Band-Aids

“Come on. Please, do this for me, Nora,” Jenny voice floated through the house. She was in the kitchen, flipping eggs at the stove.

“Sorry, Jen. I told my mom I would help her today. She’s not taking the divorce very well, you know.”

Jenny heaved a sigh and tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder while she reached for a plate to put the scrambled eggs on. She definitely knew how hard it was to go through a divorce. Her parents divorced when she was seven and Jenny and Mark were left with their devastated mom in Vegas as their dad fled east.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I hope she starts feeling better soon though, it’s been a while.”

“It has. But she seems to be cheering up. I think it’s hard for her, seeing me everyday and knowing that I still talk to dad. You know?”

Jenny nodded and thought about her own dad, wondering where he could be. Her friend was lucky she could still keep in contact with her father; Jenny’s was off somewhere and hadn’t made contact with her since she was little. Forgetting Nora couldn’t see her over the phone, she mumbled an agreement out and placed a Toy Story plate with a small portion eggs and little cut up bacon pieces in front of Daniel.

“I better get going. I’ll call you later, Jenny!”

“Bye, Nora,” she smiled and got a different plate for Carrigan’s breakfast.

“Are we going to Nora’s today?” Carrigan asked excitedly. Nora was Jenny’s best friend and helped her with the kids periodically when Jenny needed. It was nice especially when Jenny needed to run a couple quick errands and taking the kids would turn the twenty minute run in to an hour long trip. Not only did Jenny love her, but the kids adored Nora and sometimes wanted her to come over more often than kids their own age.

“No, she is going to her mom’s house today.” The kids pouted. “But she’s coming over tomorrow like she always does.”

“Tomorrow is Sunday?” Carrigan asked as she nibbled on a piece of toast. Jenny nodded and got herself a cup of coffee for the long day ahead of her.

“Is Chad coming with?” the girl asked again and Jenny nodded again.

“Why does he always come?” Jenny chuckled at Carrigan, who had just entered the stage of asking questions about everything and everyone.

Ignoring the question because if she answered it would just lead to more, Jenny starting picking up the mess she had made earlier.

After the kids finished eating their breakfast, Jenny got them to brush their hair, their least favorite thing to do, and they brushed their teeth.

She dressed Daniel in miniature jeans and a sweater vest but Carrigan was at the point where she liked to dress herself, so she picked out rainbow stripped leggings, a purple skirt and a pink layered shirt, all clashing but Jenny just laughed at how cute she was.

It took a good amount of time to get the two kids going but after a couple hours, Jenny had them happy and sitting on the couch to watch cartoons so she could quick run a brush through her hair and throw on some clothes.

“Who’s got their shoes on?” Jenny asked excitedly, causing the two to whine. “Come on, kids! We’re going to go see Dr. Johnston again!”

“Why?” Daniel complained when Jenny turned the T.V. off and picked him up to get his coat and shoes on.

“Remember the pictures they took off your teeth?” Daniel nodded. “Well, the dentist called and said the pictures turned out blurry because the camera wasn’t working right. So we need to redo them.” Carrigan moaned beside them; she didn’t like the X-rays they had taken yesterday. “But I’ll tell you what. We can make this a special day and go sledding after.

The two kids clapped and cheered and the bribe got them out the door and in the car. Jenny groaned inwardly when she saw the time on the dashboard; it had taken her longer than she thought to get the kids ready and with the roads in blizzard conditions, they would end up being late.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“Look, look, look!” Carrigan tugged on Jenny’s jeans. “Look!” Jenny followed the little girl’s finger to the front desk where a man was checking in. Her eyes trailed him as he hung up his coat and ran his fingers through his hair after it got messed up from the snow that was falling outside.

Carrigan continued to point rudely at him as he sat five chairs down from Jenny and the two kids in the waiting area and Jenny whispered for Carrigan to stop pointing, not being able to place a finger on the familiarity of his face. Carrigan was a bold girl so instead of listening, she walked up to the familiar looking boy with a toy train in her hand from when she was playing with Daniel earlier.

“Hi,” she said loudly.

At first the man didn’t realize the young girl was talking to him and maintained his attention on the phone in his hands.

“Hi?!”

The man jumped in surprise when he saw a girl’s face in front of him instead of the screen he was previously looking at. He leaned back in his chair, startled, but smiled when he got a good look at her face.

“Hey cutie,” he chuckled, slipping his phone in his pocket and uncrossing his legs so he could see the small girl easier. Carrigan smiled and Jenny watched as the girl chatted animatedly with the man, still not able to put a name to the face. Soon, Daniel saw his sister wasn’t playing next to him and went over to her.

Immediately the man recognized him. “Oh hey, buddy!” He quickly grabbed Daniel’s hands to steady him before he fell from his wobbly legs. “I remember you.” He tickled Daniel’s chin playfully.

“What’s your name?” Carrigan blurted impolitely, causing the man to cackle softly at her bluntness.

“My name’s Alex. What about you?”

“I’m Carrigan and I’m four!” she said proudly, holding up the appropriate fingers.

“That’s a pretty name, I like it. How about you, bud?”

“That’s Daniel,” Carrigan called out distractedly, not even giving her brother a chance to answer.

Alex laughed and ruffled his hair again with his fingers. “And how old are you, Danny?”

“Daniel,” Carrigan clarified. “She doesn’t like when people call him Danny,” the girl said a little dramatically, waving over in Jenny’s direction cynically.

Alex glanced over where Jenny was sitting and suddenly realized he might be out of line talking to a stranger’s kids, moreover, him being a stranger to the kids. But he saw an admiring smirk tugging at the girl’s lips and he met her eyes and gave a perceptive smile. Alex then laughed again and turned back to Carrigan, thinking she had an awesome personality for a little four year old. “Well how old are you, Daniel?”

Daniel held up three fingers. “Two!” Alex grinned and fixed Daniel’s fingers to match his response, but the boy didn’t have enough coordination to keep just two fingers up, making Alex smile even more, if it was possible.

Alex then turned his attention back to the girl sitting a couple chairs down from him. “So, these are yours?”

Jenny nodded quickly and her response came out automatically, with the same confidence as when judgmental adults saw her with her two kids, “Yep.”

“They’re adorable,” he said, holding out his right hand palm up, letting Carrigan give him repeated slaps of high fives. Jenny was surprised she didn’t earn a questioning glance from the man or maybe critique in his eyes. Instead, he acted as if he wasn’t bothered by the fact that she was so young, unknowing of what might happen next. He didn’t wonder if she could handle it; her life a mess, with two kids and no ring on her left hand.

“Thanks. I’m Jenny.”

“Alex.” She smiled at him and went back to reading her magazine, keeping one eye on the two kids. Alex stole quick glimpses at Jenny often as he played with her kids and waited to be called back by the dentist. He was stunned at how young she was; not looking older than 22 with two kids. She seemed nice enough and looked put together to the point where she was almost intimidating. Alex didn’t know why though because she wore simple blue jeans and sweater, her hair lying straight; nothing seemed to stand out or sparkle about her at first glance. He decided it was because she had two kids and the fact that her life had taken off and she was barely 20. Alex hadn’t had a steady relationship in almost a year and he was seated next a girl, younger than him, who had some of the biggest life goals being met already. He admired her; the way she was so comfortable with herself, confident and apparently knowing what she wanted.

“Thomas the train?!” he said excited. Carrigan nodded smugly. “He was my favorite when I was little. You know what? I’m lying. He’s still my favorite.” Carrigan’s eyes widened with sparkles joy after hearing what Alex had said and Jenny laughed silently from her chair as she listened to them.

“Wanna play?” Daniel asked, almost inaudible because he was already hobbling to the toys in the corner. Alex agreed and knelt down beside the two kids and started connecting pieces together to make a track for the trains.

Jenny looked out the corner of her eye at the three seated in the crook of the wall. Alex didn’t look like the guy who would be so good with kids. His messy yet styled hair, tight jeans that hung off his hips and simple red tee gave him the carefree, almost uncaring kind of guy that lived on the edge. Maybe the kind of person who didn’t really worry about others unless it was his business to get in to, he judged and could possibly be a jerk that was hypercritical because he was so happy with his own life, he couldn’t imagine anyone else being happy unless it was what he was doing or thinking. But instead, there he was, looking more interested in the putting together the train track than Carrigan and Daniel did. His kindness was definitely sincere, not pity. It made her appreciate the people out there that didn’t make assumptions at first sight and were truly nice.

“Alex?” the hygienist called from the door, signaling it was his turn to go in. Carrigan groaned, not happy that her new friend was going to leave.

“Sorry guys, I have to go. It was fun playing with you though.” Carrigan stood quickly and hugged his leg goodbye, causing him to lean down and ruffle the two kids’ hair adoringly before he left. “It was nice meeting you too, Jenny,” he said and waved politely to Jenny before he left. “Careful Daniel, don’t want to knock you over again,” he joked, sidestepping to avoid knocking the two-year old over.

The two kids laughed and Jenny did a double take of him as he followed the lady dentist, taken aback and finally realizing that he was at the dentist yesterday as well. Knowing Alex was the one who bumped in to Daniel, it surprised Jenny; the kids took a liking to him so quickly. She mumbled a goodbye as well but before she found her spot in the article she was reading, a different hygienist came out and called Carrigan and Daniel back to the exam rooms.