Purrycat Sims

So Timothy’s happily married and off enjoying his honeymoon. And what am I doing? Watching reruns of the Ridgeways and contemplating my future as a single mother instead of working on a web site for a client. This is ridiculous! There’s no way I’m ever going to become a Professional Party Guest this way. I haven’t gone anywhere or done anything since getting pregnant. It’s time to hire a nanny then head downtown to get an entirely new wardrobe, new makeup and a new hairdo. If I’m going to be a single mother I’m going to be the young, cool single mum dammit!

 

While I was waiting for the nanny (yeah sure, she’ll be right over – it’s already been 15 minutes!), I got an unexpected visitor – Dad. I hadn’t seen him since the wedding and even then I’d seen the nudging Aneleh had given him to get him to talk to me. The lure of his first grandchild was too much for him to stay mad at me forever though I guess.

 

He went absolutely goo-ga over Alex and actually got a little weepy. “He reminds me so much of you at that age,” he sniffled. Smelly yet cute I suppose.

 

Alex got tired again (I swear that’s all he does – eat, sleep and get smelly) so I put him down for a nap. That’s when I realised that I still had that photo of me and Timothy out. I’d got this silly idea when Alex was born that maybe he should have a photo of me and his Dad there to look at. I’m blaming the hormones.

 

I turned around in time to catch the weird look on Dad’s face as he stared at it.

“Uhh Katie, this photo of you and young Timothy is here because…?” Quick, think Katie!
“What photo?” Oh well done. Bravo.

Dad looked at me strangely and nodded at the photo I was trying to ignore. “This here photo, sweetheart. Looks like it was taken in one of those photo booths they got downtown.”

“Oh, that photo. Oh I just wanted Alex to have a photo of me beside his bed. You know, in case he uhh… forgets or something.” Real smooth, Katie. But wait, it gets worse! “And umm… that was the only good one I had of myself. Recently I mean. The only good one recently. I’ve got plenty of good single photos of me but they were all from college. Don’t you think I look good in that one?” I laughed brightly and tried my best to look like I didn’t have a thought in my head. Disturbingly it wasn’t hard. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dad wasn’t wondering if he’d accidentally dropped me on my head as a baby. Luckily the nanny finally decided to drop by and I got to change the topic.

 

Dad gave me a gentle hug as I said goodbye to him. “You just be letting me know if you or Alex need anything, Katie. I’ll admit that I was mighty disappointed in you, but no matter what you’re still my little girl. You call me if there’s anything I can do, you here me?”

“Thanks Dad but that’s okay. I know I’ve stuffed things up a little but Alex and I will muddle through somehow.”

He looked at me steadily. “Well I’m just going to give you some advice anyway.” He coughed and looked slightly embarrassed. “I’m glad you’re going out today. It’s not right you sitting here pining away with only that little baby boy for company.” I started to protest that I wasn’t pining but he held up a finger and shook his head sadly. “I might be an old man now but I’m an old Private Investigator and not as stupid as you seem to think I am. A little slower than I used to be perhaps but my brain’s still ticking along just fine, you know.”

Dad held me by the shoulders and shook me very gently. “He’s not the only man you’ll ever love, Katie girl. There’s somebody out there waiting to make you happy and I can tell you right now that you won’t find him by hiding away at home like you have been. Now then, you run along and have fun today, sweetie. I’ll see you again soon.” Then he kissed me goodbye and walked off. Great, now Dad knows. Maybe I should just put flyers up around the town and be done with it.

 

I did as I was told though and ran along to play, restocking my wardrobe and even buying some perfume. I can’t remember the last time I bought perfume!

 

I was feeling pretty good about myself by the time I went to the hair salon but something about the hair stylist there made me kind of uneasy. He reminded me of a hairdresser Timothy had once told me about.
“Ahh beautiful lady! We shall make you look like a queen, yes?”

 

Oh no! He was the one Timothy had told me about!

“Listen closely,” I warned the stylist trying my best to look intimidating in that awful makeup. “You have 5 seconds to start running before I do something permanent to you and your fake accent, got it?”
He was already running before I’d finished my sentence and another stylist rushed over to repair the damage.

 

The nanny had obviously made herself at home while I was out. I caught her dancing along to the Golden Oldies channel on the stereo.

 

The second she saw me she pretended that she’d just pulled a muscle bending down to pick up the paper but I know what I saw. I really hope I don’t look that silly when I get old.

 

Speaking of getting older there’s a little boy upstairs who had some candles that needed blowing out.

 

Well that was the plan anyway. We didn’t even make it to the kitchen before he suddenly grew up into a toddler. Kids are so impatient these days!

 

I fixed Alex’s hair for him and dressed him in the trendy little outfit I’d picked up for him on my shopping spree that morning. Then I looked him over in the mirror.

“Huh. Well, I don’t know where you got that red hair or that pointy nose, kiddo, but that’s okay by me. You couldn’t look less like Timothy’s kid if you tried! Well done, sweetie,” I congratulated him. “And as for me, I look pretty young and hot for Mum, don’t I? I could be straight out of college!” Alex made some noises that I’m assuming meant “Yup, you look great Mum!” and snuggled in a little. What a great little kid.

 

I tucked the little flatterer into bed, kissed him goodnight then looked at that photo once more. Tomorrow, I told myself. I’ll put it away tomorrow.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 23rd, 2006 at 4:10 pm and is filed under Lonely River. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.