The Four Seeds

“Stella shocked glared at Ricky. “What happened?” she demanded angrily.

“It is none of your business,” Ricky snarled as he handed Stella the two back packs.

“None of my business?!” Stella yelled. “Those are my kids!” Audri grabbed Stella’s arm in fear. She had never heard her yell like that before. Stella sensing her daughter’s fear struggled to reign in her temper.

“What goes on in my home is my business,” Ricky growled back at her. He glared down at Stella arrogantly “Maybe you should be more concerned about what goes on in your house.” Stella gritted her teeth biting back a retort.

“What happened in your extended stay hotel?” Stella growled through clenched teeth stressing the word hotel.

.

“Let’s just call it a teaching moment for Charlie who was being rude,” Ricky grumbled. “Maybe if you hadn’t babied these kids they would have better manners.” Stella squeezed her free hand into a fist. She wanted to slap Ricky’s holier than though smirk right off of his face. Instead she walked past Ricky to his SUVs rolled down driver’s side window. Stella bent down and peered at Tracy who was smiling rather smugly.

“For the record, breaking toys is not discipline. It is being a bully” Stella growled at her. “It doesn’t take courage or brains to bully children. But then again what do I expect from someone who steals husbands.” Tracy flung her hair over her shoulder. A foul word slipped from her mouth.

Stella turned around and faced Ricky pointing her finger towards Tracy. “This is the example you want for your children?”

“You are crazy,” Ricky snarled pulling Stella away from the car door. Stella took a step backward as Ricky yanked his car door open.

“I guess I can’t expect much from someone who has no problems lying,” Stella retorted.. Ricky slipped into the driver’s seat, slammed his car door shut, and turned on the engine. Grabbing Audri’s hand, Stella took a few more steps backward away from the car. Ricky rolling up his window, noticed the Toyota again and pointed at it. “Whose car is that?”

“A friend,” Stella smugly replied. “Let him get the wrong idea,” she thought to herself. “Maybe he’ll know how it feels to be cheated on.”

“Is that your wanna be boyfriend you told me about?” Ricky retorted glaring at her through the half opened window.

“That is none of your business. What goes on in my house is my business,” Stella mockingly repeated.

“You had better not be having people of the opposite sex over with my kids in the house,” Ricky snarled at her.

“You mean like Tracy?” Stella caustically sneered.

“That is different,” Ricky insisted.

“What is good for the gander is good for the goose,” Stella chanted. Ricky let out an expletive, rolled up his window, and backed out of the driveway. Stella turned her attention back towards Audri.