Play Date
“Are we there yet?”
Cruising down her friend’s lengthy driveway, Melanie leaned to the side and blindly reached for her purse. Without taking her eyes off the road, she grabbed her phone and tapped on the screen.
“Almost sweetie,” she said calmly.
Holding the phone to her ear, Melanie quickly called her friend, hoping that she wasn’t lost. Huge piles of dirt were scattered all over the property. Acres and acres of land were being renovated, trees were cut down and large bags of mulch were all over the place. After driving slowly for another five minutes, Melanie eventually made it to her friend’s house.
“Wow…your place is gorgeous!” she gasped, holding the phone to her ear.
“Thanks! Sorry for the huge mess. I am getting some landscaping done. I will be right out!” her friend said before hanging up the phone.
After parking next to a Lexus, Melanie’s best friend exited the front part of the house and made her way down the steps. William peeked over his mother’s shoulders and saw his best friend, Jason, playing with some trucks and cars in the living room.
Opening the car door, Melanie hopped out and greeted her friend with a warm welcoming hug.
“Amber, seriously…thank you for watching him for me,” Melanie smiled. “After the week I had, it really helps to have a day to myself.”
“It’s no problem!” Amber responded, curling her hair behind her ears. “Every parent needs a break. I would have offered sooner but I was preoccupied with my newborn.”
“Oh, how is he?!” Melanie smiled.
“He’s adorable,” Amber grinned, grabbing her phone and showing off a photo of her baby. “Jason has been a wonderful big brother. I got the nursery room finished last week and it looks incredible.”
“Amber, your whole house looks incredible.”
“Thanks!” she blushed. “I am just fortunate to have landed a lucrative job where I can work from home and spend more time with my kids. Come on, let me show you around.”
After getting William out of his car seat, Melanie and her son walked into the large home. Everything was perfect. The rooms were spacious, the furniture was in pristine condition…even the walls and floors looked brand new.
Amber had recently purchased this plot of land and built a large home right in the middle of it. While it was only ten minutes away from Allentown, Amber’s property was the perfect place to live in privacy.
As Amber gave her friend the tour, both women eventually stopped in the kitchen and watched their 4-year-old sons running around in the backyard. Gazing at them through the window, Amber and Melanie smiled as their boys were having the time of their lives.
“Remember when we were that young?” Amber said, folding her arms across her chest.
“You mean when we had no responsibilities and got to have fun any time we wanted?” Melanie laughed.
“Yeah…but at least you get to have today off,” Amber continued.
“Yeah. Thank you again,” Melanie said, smiling at her friend. “Even though I will be running errands, paying bills, and doing some housework, I at least don’t have to worry about my son for a few hours. It gives me time to catch up on everything.”
“Anything with the husband?” Amber playfully winked. “I’m sure you two would love to spend some quality time together…if you catch my drift.
Looking down at her wedding ring, Melanie closed her eyes and sighed. Seeing her best friend slouch her shoulders, Amber could sense something was wrong.
Melanie and her husband’s relationship wasn’t exactly the best. They first met six years ago and got married a few months later. They were the quintessential example of a young couple that moved too quickly in their relationship. The sparks that Melanie once felt for her husband had long faded away and a single tear began trickling down her face.
“No…he’s at work. Like always,” Melanie sighed with resentment. “I hate to say it, but I don’t think things would ever change.”
“I’m sorry,” Amber consoled. “Tell you what, next week, you can drop William off here and have a personal day to yourself. No work. Just whatever Melanie wants to do.”
“Oh, I can’t ask for that!” she blushed, wiping the tears off of her face. “You are already nice enough to look after William today. Plus, you’re the one with the newborn. I should be the one offering to look after your son.”
“It’s nothing, really…” Amber playfully shrugged. “Our sons will be so preoccupied with their little trucks and cars, it won’t be much of a hassle. If anything, I’ll just pop on some Bluey and make extra snacks for them. My son loves that show.”
“What about your newborn?” Melanie inquired. “I’m sure he’s a handful.”
“Melanie…you worry too much,” Amber chuckled. “He’s asleep most of the time. If he isn’t, then he’s usually watching Ms. Rachel. God, I love that woman. I swear…I think I owe her hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support.” she teased.
Laughing with her friend, Melaine glanced out the window once more and watched her son play. While her mind slowly drifted off, the small cry of a newborn was soon heard from another room.
“Looks like someone’s finally awake,” Amber said, warming up a bottle of milk. “Go on and enjoy yourself. You can swing by later tonight to pick William back up.”
Adjusting the purse strap over her shoulders, Melanie hugged her friend one more time and then thanked her before leaving.
