A prompt a week - 20. Kristina Gets Her Answers - Prompt 344

“Why didn’t you just tell me that?” Kristina looked at the young child standing before her, trying not get upset.

“Cause you didn’t ask me.”

Kristina just shook her head and counted to ten before she faced the child again.

“Misty if you need to use the bathroom you have to tell me. I can’t guess when you do.”

“Oh, Okay. Well, I don’t need to go any more.”

Kristina sighed and took Misty by the hand and led her to the bathroom. All she could think of was how her sister begged her to take Misty for the day.

“It’ll be good for you and Misty to bond. I mean she never gets to see you and you have no idea about the joys of motherhood.” Alicia leaned against the counter, her belly made her dress look more like a mountain with the odd patterns it had on it. “Besides, I could use a few hours to finish cleaning up and rest a bit. I mean,” and Alicia placed her hand protectively over her baby bump, “number two will be here within a month.”

“You know I don’t know much about babies. Besides, Misty is four. What do I know about four year olds?”

“The same thing you know about infants, not much.” Alicia looked at her sister and shook her head. “This is exactly why you need to spend some time with your niece.”

“Just tell me she is potty trained.”

Alicia bit her lip. “Mostly.”

“Mostly? What the hell does that mean?”

“It means if you ask her, she will go. If she has to go and you don’t ask her, well she goes in the diaper.”

“Eww.” Kristina looked at her sister in horror.

“Look, just take her to the park. You can get some fresh air and she can wander around. It will tire her out and she will sleep all afternoon then.”

Kristina nodded and found herself agreeing to take her four year old niece for a few hours, which is how she ended up trying to find the bathroom so she could change Misty.

“This is so not what I was expecting,” she mumbled as she finally found the bathroom with a changing station. At least Misty was good about the change. Of course it took Kristina three tries never having changed a child before.

“Alright, kiddo. You are all cleaned up. Now how about a little lunch?”

“Burger.” Misty looked up and smiled.

“You want a burger?”

Misty nodded and held out her arms to be carried.

Kristina leaned down and picked up Misty. For a little child she seemed to weigh a hell of a lot, even though her niece was a thin little thing.

She found the food cart and nearly had a heart attack when she noted that a burger would be nine bucks. Shaking her head she carried Misty to the car and drove till she found a place she could get food for both of them. Afterwards she drove them back to Alicia’s house.

“Mommy, mommy, mommy,” Misty called the second she entered the house.

“In the kitchen, Misty.” Alicia’s voice called from the back of the house.

Kristina slowly followed in Misty’s wake. When she entered the kitchen Misty was already telling Alicia about her day.

“And then we went to the swings and the slide. Aunt Kista, she had to change me. She never asked if I had to make. Then we ate. I got a burger, Mommy.”

“Kristina, Misty, Her name is Kristina.”

“That’s what I said, Kista.”

Kristina just shook her head and smiled at her niece.

“I wanna play with my toys,” Misty said as she ran toward her room.

“She is a handful.” Kristina watched her energetic niece begin gathering her stuff toys. Kristina turned back to her sister, trying to contribute the smile ready to spread across her face.

Alicia smiled and continued to pull vegetables out and chop them up.

“Yeah, but you seemed to have handled it.”

“It wasn’t like I had much choice.” Kristina shook her head.

“So, still no boyfriend?”

Kristina stiffened. This was old ground and she didn’t feel like going over it again.

“Or girlfriend for that matter,” Alicia added as she looked up.

Kristina froze.

“Oh come on now. You avoid the subject so much that you had to expect us to figure it out eventually. You know Pete and I wouldn’t care either way. Mom … well she is her own little bundle of sunshine at the best of times. You know she is just going to go ape, but who cares. She doesn’t speak to either of us.”

“I … I guess I just figured it would cause more issues. Part of why I never really see you or Misty,” Kristina whispered.

“You need to get out more. Misty goes to a day school now that she is potty trained. It is run by Nicole and Valerie. The two are so good for the kids and they are married. I could care less. The two of them are great with children.”

Kristina smiled and looked up. “Well, that is one problem off the table.”

“Good. You shouldn’t worry all the time, kiddo. Part of why I want you around. You are family and god knows our family is strange enough. Besides I don’t want her only role models to be me and … mother.”

Kristina laughed.“Alright. Point taken.”

Alicia nodded and grabbed a slice of cucumber to munch on. She waddled back to the fridge and began to dig out different salad dressings.

Kristina walked over and picked up a wedge of tomato. “So when do you want me to baby sit again?”