So Far Away

A few days later we were all, the whole family, sitting on our back yard. Mase was playing in the pool and Jimmy, the baby and myself were laying on the ground. The baby was asleep as always, even though Mason was screaming and shouting most of the time.

Some of our neighbours were on their back yard as well, and there was this probably about fifteen year old girl who was in her bikini. She was getting into their pool when Mase shouted something.

”Hey hot babe!” he exclaimed and my eyes flew wide open.

I was about to choke on my own spit as I sat up and glared at my five year old.

”Mase!” I exclaimed.

Mason just grinned at me and laughed before continuing swimming in the pool.

Luckily none of our neighbours had heard him.

”Jimmy! Did you hear what Mase just shouted to that teenager?” I hissed and shook Jimmy's shoulder. He opened his eyes and sat up.

”Yeah,” he said and laughed, ”Good one, Mase!”

”Good one? What the hell is wrong with you? How does he even know how to say things like that?” I hissed.

”Oh, I don't know.”

”Bullshit! You probably taught him that!”

”Well, you know, I'm his father. If I didn't teach him that then who would?” he asked with a shrug.

”He's five! He isn't supposed to shout things like that to girls that are ten years older than him!”

”Jesus, just, calm down, Rach. Why are you getting so upset because of nothing?”

”My five year old was checking out my neighbour, Jimmy!”

”So what? He's a boy, it was going to happen some day.”

”Whatever. I'm really mad at you now,” I muttered and rolled my eyes.

”I don't understand you. This is nothing, Rach. Calm down,” he said.

”Whatever!” I mumbled and carefully lifted the baby up and started walking in.

”Where the hell are you going now?” Jimmy asked me.

”Inside.”

Jimmy and Mason came in a bit later. I had just put the baby to sleep and was sitting in the livingroom on the couch.

”Go pack your bag, Mase,” Jimmy said and ruffled the kid's hair as Mason ran into his room.

Jimmy sat down on the couch with a sigh.

”Rachel – ”

”Don't. I don't want to hear it,” I said and lifted my hand up.

”Well what do you want me to do? I'm not going to apologize for something like that. He's a boy, Rach, he can't help but be interested in girls.”

”Okay, whatever.”

”It's not whatever if it bothers you.”

”Why did you tell Mase to go pack his bag?” I asked.

”Because the kids are going to your mom's tonight. We're going out with the guys and their wives,” he told me.

”Why didn't you ask me if I even wanted to go out?”

”Because you would've said no,” he said and laughed, ”Right?”

”Dad? I need to take a shit!” Mason shouted suddenly and appeared in his doorway.

My eyes flew wide open and I shoved Jimmy's shoulder.

”That's it. I'm not talking to you anymore,” I muttered and stormed out of the room.

I couldn't believe Jimmy. First of all, he had taught Mason to say shit and shout after girls. And secondly, he didn't even think there was anything wrong with it.

I mean... Maybe I was overreacting but come on, Mase was only five. He wasn't supposed to be interested in teenage girls. He should've been playing with his friends and being a child instead of checking out girls.

Our doorbell rang about an hour later. I'd been staying up in our bedroom for that hour but finally got out of there when somebody rang the doorbell.

I walked to the front door and noticed that Jimmy had already opened the door for my mom.

”Hi, honey!” mom exclaimed with a smile when she saw me, ”I came to pick up the kids. I hope you have a nice night tonight!”

”Hopefully,” I mumbled as Mason ran past me to hug his grandma.

”Come on, Mase, give mommy a kiss,” I said.

Mason shook his head and stuck out his tongue.

”Fine. Where's our other baby?” I asked Jimmy.

”Already in your mom's car,” he told me and pointed at the car.

”You can't leave her alone there,” I muttered and started walking to the car.

”Are you having a bad day, honey?” mom shouted after me.

”A horrible one,” I muttered and opened the car door.

I looked at our baby who was asleep. I picked her up carefully and gave her a kiss before holding her for a moment. Then I put her back down and Mason got in the car, too.

”Be a good boy, Mase,” I said and ruffled his hair. He finally let me hug him and I even got to give him a kiss.

After they were gone, I finally realized that Mason wasn't a mommy's boy anymore. He wanted to be more with his dad and he really was growing up fast. I shed a few tears as I thought about it. Jimmy laughed when I told him about it and then I got angry at him again. I didn't talk to him until we left.

As it started to get later, I started to get myself ready for our night out. I put on make up, did my hair and dressed myself in a black, rather sexy dress. I felt stupid but at least I thought I looked pretty good.

I walked downstairs and found Jimmy on the front porch outside of the house, smoking a cigarette. He started grinning as he looked at me.

”You look really fucking sexy, Rach,” he told me. I only rolled my eyes, didn't say anything and waited for him to finish smoking so we could leave.

We finally got in his car and drove to Matt's place where everybody was already.

”Change of plans, guys,” Matt said to us, ”We're not going to the bar. We bought some booze and drinks and decided to drink here.”

”Sounds good,” Jimmy said as he followed me into the livingroom. I sat down on a couch next to Val who was smiling at me.

”Hey,” I said and sighed, ”How are you?”

”I'm fine,” she said and shrugged, ”Just can't wait to relax a bit and have some fun.”

”Me too, me too.”

A few hours later I was a bit annoyed by Jimmy. He had only had one beer because he was going to drive us back home so he thought that because I was drinking, he thought he had to make sure that I was okay every five minutes.

”Jimmy, stop following me everywhere! You're annoying me!” I exclaimed finally and turned around, glaring at my husband. I had walked into the empty kitchen and surprise surprise, Jimmy had been following me.

”Just leave me alone for a minute, okay?” I hissed and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the table.

”I think it's the best if you put that bottle away,” he told me as he grabbed the bottle from me.

”Stop telling me what to do!”

”Stop shouting,” he said.

”I'm tired of you always telling me what to do. I just want to be left alone for once!”

”Alright, I guess I'm taking you home now. You obviously can't control yourself anymore,” he muttered and grabbed my hand. He started pulling me towards the front door.

”Don't touch me!” I exclaimed and tried to yank my arm away from him.

”I get it why you're angry, okay? Mason is growing up and doesn't need you as much anymore. But fuck, Rachel, stop acting like a fucking child. You can't behave yourself, not even when we're at a friend's house. And stop saying that you want to be left alone because that's complete and utter bullshit. You like it when people are worried about you and taking care of you,” he told me.

He was glaring at me as I was glaring at him.

”I thought that we were going to have a fun night but apparently you have to ruin that, too,” he said and shook his head, ”So I'm taking you home, no matter what you say, and let you clear your head. Apparently it's not a good idea for you to drink.”

Jimmy forced me into the car and started driving back home.

I was beyond pissed and definitely didn't want to talk to him. He had embarrassed me in front of everybody and treated me like a child.