LAST RESORT

‘It’s really ugly and super tiny’, my son proclaimed as he walked in the door this afternoon. He was talking about his younger sister’s baby. The robot baby for her school project. He came home for some water before returning to hang out with his friend and sisters as they watched the high school football game across the street. From afar, as the tickets were sold out.

My older daughter showed up at my door shortly after her brother left. The girls had been dropped off by their father’s wife and told not to return until the weekend was over. She added that my son has lately been coming to their house often, so seemingly this was a sort of ‘payback’. And all along I thought it was a good idea to encourage my son’s relationship with his father. Apparently, I was wrong to do so.

Before being dropped off at my place, my older daughter texted me about how the parents wanted them both out of the house since her sister was already going. And that I needed to come pick them up. However, my daughter was looking forward to spending time in her own room, working on her school assignments. Not having to sit in her brother’s bedroom with all three of them, and the ‘baby’ sleeping on the floor. They had also planned to have a friend over to their house, but were told they could not since their homework was not completed.

Though my older daughter wouldn’t mind spending time here with me, both of us agreed that planning our time together would have been much better. As we have done in the past. Besides, their father never bothered to ask if I had plans. He never asks. He simply assumes I have nothing better to do than to be the children’s ‘last resort’ when he and his wife want alone time. A perfect example being when they went to Seattle last month and he simply stated that the girls were coming to my place.

It’s that feeling of being used that is bothersome. Of never being asked and always assuming that I have no life of my own. Of always being the last resort. Despite that, we will make the best of our time together as the years will pass by and one day my daughters will show up with real babies for me to help them with. For now, I will cherish this time with my own babies. When all three are together.