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Show All the Variables & Other Love Stories 97 Patrick's Baby Angie's baby was six months old and had never met her father. Cleo was a sweet baby Angie decided, and was irritated it had taken her six months to reach this conclusion. Angie really didn't want to be a mother. Still. But her indifference was easier to suffer because the child was not difficult. Cleo required minimal upkeep, and Angie knew that was the reason she'd been able to stick it out this long. She'd lived with her parents throughout the pregnancy and for several weeks after Cleo had been born, before being approved for state housing. The apartment was bigger than she'd expected, and older, with vintage shag carpet and floral wallpaper. The walls sweated cigarette stains when the upstairs neighbors ran their dishwasher, the bathroom sink was chronically backed up, and the tub leaked and couldn't be fixed. Still, it was outfitted with central air, and Angie got used to the dripping after a while. It bothered her mother more than her anyway. Her mother liked to visit every Wednesday afternoon after Cleo's nap. The anticipation always made Angie anxious. She paced the livingroom, biting her fingernails and watching out the blinds for the maroon Oldsmobile. She stopped suddenly and listened to the mute apartment for the telltale signs of life but received only resounding peace. She told herself it was fine, Cleo was sleeping, and paced. She peered terrified at the dark rooms down the hall, listened hard, and cursed herself for being a worry wart. She checked the window again, and forced herself to remain composed as she clipped down the hall to Cleo's room. |