“You did what?”
The water was boiling. So, I added the spaghetti noodles to it before turning to answer him. “I think you heard me. I told her I’d help.”
Pablo shook his head at me. His face was turning pink, indicating he was more upset than I’d expected he’d be. “Felicia, what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that it would be nice if she forgave the debt. She said she’d be willing to forgive his debt if I could stop them from tearing down her trees.”
His clenched fists spoke to me louder than the words that came out. “But the she is Pearl Tarkey.” It had been a long time since I’d seen him that angry.
“Pablo…” I turned back to dinner, stirring the pasta. I couldn’t think of anything to say that would make him feel better.
He stepped over and sat down at the breakfast bar. I glanced at him, watching his face slowly turn back to its normal peachy color. “I don’t like this.”
Before I could respond, Bark Vader ran into the kitchen. He crashed into the breakfast bar after tripping on his ears. I started laughing at the poor dog. “Are you okay?”
Pablo shook his head, getting up to check on his dog. “He's okay.” He scratched behind his ears. “Aren’t you?”
I was grateful for Bark Vader’s arrival. He broke the tension. So, I turned to focus on dinner. “It’s Rafe’s turn to feed the dogs.”
“I'll remind him.” Pablo stepped out of the kitchen.
Once he was gone, I tried to hurry up dinner.
A few minutes later, Rafe entered the kitchen to feed the dogs. “Are you and dad done fighting?”
“We’re not fighting.”
He came over and hugged me. “Mom, we could hear you.”
I shook my head, angry at Pablo and myself. I should’ve realized the kids could hear us. “He’s doesn’t like a decision I made. That’s all.”
“What kind of decision?” Rafe pulled away from me and started filling the dogs’ food bowls.
I had to think about an answer. He didn’t know that Chef had been missing. And I had been able to find him, so Rafe didn’t need to know about Chef’s poor choices. “Well, someone helped a friend of mine. And now I’m trying to help the person who helped my friend.”
“And dad doesn’t want you helping that person?”
That was the truth, but it made his father sound like the bad guy. I understood Pablo’s feelings, but I thought it was the right thing to do. “It's complicated, but yes.”
“Why?”
“Well…” I tried to think of a good response as I stirred the spaghetti. How should I explain Pearl Tarkey to my son? “The person has done some not nice things in the past. So, your dad…”
“But I’ve done some not nice things to Etta and he’s forgiven me. At least, he says he has.”
I pulled a piece of spaghetti out of the pot to taste it. Satisfied it was done, I turned the stove off and drained the spaghetti. “Family is different. You always love them, even when they do things that upset you.”
“So if I wasn’t family and I did some of those things to Etta…”
I interrupted him. “What if you saw someone else do it to your sister?”
“I’d beat the person up. Nobody messes with my sister but me.”
I heard giggling as Etta entered the kitchen. “I knew you loved me.”
He turned to his sister, shaking his head. “I didn’t say that.”
“But it’s what you meant.” She smiled. “Dad said dinner was almost ready. What are we having?”
“Spaghetti with sauce.”
She made a face. “Meat sauce?”
I shook my head at my vegetarian child. “Meatless sauce.”
Etta smiled again, taking a seat at the table. “I’m hungry.”
“For a meatless meal?” Rafe shook his head. “I’m not.”
I groaned. It was aggravating to only be able to make one child happy at a time. “Etta, would you set the table?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“Of course it would.”
“Rafe…”
“Please tell me we can at least have ice cream later.”
An hour later, the table was cleared and the dishwasher was running. I stood inside, watching Etta play in the yard with Bark Vader and Patch. She knew I was watching her, but pretended I wasn’t there.
Pablo entered the kitchen. He said nothing as he opened the freezer and pulled out the ice cream. “I see you picked up more of that cotton candy ice cream.”
I turned around to face him. “I can’t help myself. It’s a guilty pleasure. And also probably why my waistline isn’t back down to my pre-pregnancy size after seven years.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
“Really?”
He scooped the cotton candy ice cream into two small bowls. Handing one to me first, he sat down at the breakfast bar.
“Are you still mad at me?”
He took a bite of his ice cream. “Yes. I think we should have some angry sex before…”
I shook my head at him as I crossed the room to the breakfast bar. “Angry sex?”
“As I recall, it was always good.” He smiled taking another bite of his ice cream.
“As I recall, I moved back to Los Angeles and called off the wedding.”
Pablo nodded. “And then I came down to see you and we had that makeup sex. I still think that’s when you got pregnant with Rafe.”
I sat down next to him. “I do believe our two biggest fights resulted in our two children. Either the angry sex or the makeup sex. I can’t say with absolute certainty…”
“If I had to guess, it was the makeup sex for Rafe and the angry sex for Etta.”
“What makes you guess that?”
“Just a feeling.”
“Well, we probably should change the subject before one of them walks in.”
He agreed, returning to the subject of our latest fight. “Why did you agree to help her?”
I took a deep breath and let it out before trying to answer him. “I don’t know. It just felt natural to say yes. I was trying to help Chef.”
“Someone else who I’m not sure deserves your help right now.”
“Pablo, he made a few mistakes. We’ve all done that.” It was easier to make it sound like I forgave him than to actually forgive him.
“Felicia, his mistakes put you in danger.”
That was only partially true. It was my decision to look for him that put me in danger. But I wasn’t about to correct my husband. Doing that would only bring the fight back.
“If anything happened to you…”
I realized where his anger was truly coming from. He was thinking of his parents. “Pablo, I feel the same way. This next week is the fifteenth anniversary of my parents’ accident. You are my family. I can’t do this alone.”
He slipped his arm around me. “I was an only child. I was alone most of my life.”
I elbowed him. “You had friends.”
“It’s not the same.”
He was right. Friends were not the same as siblings, even if some were the sister or brother you never had. I had a brother, so I was never alone. But over the years, I’d had many friends who were the sisters I never had.
He turned to me. “Felicia…”
I started laughing when I saw the ice cream had turned his lips and tongue purple. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you think your lips and tongue aren’t also purple?” He laughed at me.
I lifted my hand to hide my face. “I’m sure they are.”
Our laughter brought Rafe back to the kitchen. “You’re having dessert without us?” He shook his head. “Oh, you have that cotton candy ice cream again?”
“I think there’s a little left.”
He shook his head. “No thanks. That’s too sweet for me.”
I shook my head, wondering how he could be my son. “There’s vanilla ice cream, too.”
“Can I scoop it out?”
Imagining a bowl overflowing with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, I shook my head and got up to do it for him. I put together a bowl for his sister, too. As Rafe sat down at the breakfast bar with his ice cream, I knocked on the sliding door.
Etta looked up from the dogs and nodded, bringing them inside with her. “Is it time for dessert?”
“If you want it. I put a bowl together for you. Wash your hands first.”
She nodded and washed them in the kitchen sink. “I see you and dad finished off the cotton candy ice cream.” She pouted. “That’s my favorite.”
“There might be a little left.”
“That’s okay.” She sat down at the breakfast bar to eat her ice cream. “I like vanilla with chocolate sauce, too.”
Rafe shook his head at his sister. “That’s stuff’s too sweet.”
“Like me.” She giggled, digging into her bowl.
He rolled his eyes at his sister before turning to me. “Were you able to get that dog ice cream I was telling you about?”
I had forgotten he had told me about it. “Not yet. I’ll try again next time I go to the store.”
With it being Friday night, it was harder to get everyone to bed at a decent hour. Etta went to bed first, only a half hour later than her usual time. She wanted to stay up and finish her homework. As I kissed her good night, I was reminded she was the “good child.” But I didn’t know who she got her study habits from. It wasn’t me.
Rafe stayed up to watch Big Hero 6 for what had to be the hundredth time. I tried to kiss him good night, but he insisted he was too old for that. After he was finally asleep, I went back in and did it anyway.
It was almost midnight when I climbed into bed. Pablo turned out the light on his nightstand. “So, is it angry sex or makeup sex?”
I turned on the light on my nightstand. “How about no sex until I figure out who is trying to tear down Pearl Tarkey’s trees and stop them?”
He turned his light back on. “What? I thought I had talked you out of doing that.”
Solvang 2
Part 1
gagengirl entertainment
“You did what?”
The water was boiling. So, I added the spaghetti noodles to it before turning to answer him. “I think you heard me. I told her I’d help.”
Pablo shook his head at me. His face was turning pink, indicating he was more upset than I’d expected he’d be. “Felicia, what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that it would be nice if she forgave the debt. She said she’d be willing to forgive his debt if I could stop them from tearing down her trees.”
His clenched fists spoke to me louder than the words that came out. “But the she is Pearl Tarkey.” It had been a long time since I’d seen him that angry.
“Pablo…” I turned back to dinner, stirring the pasta. I couldn’t think of anything to say that would make him feel better.
He stepped over and sat down at the breakfast bar. I glanced at him, watching his face slowly turn back to its normal peachy color. “I don’t like this.”
Before I could respond, Bark Vader ran into the kitchen. He crashed into the breakfast bar after tripping on his ears. I started laughing at the poor dog. “Are you okay?”
Pablo shook his head, getting up to check on his dog. “He's okay.” He scratched behind his ears. “Aren’t you?”
I was grateful for Bark Vader’s arrival. He broke the tension. So, I turned to focus on dinner. “It’s Rafe’s turn to feed the dogs.”
“I'll remind him.” Pablo stepped out of the kitchen.
Once he was gone, I tried to hurry up dinner.
A few minutes later, Rafe entered the kitchen to feed the dogs. “Are you and dad done fighting?”
“We’re not fighting.”
He came over and hugged me. “Mom, we could hear you.”
I shook my head, angry at Pablo and myself. I should’ve realized the kids could hear us. “He’s doesn’t like a decision I made. That’s all.”
“What kind of decision?” Rafe pulled away from me and started filling the dogs’ food bowls.
I had to think about an answer. He didn’t know that Chef had been missing. And I had been able to find him, so Rafe didn’t need to know about Chef’s poor choices. “Well, someone helped a friend of mine. And now I’m trying to help the person who helped my friend.”
“And dad doesn’t want you helping that person?”
That was the truth, but it made his father sound like the bad guy. I understood Pablo’s feelings, but I thought it was the right thing to do. “It's complicated, but yes.”
“Why?”
“Well…” I tried to think of a good response as I stirred the spaghetti. How should I explain Pearl Tarkey to my son? “The person has done some not nice things in the past. So, your dad…”
“But I’ve done some not nice things to Etta and he’s forgiven me. At least, he says he has.”
I pulled a piece of spaghetti out of the pot to taste it. Satisfied it was done, I turned the stove off and drained the spaghetti. “Family is different. You always love them, even when they do things that upset you.”
“So if I wasn’t family and I did some of those things to Etta…”
I interrupted him. “What if you saw someone else do it to your sister?”
“I’d beat the person up. Nobody messes with my sister but me.”
I heard giggling as Etta entered the kitchen. “I knew you loved me.”
He turned to his sister, shaking his head. “I didn’t say that.”
“But it’s what you meant.” She smiled. “Dad said dinner was almost ready. What are we having?”
“Spaghetti with sauce.”
She made a face. “Meat sauce?”
I shook my head at my vegetarian child. “Meatless sauce.”
Etta smiled again, taking a seat at the table. “I’m hungry.”
“For a meatless meal?” Rafe shook his head. “I’m not.”
I groaned. It was aggravating to only be able to make one child happy at a time. “Etta, would you set the table?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“Of course it would.”
“Rafe…”
“Please tell me we can at least have ice cream later.”
An hour later, the table was cleared and the dishwasher was running. I stood inside, watching Etta play in the yard with Bark Vader and Patch. She knew I was watching her, but pretended I wasn’t there.
Pablo entered the kitchen. He said nothing as he opened the freezer and pulled out the ice cream. “I see you picked up more of that cotton candy ice cream.”
I turned around to face him. “I can’t help myself. It’s a guilty pleasure. And also probably why my waistline isn’t back down to my pre-pregnancy size after seven years.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
“Really?”
He scooped the cotton candy ice cream into two small bowls. Handing one to me first, he sat down at the breakfast bar.
“Are you still mad at me?”
He took a bite of his ice cream. “Yes. I think we should have some angry sex before…”
I shook my head at him as I crossed the room to the breakfast bar. “Angry sex?”
“As I recall, it was always good.” He smiled taking another bite of his ice cream.
“As I recall, I moved back to Los Angeles and called off the wedding.”
Pablo nodded. “And then I came down to see you and we had that makeup sex. I still think that’s when you got pregnant with Rafe.”
I sat down next to him. “I do believe our two biggest fights resulted in our two children. Either the angry sex or the makeup sex. I can’t say with absolute certainty…”
“If I had to guess, it was the makeup sex for Rafe and the angry sex for Etta.”
“What makes you guess that?”
“Just a feeling.”
“Well, we probably should change the subject before one of them walks in.”
He agreed, returning to the subject of our latest fight. “Why did you agree to help her?”
I took a deep breath and let it out before trying to answer him. “I don’t know. It just felt natural to say yes. I was trying to help Chef.”
“Someone else who I’m not sure deserves your help right now.”
“Pablo, he made a few mistakes. We’ve all done that.” It was easier to make it sound like I forgave him than to actually forgive him.
“Felicia, his mistakes put you in danger.”
That was only partially true. It was my decision to look for him that put me in danger. But I wasn’t about to correct my husband. Doing that would only bring the fight back.
“If anything happened to you…”
I realized where his anger was truly coming from. He was thinking of his parents. “Pablo, I feel the same way. This next week is the fifteenth anniversary of my parents’ accident. You are my family. I can’t do this alone.”
He slipped his arm around me. “I was an only child. I was alone most of my life.”
I elbowed him. “You had friends.”
“It’s not the same.”
He was right. Friends were not the same as siblings, even if some were the sister or brother you never had. I had a brother, so I was never alone. But over the years, I’d had many friends who were the sisters I never had.
He turned to me. “Felicia…”
I started laughing when I saw the ice cream had turned his lips and tongue purple. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you think your lips and tongue aren’t also purple?” He laughed at me.
I lifted my hand to hide my face. “I’m sure they are.”
Our laughter brought Rafe back to the kitchen. “You’re having dessert without us?” He shook his head. “Oh, you have that cotton candy ice cream again?”
“I think there’s a little left.”
He shook his head. “No thanks. That’s too sweet for me.”
I shook my head, wondering how he could be my son. “There’s vanilla ice cream, too.”
“Can I scoop it out?”
Imagining a bowl overflowing with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, I shook my head and got up to do it for him. I put together a bowl for his sister, too. As Rafe sat down at the breakfast bar with his ice cream, I knocked on the sliding door.
Etta looked up from the dogs and nodded, bringing them inside with her. “Is it time for dessert?”
“If you want it. I put a bowl together for you. Wash your hands first.”
She nodded and washed them in the kitchen sink. “I see you and dad finished off the cotton candy ice cream.” She pouted. “That’s my favorite.”
“There might be a little left.”
“That’s okay.” She sat down at the breakfast bar to eat her ice cream. “I like vanilla with chocolate sauce, too.”
Rafe shook his head at his sister. “That’s stuff’s too sweet.”
“Like me.” She giggled, digging into her bowl.
He rolled his eyes at his sister before turning to me. “Were you able to get that dog ice cream I was telling you about?”
I had forgotten he had told me about it. “Not yet. I’ll try again next time I go to the store.”
With it being Friday night, it was harder to get everyone to bed at a decent hour. Etta went to bed first, only a half hour later than her usual time. She wanted to stay up and finish her homework. As I kissed her good night, I was reminded she was the “good child.” But I didn’t know who she got her study habits from. It wasn’t me.
Rafe stayed up to watch Big Hero 6 for what had to be the hundredth time. I tried to kiss him good night, but he insisted he was too old for that. After he was finally asleep, I went back in and did it anyway.
It was almost midnight when I climbed into bed. Pablo turned out the light on his nightstand. “So, is it angry sex or makeup sex?”
I turned on the light on my nightstand. “How about no sex until I figure out who is trying to tear down Pearl Tarkey’s trees and stop them?”
He turned his light back on. “What? I thought I had talked you out of doing that.”
Solvang 2
Part 1
gagengirl entertainment