Temptation by Justine Elvira

sidewalk. We walk into the store and get all the groceries she
needs, still with enough time to get Alyssa.

 
    Six
     
    Entry #1594
     
    I found an excuse to spend some time with
Cassie. Yes, her car may have broken down and things aren't exactly
looking promising for her, but her loss is definitely my
gain...
     
    "Uncle Theo!" Alyssa shouts as Cassie buckles
her into the booster seat in the back of my Range Rover. Her blond,
curly hair bouncing as she wiggles in the booster seat.
    After our trip to the grocery store we made a
quick pit stop at my condo's parking garage so I could trade in my
roadster for something that would actually fit Alyssa. I only drive
the Rover when I have Chris and Alyssa with me, so thankfully I
already had a booster seat in the back for her.
    "Hey, rugrat. How was school?"
    Almost immediately the tears begin to fall as
Cassie closes the back door and sits back in the passenger seat
next to me.
    "I wasn't able to go on the field trip," she
cries. "All of my friends are going to have fun without me."
    Big wet tears fall down her round cheeks and
I can't help but want to give her the world. Nothing should make
this little girl cry. Nothing.
    "Alyssa, your mom just wants you to be
safe."
    "Mommy just doesn't want me to have fun."
    Lord have mercy, I am never having a
girl.
    "Alyssa, honey, your momma adores you and
wants you to have loads of fun. I planned some fun crafts for us to
do back at the house. You're not even going to miss school after
the afternoon I have planned with you."
    Cassie's attempt at changing Alyssa’s mood is
a good one, but she fails miserably.
    "I don't want to do crafts! I don't want to
go home. I want to go on the field trip," she cries. Her tears
start to fall harder and I honestly don't ever think I've seen
Alyssa so miserable. It breaks my heart.
    Instead of thinking of something to say, I
continue to drive and hope that Alyssa calms down. After a few
minutes the car grows silent and Cassie turns around to check on
Alyssa in the backseat.
    "The little princess cried herself to sleep,"
she whispers, turning back around to face the front.
    "Where was the fieldtrip to today?" I ask
her.
    "The zoo."
    "Awe, poor kid. Alyssa loves animals. She's
been begging Chris to let her get a dog but he won't budge."
    She laughs. "Thank goodness, too. She'd
probably squeeze the dog to death."
    "But at least the dog would be loved."
    "That's true," she agrees.
    We're pulling down their street and I can't
help the feeling of emptiness that takes over my insides, knowing
that they'll be leaving me in a matter of minutes.
    "Hey," I blurt out without thinking. "Why
don't you cancel your afternoon craft plans? You can drop the
groceries off in the house and then we can take Alyssa to do
something fun."
    She hesitates before responding. "What do you
have in mind?"
    What do I have in mind? I have nothing in
mind I just don't want to leave her yet. It's the middle of the day
on a Monday where most kids are in school. Where could we possibly
take her?
    "I've got it! We can take her for the rest of
her birthday gift early. I'll call the store and have them book us
a table for tea and brunch while you unload the groceries."
    "It's a little late in the day for brunch and
you can't just call them up. You have to book there weeks in
advance."
    I cock my head and grin at her. "You
underestimate the power I have over the people in this city. Go
unload the groceries and we'll head over."
     
    ***
     
    After an afternoon of pure craziness, I'm
exhausted. Tea and brunch was the easy part of the afternoon, the
hard part was the hours spent looking through two stories worth of
doll shit. In the end it was worth every excruciating minute
because I had one happy four-year-old who never mentioned the
dreaded field trip again.
    Alyssa runs into the brownstone and Cassie
and I follow her, our hands filled with red and pink bags. Her new
doll now has a bed, furniture, a horse, a dog, a hair salon, a
gymnastic set