Maureen convinced me to get a decent job. The job, in fact, that I have today. I met my first husband at her house. She accepted me in her home, and now I can't stop thinking about the past...
**FLASHBACK, 1981**
Robin keeps this room so freakishly clean, it's almost intimidating. She and her mother are so neat, you feel threatened if you don't put your clothes in the dresser right away, or put the clean bedding on your bed once it's out of the washer.
Which, is why I'm doing that now.
Robin comes in the room. "Jackie, did you get your-"
"I'm already putting the bedding on, Robin," I say as I thrust the bottom sheet over the mattress.
"Here, let me help you with the pillowcases," Robin offers.
"Why are you so clean for a fourteen year-old?" I ask, rolling my eyes and laughing.
"Why are you not-so-clean for a nineteen year-old?" Robin shoots back, smiling back.
I scoff. "You don't think I'm clean? Well, I don't have OCD like you and your mother do, but at least I try."
Robin just laughs at me and shakes her head.
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Later on, Maureen and I go to the drugstore. We were picking up some hair dye, because I normally do Maureen's hair for her. She says I'm the best at it, and now she refuses to let anybody else do it for her.
On the way home, Maureen is driving while puffing on a cigarette. She looks over at me.
"You know... I was thinking. Are you gonna get a job ever, Jackie?" Maureen asks me.
I look at her, shocked. She can't be suggesting that I get a job to pay her for like, rent or something, is she?
"I'm not suggesting that you get a job to pay me or anything, like as rent. I want you to start your life. And getting a job would be doing that," she says, like she read my mind.
I stop to think. What the /hell/ would I do for a job?
Maureen claps her hands before hastily putting them back on the wheel. "I've got it!"
"Really?" I ask, giving her an unsure look.
"You're so good with hair. You should be a cosmetologist!" Maureen says happily.
Cosmetologist... that sounds not that bad, actually. That sounds like something I could do.
I nod. "Yeah. Cosmetologist. That sounds perfect!"
"This is great! We can just... enroll you in beauty school, and... this is gonna be so fun!" Maureen says.
When we get back home, Maureen's husband Gary was standing in the garage with another guy.
"Who you got with you, honey?" Maureen asks as she gets out of the car.
"This is Corey, one of the trainees at work. He's brand new, so I decided to help him out a bit," Gary says. "He's only twenty."
Corey steps out of the garage, so I get a better look at him. He's very good looking, for a poor guy. He has shortish dark hair, with stunning blue eyes and a slight tan.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mancini," Corey says, shaking Maureen's hand. He looks over at me and smiles slightly. "This your daughter?"
"No, this is Jackie," Maureen says. "She's living with us for a while. Family friend."
"Oh." Corey looks at me. "Nice to meet you, Jackie," he says coolly, smiling.
"Hey," I say awkwardly. It's more than obvious that he thinks I'm pretty, because he keeps checking me out, but I guess it's pretty obvious that I think he's... nice-looking, too.
"I'm gonna... bring the dye inside." I grab the bag sitting on the seat of the car. Maureen follows me, and now we're standing in the kitchen, with the bag on the counter.
"So, he's a cutie, huh?" Maureen asks me.
"Who?" I ask, playing dumb.
"That new guy, Corey. He wasn't subtle at all. And Paul said he's twenty, perfect for you." She smiles over at me, raising her eyebrows.
"I guess so," I say, blushing. "Yeah, he is pretty cute."
"I'll ask him to stay for dinner," Maureen says. "And then you guys can talk. 'Kay?"
"Sounds good," I say, smiling at the idea.
I look outside the screen door and I see Paul and Corey are about to walk inside.
"I'll go ask now!" Maureen hisses, running back outside before they come in, and I quickly exit the kitchen and run to me and Robin's room.
No more than a minute later, Maureen opens my door, then shuts it.
"So?" I ask. "What happened?"
"He said no," Maureen starts, and I feel disappointed. Then Maureen opens her mouth again. "Because he was planning on asking you out to dinner tonight! Smooth, huh?"
I'm stunned, but I smile anyway, at loss for words.
"Well, don't stand there... go out there so he can ask you!" Maureen pushes me out of the door.
I run out and see Corey standing in the kitchen alone.
"Hey," I say. "What're you doing in here alone?"
He laughs. "Gary had to go get something."
"Oh, okay." I say, nodding.
"But, well... Jackie, we don't really know each other... but, do you want to get to know each other together tonight at dinner?" he asks, not even sounding nervous.
"Yeah," I try to sound cool and calm, but I just sound nervous.
"Okay." He nods. "Meet me outside in twenty minutes?"
"Sounds good." I smile, and leave to go get ready.
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The date went really well. Corey seems really nice, and he's sweet. We're almost home now, pulling into Maureen and Gary's driveway.
"Well, how was it? Yes or no, on my part?" Corey asks as he puts the car in park.
"It was great. Your really great." I smile. "We should... do it again some time."
"Really? Because I think you're really great." He smiles and leans in toward me, cupping my chin and kissing me.
We kiss for a few seconds before pulling away. "That was nice," I mumble.
Corey nods, and we kiss again. And again, and again, and again...
**END FLASHBACK**
My thoughts are cut short when the door opens again. It's my thirteen year-old son Asher, and my eleven year-old daughter Spencer, back from school.
"Hey, kids." I smile at them as they shut the door.
"Hi, Mom," the kids mumble.
Asher and Spencer have been spacing themselves from me in the past month. The divorce is confusing them, I think. I know that they don't think it's fair, and I feel kind of bad for transferring this onto them.
"How were your days?" I ask.
"Fine," they say in unison, starting to walk up the stairs.
I sigh, watching them go up. It's sad that they have to go through this. Normally, I would feel bad, because I used to think that good-looking people shouldn't feel sadness. But my way of thinking has changed over the years, and I know that isn't true. However, my kids /are/ very good-looking, and I know it.
Molly, my oldest, looks almost exactly like I did as a teenager, only she's a bit taller, and has bigger boobs.
Asher, my only son, has dark hair. He doesn't care about much, and that's probably why he has had a girlfriend every week since the day he turned ten.
Spencer has dark hair, too, that's long and curly. She can be a little brat, but I know that I'm always her favorite person at the end of the day. At least, I used to be.
Thankfully, neither Asher nor Spencer looks like Paul. Unfortunately, I think they inherited his attitude.
I frown. My kids used to love me. Now, Paul has been spending more and more time with them. I think he's turning them against me or something. Now, they seem to hate me.
I get up and go up the stairs, first knocking on Asher's door.
"Yeah?" I hear him call.
"It's Mom. Can I come in?" I ask.
"Whatever."
I open up the door to see him playing video games. "What do you want?" he asks.
"I need to talk to you, Ash. Can you please shut that off?" I ask, pointing to the game.
He groans, but does as I say. "What?" he sounds irritated.
"Can you tell me... well... has Dad been saying anything about me?" I ask curiously.
He shrugs. "I don't know."
"Yeah, you would. I mean, has he been saying anything to you or Spence?" I ask again.
"I already told you, I don't know," he explains again, then turns back to his game.
I turn his shoulder, making him face me abruptly. "Asher Thomas! Look at me." Then I feel bad. "Why... why are you kids ignoring me lately?"
Asher sighs. "Mom, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm thirteen now. I'm older. I never really hung out with you before anyway. Nothing's really changed with me. Maybe you should talk to Spence."
I stop and think. "You know, you're right."
"I know." Asher turns on the Xbox again.
"Okay. Okay, I'll go talk to Spencer." I leave the door open as I exit the room, going to my daughter's room.
"Hi, honey," I say as I open the door.
Spencer is laying on her bed, watching TV. "Hi."
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I ask her.
"Yeah, but Dad should be here in ten minutes so hurry up," she says.
"Why is your father gonna be here in ten minutes?" I ask abruptly.
"He's taking me and Ash out to dinner..." she says as though it's obvious.
I sit on her bed. "Okay, Spence, honey... I'm not sure why you and Ash have suddenly turned against me or whatever... but, could you tell me?"
She rolls her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Obviously somebody... your father... told you something that made you mad at me. What is it?"
"I don't know." She shrugs.
"Come on, honey. You used to be my little girl. Somehow that changed." I look straight at her and push her hair back. "Will you please tell me?"
She sighs. "You cheated on Daddy, didn't you?" she asks.
I give her a strange look. "No! I /never/ cheated on him. What made you think /that/?"
"Well, you guys are getting a divorce..." She frowns.
"That doesn't always mean that somebody's cheating," I point out. "Listen, your father and I... we stopped getting along. We grew apart, and we kind of... got sick of each other. That's why we're getting a divorce."
Spencer slumps her shoulders. "Daddy said that you were gonna move away, like where Molly lives."
"Me?" I ask in disbelief. "No. I never said that." No way would I ever do that. Molly lives near Point Place. We're over an hour away from there, anyway. Where would Paul get that from?
"Okay. Good." Spencer sighs.
"Spence, if I ever moved, I'd be taking you and Ash with me, believe me," I say. "I love you two. I could never leave my kids."
Spencer hugs me from the side, and I hug her back. "I love you, too, Mom."
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A half hour late, Paul arrives home.
"Nice to see you're early," I comment sarcastically as he comes in through the door.
"Come on, Jackie, when are you gonna leave?" he asks, irritated.
I tilt my head to the side. "Speaking of, apparently I'm moving by Molly now?"
"What are you talking about?" Paul asks me.
"Well, Spencer told me that you said I was moving away. Far away. Is this part of your little plan?" I ask.
He shrugs. "I give up. I don't know what you're talking about anymore."
"Shut up, Paul. You want me out of here, and you want the kids to hate me. Admit it." I smirk at him.
"Yeah, I want you out of here, but I don't want the kids to /hate/ you. I mean, a strong dislike is good enough for me." He shrugs casually.
I give him a death glare. "You think you're funny, asshole. I'll see you later; take care of the kids, /please/."
"I always do!" He waves me out of the door after I grab my keys. I'm not sure where he wants me to go for the night, exactly, but I'll find a place.