I Can't Tell Her

I have classes Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays this semester. It also usually means at least twice a week, I stop by Chickfila for chick-n-minis and a large sweet tea. A and I would often go after dropping NYEBoy and K off last school year, too. I would get a four count number two with a large sweet tea and a chocolate milk. A would get the hash browns, chocolate milk, and I would get the chick-n-minis and sweet tea. Occasionally she would want a chick-n-mini, too, or even better yet, if she really was feeling fancy, she'd ask for a sausage biscuit. (For the record, this wasn't her breakfast, it was more of a treat. She ate healthier for her main breakfast. lol)

Having done this routine, or a version of it, the lady at the drive-thru always talked to A. She would call her "my baby." "How's my baby today?" she would ask. Well, after A started going to school last Fall, she typically didn't go with me as much because her school is in the other direction. Noting the empty car seat, the lady would often ask how A was. I would tell her she was at school and she would politely say she missed her.

I hadn't seen that lady at the drive-thru much over the past few weeks since A has gone back, until last week. She said good morning to me then looked in the back window and asked where 'her' baby was. It was then that I remembered she was someone in our daily routine who I didn't talk to about the custody case or the outcome, because there really isn't much time to have those discussions in such a short amount of time.

I didn't know what to say to her. How do you explain something like that in such a short amount of time? So as my heart sank, I faked a smile and told her she was at school. She sighed and told me she missed her. I miss her too. I wish she was at school. She's supposed to be at school. But, she's not.

I don't know what to tell the lady in the drive-thru line, or even how to tell her. Truthfully? I don't want to tell anyone else she's gone. I want her here. I miss her like crazy.