen with Ella and witnesses Cooper singing and CJ laughing.
"I'm sorry." She kisses Cooper on the cheek.
"For what?" Cooper asks.
"For being so grouch to you before. I'm just stressed I have a meeting at the hospital and I don't have a minute to spare or I'll be late." She tells him.
"I know. I was thinking maybe you or I could cut down our hours." Cooper tells her. "Just temporarily since the children are so yound and require so much then when they're a little older we can return to our regular schedule."
"You want me to cut my hours?" Charlotte asks.
"Only if you want. I can see about lightening my schedule at work. Maybe taking on a nurse practitioner to help me and see some of my patients so I could be home more." Cooper explains.
Charlotte feels guilty for Cooper having to cut his hours whan she has two jobs. "Only if you want to Coop. I spose I could cut my hours too at the office." She tells him.
"Only if you want to Char. I don't want you resenting me or the kids for having to give up one of your jobs. I know you love them both." Cooper says.
"I love my family more." She says.
"Well, that's nice to hear." Cooper responds.
"We'll talk about it later when we get home from work tonight." She kisses him goodbye.
"OK." He tells her. "Can you pick the kids up from daycare this evening. I have a dentist appointment after work." Cooper tells her.
"You should have told me earlier Cooper. I have a staff meeting at five. It;s an important one and I'd rather not cancel." She tells him.
"Nevermind. I'll reschedule my appointment. No biggie." Cooper says as he puts CJ's eggs in front of him.
"I'll make it up to you tonight." Charlotte gives him an evil grin. "I promise."
Cooper smiles as she walks out the door.
"Sing peanut song daddy." CJ says.
Cooper looks at the floor by CJ where more spoonful of eggs land than in CJ's mouth. Now he has to clean that up to. He looks over at Ella and she's spitting up again on her clean outfit. "Daddy doesn't feel like singing anymore CJ.
"Please daddy?" CJ begs.
"No CJ. I have to change Ella and clean the eggs off the floor then drop you to off at daycare then go see my patients at work, then pick you two up from dadycar and make you dinner." Cooper is talking more to himself than he is to CJ anymore.
He puts ella back in the infant tub to clean off the curdled milk she spat up all over herself. "Be careful what you wish for you just might get it." He tells the screaming infant as he washes her. He loves his family but he's feeling the stress.
END of SCENE 7