Erika, Ivan, Julie and Jo
“Ivan put that down right now”
“Don’t shout at him like that” Erika scolded Jo under her breath.
“Why not, that little fucker of yours is a monster”
Erika looked at their two children playing on the climbing frame in the park.
“Our monster. He is yours too.”
“pffft” Jo slumped back on the bench.
Julie tottered over to the two of them, she held her hand out with something in it.
“What do you have their darling?” Erika held her hand out, Julie dropped a handful of poo into her hand.
“hahahahaha. I prefer this one” tears came to Jo’s eyes
“No Julie, this is bad. Don’t pick this up.” Erika was reaching for the wet wipes in her bag
“I think she has some around her mouth”
“NO! Julie. No. We don’t pick this up and eat it. It’s bad for us.” Julie looked at Erika blankly. “Jo can you help me here.”
“I’m not touching that.”
“Jo, get the wet wipes out of my bag. NO JULIE! Don’t pick it back up.” Erika grabbed at her daughter stopping her mid action. Jo handed the wet wipes over but didn’t help Erika clean up. Erika was starting to get annoyed at Jo’s unhelpfulness with the children. After a thorough disinfecting Julie was sent back out to the climbing frame to play with her older brother.
“You could have helped.” Erika rounded on Jo.
“Sorry.” Jo actually looked slightly ashamed of herself, Erika turned away. This wasn’t going right, nothing had been for a couple of months now, or was it years? Erika wasn’t sure. Did it start when she gave birth to Ivan? Or was it when she became pregnant with Julie, before Jo, before they found out Jo was infertile. What had happened to them? Erika was so happy with their new family but her and Jo were growing apart, Jo wanted to live like they were in their twenties again. She refused to grow up.
“Is this what you imagined?” Jo asked Erika abruptly.
Erika breathed deeply. “No.”
“Me neither, there’s too much faecal matter involved.” Jo joked but it fell flat.
“What do we do?”
“Are you happy?”
“I am. I love Ivan and Julie.”
“and me?”
“Of course…”
“but…”
“but…” Erika didn’t say anything else. Nothing else had to be said,
Happy families
