Page 121 of The Champion
“What would you like to do today sweetie?” I asked her asshe climbed down from my lap at the breakfast island to steal her Barbie fromCasten who was using it as a chew toy.
Axel laughed at him. “He’s like a dog.”
I laughed as Sway picked him up. “Come here you littlepuppy.”
Casten loved Sway, thought she was the greatest thingever. He was still breastfeeding at eight-months old and Sway did not like thisby the way. She was never a fan of breastfeeding to begin with but we both knewit was better for them so she did it anyway.
“We can do anything you want today.” Sway told Arie.
Arie always looked to Axel for advice and now was nodifferent.
After what appeared to be an intense conversation withArie, they turned back to us.
“Can we go to the zoo?” Axel asked.
“I need to discuss this with your dad.” Sway saidteasingly as she pulled me aside. “We can go to the zoo, if they want.” Shewhispered. “Just make sure they don’t talk me into anything. The last thing weneed to do is come home with a pet cougar or something.”
I rolled my eyes. “Very funny,”
“I thought it was.”
Crush Panels – Sway
“Arie honey, will you please tell your brother that if hesucceeds in catching that fish, I’m taking the fish home and leaving him here.”
“Okay,” she said before running over to say something toAxel. I saw him turn toward me and smile sheepishly.
Jameson came walking up right about then after staring atthe tank of sharks for the last ten minutes, paying no mind to the fact thathis soon to be five-year old son was trying to catch one. “This is retarded.I’ve always hated the zoo.”
I replied with, “Why, because you belong in one?”
His only answer was to arch his eyebrow at me as hisphone rang for the hundredth time this morning. The entire hour and half driveto Asheboro was spent with him on the phone talking with Marcus and his dadabout their plans for the rest of the season. I felt bad for him and for thefirst time in his career he would finish outside the top ten in points. For aman like Jameson, that was a hard pill to swallow.
“Let’s go get me a pet.” Axel said with bright eyespushing Casten in his stroller.
I ruffled his hair and smiled. “Nice try kid, but no.”
I had to let him down easy but I hated to tell him that Iwas not buying a pet. I was lucky that I was able to keep three kids alive aslong as I had. There was no way I could take care of a pet too. I needed tostand my ground on this one.
Most of the day Arie wanted to watch the lions andcougars. Jameson did not, for obvious reasons, and took the boys to see moremanly animal who he said were the apes. How they were more manly was beyond mebut I had a feeling it was only because the apes hadn’t tried to eat him yet.
We were walking toward them when Arie looked up at me.“Mama?” she asked.
“Yes...” I knelt downto her level.
“Daddy mad?”
Arie was very perceptive to Jameson’s mood swings andsensed his attitude this morning. “No sweetheart. Daddy is just a littlestressed out from the race last night.”
She seemed to consider this for a moment before asking. “Heneed ice cream!”
“You know...” Ipicked her up. “I think that isexactlywhat daddy needs.”
I hated to think our kids ever thought their dad’stemperamental personality had anything to do with them but it wasn’t somethingI could change. Jameson needed to. There were times when his temper got thebest of him but he always guarded it around the kids. That’s not to say hedidn’t freak out at times but usually he reserved himself in their presence.
While the kids ate their ice cream, Jameson was once againon his cell phone with Jimi. Axel watched him carefully, the concern present inhis features. He worried about Jameson all the time and constantly tried tomake him proud.
Slightly irritated that this day was supposed to be forArie and Jameson had spent the majority of the day on the phone, I sent him atext knowing he’d read it.
