Chapter 447: Mimi XLVI—All the Fuss
The best
thing about having Patrick back from a roadtrip, Michele thought, was having
two cars in the house and two parents to make after school activities much
easier. Funny how something as bland as that could make her so excited. Either
way, it meant right now Patrick had
Jana had wanted to be with Patrick but Michele would have none of it. As well meaning as Jana probably felt, Michele could imagine her daughter cooing over her father over and over about how it wasn’t his fault they didn’t win one single game on the roadtrip and that in turn could only make Patrick’s mood worse. Still, Michele wondered how much worse it could get; the morning had not gone well when Patrick had discovered Jonathan with an album of his precious vintage hockey cards, evidently showing them to Jana. Innocent enough, Michele didn’t see why Patrick had to be so anally militant about those stupid pieces of cardboard; after all it seemed that Jonathan was only using them to teach Jana something about hockey history, but still…
At any rate the good thing to come out of it, Michele had noticed Freddy smirk when Patrick declared loudly he would be taking him to hockey class and not Jonathan. She knew that Patrick didn’t have a favorite child, but still, well it would do those two good to spend more time together.
“I think Alex Delveckio is my favorite hockey player,” Jana nodded.
Michele took her eyes off Jonathan on the ice and she looked down at her daughter, “Isn’t it Delvecchio?”
“Him too,” Jana nodded, “I bet they had the bestest autographs, I wish my name was Dellvetcho, I would sign my name all the time.”
Michele smiled. “Is that something you learned from Jonathan today?”
“Yup,” Jana said, “I don’t know why Dad was so worried we would never hurt his hockey cards, they’re precious!” And then she put her chin on her hand and stuck out her bottom lip in a way Michele knew Patrick to do when his temper was at its most childish. “And I wish I had those cards with me right now cause I’m bored.”
The whistle blew on the ice, loud and cutting, “Jonathan!” The coach yelled, “You’re going down to fast, wait a moment, your timings off today!”
Jonathan waved his stick in reply and settled in front of his net. Michele turned her attention back to Jana. “Pssht don’t give me any of this I’m bored, you have no right to be bored. Read that book, Jonathan always has good books to read. You love to read.”
“Not that book!” Jana sniffed picking it up and holding it at arm’s length, “It’s boring it doesn’t have any good pictures and it’s not about fun things like mummies and witches, and I don’t even see any talking sentences, so people aren’t talking to each other, what’s so fun about a book where no one talks to each other?”
Michele smiled, “So you tried to read it then, eh?”
“Yup,” Jana replied dully.
“You’re so smart,” she said hugging her and kissing her on the cheek causing Jana to wriggle and squirm.
“But I’m still bored.”
“Well would you rather be at home, all alone?” Michele replied, Jonathan seemed to be doing better on the ice, she watched him stop a succession of shots holding the last one aloft briefly before tossing it to the coach.
“Yup,” Jana said, “Because now Gigi is all alone and she shouldn’t be all alone when she’s still got stitches in her tummy, what if she gets out again and eat something else that makes her sick? I should be with Gigi.”
“Well Gigi is very lucky that you care,” Michele said absently and she rooted through her purse to find her phone, which had begun to ring.
“Hey Mimi,” Michele recognized Debbie’s voice, bright and chipper.
“Hm?” Michele answered, and she watched as Jonathan left the net to let the other young goaltender in and he doubled over, resting on his knees. Jana for her part sighed loudly and fell to her back across the bleacher seat, her head on Michele’s lap. She patted Jana’s soft hair. “How are you doing Debbie?”
“Oh just fine, where you at, hockey practice?”
“Yes,” Michele replied amazed that Jana was already snoring, and wondering if she was just trying to get more attention.
“Yeah, when you’re done there, how about coming on over, a bunch of the other girls are coming over, just a little gathering you know? Cecile can handle the kids, it’ll be fine. Unless of course you want to leave them with Patty or you want to stay home with Patty, that’s okay too.”
Frowning, Michele adjusted the phone in her hand, “Are you calling a meeting?”
Jana sat bolt upright and hopping off the bleachers she began walking away, almost on her toes. The look on her face just did not seem right and Michele apologized to Debbie and then put the phone down. “Jana where are you going?”
“Bathroom,” Jana replied and she dashed towards the bathroom.
Michele slowly stood up and put the phone back to her ear. “Sorry, Debbie, what’s going on?”
“Oh it’s not a meeting, not an official one,” Debbie said, “But something’s up, I’m just getting everyone together to find out what it is. Plus it would be good for Jennifer if we all fussed over her some today, you know, pregnant lady maintenance? Wouldn’t be good for her to feel alone, you know how important that is.”
“Ooo the fuss, yes,” Michele replied walking towards the bathroom, “I understand.”
Of course Debbie didn’t know about Jennifer and Patrick so she wouldn’t know that every time Michele heard the words Jennifer and pregnant in the same sentence she wanted to scream and claw something.
“So you’ll be there?” Debbie asked.
“Yes, yes,” Michele replied. “I’ll be there.”
“Thanks!” Debbie chirped and she hung up the phone without a goodbye, probably to go straight into another phone call.
Michele sighed and pushed open the door to the ladies bathroom and saw to her surprise Jana tumbling off the edge of the bathroom sink and onto the floor, but that wasn’t the weirdest part. It seemed like… well… it had looked like Jana had… Michele frowned as Jana wrinkled her nose, rubbed her bottom as she got back to her feet. “Jana did I just see you crawl out of the… the mirror?”
Jana blinked, “Um… nooo…” And then the little girl narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “Mom are you feeling okay?”
“Oh of course, my love of course,” Michele muttered and she grabbed onto Jana’s hand and led her out of the bathroom. “I’m fine. What were you doing on the sink? That’s dirty darling.”
Jana sighed with all the weight of the world on her shoulders and she said with all earnestness, “Well Mom when you’re trying to keep up with the white puckbunny you just don’t have time to think about things like that.”
Michele looked at Jana and couldn’t figure out if the girl was being smart aleck or serious and what’s more she didn’t want to know.
Michele not only brought the children with her to the Sakic house later that day, she brought Patrick as well. Joe would probably be dying for a male to hang around with anyway. Most of the wives were indeed there and Jennifer sat at the end of the long dining table with a muffin surrounded by most of the women who seemed to be fussing over her quite adequately. “Hello, Jennifer,” Michele smiled thinly.
“Hey there!” Jennifer beamed and damned if she didn’t have the ethereal glow that made any pregnant woman beautiful.
“Ah hello,” Patrick said in such a bright voice that Michele felt cut to the core and he went straight over to Jennifer and kissed her hand, “Are you taking good care of yourself? You’re not attending too much to Adam are you?”
“I’m fine,” Jennifer smiled, “You’re so sweet Patty.”
“Aw he is sweet isn’t he?” Susie DeVries smiled, “You’re so lucky Mimi!”
“Oh go and
bother Joe!” Michele snapped but she tried to smile it off. She slapped
Patrick’s bottom and sent him out of the room when really she wanted to run him
through with something. She glanced at Jennifer and caught her eye and Jennifer
simply, smiled.