Pulling up to a small two-bedroom house, Simon leaned over the steering wheel before he glared in Cherish’s direction. Sucking her cheeks in, she refused to look his way, “Don’t start.” She warned.
Getting out of the car, the scenery he’d caught a glimpse of didn’t get better. With a sigh, he unbuckled the children from the car and took his time because he wasn’t eager to go inside. He lifted Jasmine out of the seat as Cherish picked Jr. up. His pudgy face hardly moved from the transfer from the seat to her chest.
Jasmine held onto Simon’s shirt and her pretty eyes drunk in every hyper-sensitive image. The frown on Simon’s face was profound and he could no longer hold his tongue, “Are you sure you want to do this? You can already see there are bars on the windows. Cherish, bars. The grass is yellow, and the neighborhood is…” Turning his head, he looked down at the people outside on their porches. All eyes were on the family and her car. He reached into his pocket and quickly locked the doors before he returned his attention to Cherish, “…the gutters are hanging off the wall on this side right here. Where are we?” He groaned.
Patting on Jr.’s back, Cherish sighed as she rocked from side to side and waited for Simon in front of the dinky rental. Sure, it wasn’t his palace but, this could be hers for the time being, “Simon.” She hissed cutting her eyes in his direction. “Could you at least let us get inside before you pull me out and lecture me to the next house?” She joked.
He slid his eyes in her direction before releasing a breath; nodding, “Fine, fine anything you want.” He answered. Looking down at his baby girl, he felt an immediate smile on his face as she looked all around. He brushed his hand over her head and spoke quietly as they approached the house, “Yeah baby girl. Do you see this place? You let daddy know if you like it or not. I’ll pass the message on to mommy.” He whispered knocking on the door. He gave Cherish a slight grin because she knew he would have something to say one way or another.
The door swung open and the current tenant stared at them expectantly. The first thing hitting Cherish was the musty, old smell. She’d have to clean from top to bottom before moving in. The main living area was tiny, and the walls had been patched numerous times. The bedrooms were rather spacious for the small abode, but the bathroom was a joke. The kitchen was curved and big enough for two. The problem was, half of the cupboards barely closed. The residents warned that they wouldn’t be able to let the kids play in the front lawn because it was filled with sand spurs.
Simon wasn’t fond of the idea to let his child and woman move there. The last of his worries was the front lawn. He didn’t say a word but the look on his face spoke volumes. He rolled in his lips and suppressed a grin as he pleasantly agreed with Cherish’s compliments. She had to find a silver lining to save face in front of the current residents.
By the time they left, Simon had a full-blown grin. Cherish kept glancing over to him and sighing. She held in what she had to say until after she buckled Jr. in, “C-can you at least not smile so hard?” She asked shutting the door.
Inhaling a deep breath of fresh air, Simon laughed a bit to himself, “I’ll let you know when my cheeks stop hurting from being right.” He replied looking between her and Jasmine, “Man, Daddy, that house STINKS. Take me HOME, to OUR house, please and thank you!” He mocked in a sing-song tone; one he always imagined Jasmine would have.
Cherish dully stared at him once he shut the door, “My baby does not sound like a female Mickey Mouse, dear.” She said in a playful, warning tone. She slid into the passenger seat and turned her body towards his.
She knew he’d have more to say and by the time he appeared next to her. He delivered, “I knew this was going to be bad! That house was dirty, musty, and I think I saw mold. The door was broken in the bedroom and I saw a roach. My baby girl is not going to live there. Nope. She has a nice, cozy, homey bedroom back at the house with her brother.” He said with a smile.
Laughing out loud, Cherish rolled her eyes and lightly pushed her palm against his shoulder, “Oh stop! You did not see mold! It was uh…dirt. Yes. Dirt.” She lied correcting him.
Simon rolled his eyes as she failed to convince herself, “Oh, ha-ha. Sure.” He said with a broad smirk. Turning the car on, he threw the clutch into reverse, and began to back out, “Maybe you should wait before you move. Another year, maybe two. Hell, why not three.” He stated once they drove off.
Cherish glanced back at the children. Jasmine had started to nod off while Jr. began to stir from his nap. She arched an eyebrow and gave Simon a side smile, “Two or three? Holding onto us, are you?” She asked.
Simon caught sight of Jr. opening his eyes in the backseat. That lucky little boy didn’t have to endure the torture of the house as Jasmine. Simon cleared his throat as he turned off the street and rolled further away, “Holding onto you? Whatever do you mean?” He questioned with faux innocence. “Besides, what will Jr. do about his late-night meal?” He added.
Cherish sighed, shook her head, and pulled on a curl, “I don’t think I want to be an all you can eat buffet for our little man. My nipples
