Still Loving You
Everybody's Changing
So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same
~ Keane
_____________________________
Caroline's day didn't start out very well.
After a staff meeting earlier in the week, her boss had asked her to come in to work on that Saturday despite her having asked if she could take that day off to spend it with Jamie. Since it was her boss, Caroline hadn't been able to say no and she'd been forced to call a babysitter since neither Vero nor any other of the 'long time' WAGs were available.
Jamie had been disappointed over the change of plans of course, but had taken in in stride and didn't bother his mother about it since her dislike over their situation was quite obvious as well.
And then, when Caroline woke up that Saturday, it was because the babysitter called in sick. Which was why Caroline currently was searching through the yellow pages, brushing her hair and on her way to wake Jamie up, all at the same time. And getting a five year old out of bed wasn't easy even on the best of days.
Once Jamie was on the couch watching cartoons in his pajamas and Caroline was getting ready in the close by bathroom, Vero called to check in.
"Have you found a replacement sitter yet?"
"No, and I'm about to give up. No one is going to be able to get here in about an hour, someone who isn't shady at least," Caroline sighed and held the phone in her right hand to be able to apply mascara to her eyelashes. "Do you know if Carole-Lyne or Michelle knows anyone I could call?"
Vero didn't answer and instead said: "I know someone."
"What?! Why didn't you tell me that the first time I called? You could have saved me a lot of stress and given Jamie more time to sleep without having me to wake him up."
"Care-"
"Well, who is it?"
"Caroline, call Sidney." When said woman stayed quiet, Vero continued. "He should be the first one you call in situations like these. You should have called him even before you called a babysitter."
Sighing, Caroline sat down on the edge of the tub. While she knew that Vero was right, she had no wish to actually call her ex. It was a mix between having been through it before and not wanting it to happen again, and already having 'foreseen' the outcome, that being Sidney somehow not being able to help out.
"Yeah, I know."
"Then why haven't you?" Vero asked. "You're always going on about how they don't spend enough time together, and then you don't even call Sid when they have the chance. I'm not judging, you know that... I'm just trying to understand."
"But you don't, Vero. If I would have called Sidney first instead of the sitter, he would have jumped at the opportunity, I know he would have. But then, just a day or two beforehand, he would have called to say that he wouldn't be able to make it after all, and I would have to tell Jamie that. And I would be the one to see that sad, disappointed look on his face when he once again gets let down by his father."
There was a pause on the other side of the line before Vero said: "You seem so sure of that."
"That's because it wouldn't be the first time."
Both women stayed quiet, not knowing what to say or simply having nothing to word. Due to that silence, Caroline was able to hear the light patter of bare feet and then Jamie's brown bed-head peeked around the doorjamb.
"Mom? Could you make some breakfast soon? I'm getting hungry," he whispered as he saw Caroline holding the phone to her ear.
Smiling, she nodded while turning back to the phone. "I have to go now, I'll talk to you later. Bye."
"...Sure, bye," came Vero's hesitant response, and Caroline hung up while standing from her seat. She matched Jamie's smile when she came closer and reached out to ruffle his hair.
"Sorry about that, baby. Do you know what you want for breakfast?"
"Can you make some pancakes?" He asked, almost jumping up and down while looking up at his mother.
"Sure," Caroline smiled. "Let me guess... Strawberry pancakes?"
"Mhm," Jamie nodded happily and hurried ahead into the living room and back to his cartoons. While Caroline whipped up and fried the pancakes, she thought about what Vero said. She was of course right, like always, and all Caroline needed to do next was to 'man up' and get around to call Sidney before he was too busy to even take the call.
Once Jamie was sitting at the counter, happily munching away on his pancakes, Caroline walked out on the backyard to make the much needed call. Just like the house, the yard wasn't very big or anything to really talk about. A simple wooden fence ran around the perimeter to separate their yard from the neighbors'. To the left was a swing set and straight across from the house, almost against the fence, was a hockey goal that had been a gift for Jamie's fifth birthday.
Sitting down at one of the lawn chairs, Caroline held the phone in her hands, pushing up the phone call she was about to make. She didn't necessarily need to like it, but it was something she knew she needed to do, and before she would be late for work. Letting out one last sigh, Caroline dialed the number she still knew by heart.
"Hello?"
"Hi, it's Caroline. Before you start tearing in to me for last time, I need to ask you if you would be able to spend the day with Jamie?"
The line was quiet for a few seconds as Sid was thrown for a loop. "Uh, yeah. That'd be great. But why are you even asking when you don't seem to care about that after all?"
"You're going to question this? Really?" Caroline rolled her eyes and stood up, checking in on Jamie through the window. "Is it impossible for you to just accept the opportunity when it's presented without making comments like that?"
"Fine. When do you want me to come around?"
"Within an hour at least, otherwise I'll be late for work."
The two said their good byes and Caroline returned inside. Jamie had finished his breakfast and was back in front of the TV, completely absorbed by the flickering images and protested when Caroline reached for the remote and shut it off.
"What'd you do that for?"
"Don't take that tone with me, Jamie," she warned. "I need to talk to you. Your babysitter called this morning and told me that she's sick, so she wont be able to come by. But since I still have to go to work, you will spend the day with your dad instead."
Jamie's face lit up and he forgot all about the TV. "Really!?"
"Yeah, really," Caroline smiled and smoothed down his hair a bit. "He'll be here in less than an hour, so before you watch any more TV I need you to brush your teeth, get dressed and pack anything you want to bring with you so that you're ready when your dad gets here. Okay?"
Nodding quickly, Jamie jumped off of the couch and ran down the hall toward the bathroom and bedrooms. Caroline leaned back on the couch, going to rub her face with her hands when she remembered the make-up she was wearing and dropped her hands back to her sides.
"You better make the best of this, Sidney, or I swear to God..."
_____________________
Jamie was ready within only five minutes and after that he wasn't even patient enough to sit in one spot longer than twenty seconds before he was back by the front door, looking out the window. And it was there he was when Sid finally arrived.
"Okay, sweetie. Let's go," Caroline grabbed her purse and keys and herded Jamie through the door, locking it behind them. When Sid stepped out of the car, Jamie was already halfway down the driveway.
"Hi, dad!" He exclaimed and wrapped his arms around his father's waist upon reaching him.
"Hey, bud. How're you doing?"
Caroline smiled as she saw them. Moments like these were rarer than any of them would have liked, but all three enjoyed them once they came along. Jamie was happily babbling away when she walked up to them, keys at the ready in one hand.
"I'll be home at around four-thirty if you want to either drop Jamie off or pick up some things for him to spend the night," she said.
"Okay, we'll keep that in mind," Sidney answered with a nod of his head and a hand on Jamie's shoulder. Both adults stayed quiet until Caroline bent down to Jamie's level and gave him a kiss on the head.
"Alright, honey. You be nice with your dad now, and remember to have fun. Okay?"
The way Jamie nodded made his hair flap slightly. "Okay, mom."
After giving him a last kiss, Caroline straightened and walked over to the car, saying good bye and waving before getting in the driver's seat and leaving the driveway.
Once the car was out of sight, Sid looked down at Jamie. "You wanna go skating with me and a few of the guys at Consol?"
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same
~ Keane
_____________________________
Caroline's day didn't start out very well.
After a staff meeting earlier in the week, her boss had asked her to come in to work on that Saturday despite her having asked if she could take that day off to spend it with Jamie. Since it was her boss, Caroline hadn't been able to say no and she'd been forced to call a babysitter since neither Vero nor any other of the 'long time' WAGs were available.
Jamie had been disappointed over the change of plans of course, but had taken in in stride and didn't bother his mother about it since her dislike over their situation was quite obvious as well.
And then, when Caroline woke up that Saturday, it was because the babysitter called in sick. Which was why Caroline currently was searching through the yellow pages, brushing her hair and on her way to wake Jamie up, all at the same time. And getting a five year old out of bed wasn't easy even on the best of days.
Once Jamie was on the couch watching cartoons in his pajamas and Caroline was getting ready in the close by bathroom, Vero called to check in.
"Have you found a replacement sitter yet?"
"No, and I'm about to give up. No one is going to be able to get here in about an hour, someone who isn't shady at least," Caroline sighed and held the phone in her right hand to be able to apply mascara to her eyelashes. "Do you know if Carole-Lyne or Michelle knows anyone I could call?"
Vero didn't answer and instead said: "I know someone."
"What?! Why didn't you tell me that the first time I called? You could have saved me a lot of stress and given Jamie more time to sleep without having me to wake him up."
"Care-"
"Well, who is it?"
"Caroline, call Sidney." When said woman stayed quiet, Vero continued. "He should be the first one you call in situations like these. You should have called him even before you called a babysitter."
Sighing, Caroline sat down on the edge of the tub. While she knew that Vero was right, she had no wish to actually call her ex. It was a mix between having been through it before and not wanting it to happen again, and already having 'foreseen' the outcome, that being Sidney somehow not being able to help out.
"Yeah, I know."
"Then why haven't you?" Vero asked. "You're always going on about how they don't spend enough time together, and then you don't even call Sid when they have the chance. I'm not judging, you know that... I'm just trying to understand."
"But you don't, Vero. If I would have called Sidney first instead of the sitter, he would have jumped at the opportunity, I know he would have. But then, just a day or two beforehand, he would have called to say that he wouldn't be able to make it after all, and I would have to tell Jamie that. And I would be the one to see that sad, disappointed look on his face when he once again gets let down by his father."
There was a pause on the other side of the line before Vero said: "You seem so sure of that."
"That's because it wouldn't be the first time."
Both women stayed quiet, not knowing what to say or simply having nothing to word. Due to that silence, Caroline was able to hear the light patter of bare feet and then Jamie's brown bed-head peeked around the doorjamb.
"Mom? Could you make some breakfast soon? I'm getting hungry," he whispered as he saw Caroline holding the phone to her ear.
Smiling, she nodded while turning back to the phone. "I have to go now, I'll talk to you later. Bye."
"...Sure, bye," came Vero's hesitant response, and Caroline hung up while standing from her seat. She matched Jamie's smile when she came closer and reached out to ruffle his hair.
"Sorry about that, baby. Do you know what you want for breakfast?"
"Can you make some pancakes?" He asked, almost jumping up and down while looking up at his mother.
"Sure," Caroline smiled. "Let me guess... Strawberry pancakes?"
"Mhm," Jamie nodded happily and hurried ahead into the living room and back to his cartoons. While Caroline whipped up and fried the pancakes, she thought about what Vero said. She was of course right, like always, and all Caroline needed to do next was to 'man up' and get around to call Sidney before he was too busy to even take the call.
Once Jamie was sitting at the counter, happily munching away on his pancakes, Caroline walked out on the backyard to make the much needed call. Just like the house, the yard wasn't very big or anything to really talk about. A simple wooden fence ran around the perimeter to separate their yard from the neighbors'. To the left was a swing set and straight across from the house, almost against the fence, was a hockey goal that had been a gift for Jamie's fifth birthday.
Sitting down at one of the lawn chairs, Caroline held the phone in her hands, pushing up the phone call she was about to make. She didn't necessarily need to like it, but it was something she knew she needed to do, and before she would be late for work. Letting out one last sigh, Caroline dialed the number she still knew by heart.
"Hello?"
"Hi, it's Caroline. Before you start tearing in to me for last time, I need to ask you if you would be able to spend the day with Jamie?"
The line was quiet for a few seconds as Sid was thrown for a loop. "Uh, yeah. That'd be great. But why are you even asking when you don't seem to care about that after all?"
"You're going to question this? Really?" Caroline rolled her eyes and stood up, checking in on Jamie through the window. "Is it impossible for you to just accept the opportunity when it's presented without making comments like that?"
"Fine. When do you want me to come around?"
"Within an hour at least, otherwise I'll be late for work."
The two said their good byes and Caroline returned inside. Jamie had finished his breakfast and was back in front of the TV, completely absorbed by the flickering images and protested when Caroline reached for the remote and shut it off.
"What'd you do that for?"
"Don't take that tone with me, Jamie," she warned. "I need to talk to you. Your babysitter called this morning and told me that she's sick, so she wont be able to come by. But since I still have to go to work, you will spend the day with your dad instead."
Jamie's face lit up and he forgot all about the TV. "Really!?"
"Yeah, really," Caroline smiled and smoothed down his hair a bit. "He'll be here in less than an hour, so before you watch any more TV I need you to brush your teeth, get dressed and pack anything you want to bring with you so that you're ready when your dad gets here. Okay?"
Nodding quickly, Jamie jumped off of the couch and ran down the hall toward the bathroom and bedrooms. Caroline leaned back on the couch, going to rub her face with her hands when she remembered the make-up she was wearing and dropped her hands back to her sides.
"You better make the best of this, Sidney, or I swear to God..."
_____________________
Jamie was ready within only five minutes and after that he wasn't even patient enough to sit in one spot longer than twenty seconds before he was back by the front door, looking out the window. And it was there he was when Sid finally arrived.
"Okay, sweetie. Let's go," Caroline grabbed her purse and keys and herded Jamie through the door, locking it behind them. When Sid stepped out of the car, Jamie was already halfway down the driveway.
"Hi, dad!" He exclaimed and wrapped his arms around his father's waist upon reaching him.
"Hey, bud. How're you doing?"
Caroline smiled as she saw them. Moments like these were rarer than any of them would have liked, but all three enjoyed them once they came along. Jamie was happily babbling away when she walked up to them, keys at the ready in one hand.
"I'll be home at around four-thirty if you want to either drop Jamie off or pick up some things for him to spend the night," she said.
"Okay, we'll keep that in mind," Sidney answered with a nod of his head and a hand on Jamie's shoulder. Both adults stayed quiet until Caroline bent down to Jamie's level and gave him a kiss on the head.
"Alright, honey. You be nice with your dad now, and remember to have fun. Okay?"
The way Jamie nodded made his hair flap slightly. "Okay, mom."
After giving him a last kiss, Caroline straightened and walked over to the car, saying good bye and waving before getting in the driver's seat and leaving the driveway.
Once the car was out of sight, Sid looked down at Jamie. "You wanna go skating with me and a few of the guys at Consol?"
♠ ♠ ♠
Caroline