A Fat Girl Waiting to Happen

750: A Fat Girl Waiting To Happen

"You see, hon, if I ever fall in love again and find happiness, I'll be a fat girl waiting to happen."

Tina grinned at me, but her eyes stayed sad. I knew she had gone through hell. Her husband had turned into a addict, lost his job, sponged off her, spending every dime she made to feed his habit and wouldn't even watch his own two small boys. She'd snapped when they got evicted from their apartment, found one for them, and left him in the dust. He'd whined, he'd pleaded, he threatened; once he assaulted her, but she stayed firm.

She'd been a chunky little thing when she first started working with me, but stress, pain, and almost constant fear had taken their toll, and she lost almost fifty pounds. I didn't talk to her much, but my job responsibilities changed, I saw her regularly, and she slowly opened up to me. Her husband was hiding from her so she couldn't get the divorce papers served. One of his tricks was going into rehab, and since she carried insurance on him, she had to foot the bill. He refused to pay any of the deductibles, saying it was her fault he was there. Rehab never took, and he disappeared again.

I mentioned the weight she'd lost, and she looked at me with sad eyes before making her statement about falling in love and getting fat. I noticed she didn't eat much at work, so I started ordering pizza and splitting it with her. I found out later she would eat one piece and save the rest for her boys. It flew all over me when I found out. I started cooking things and bringing them to work, telling her I was taking lessons and couldn't eat it all. I think she knew what I was doing and though it hurt her, she never refused anything.

She started eating lunch with me. Four months later, I had a surprise for her. I found her husband.

Tina was so happy she kissed me in front of everyone in the plant cafeteria. She was gone before I could react, calling her lawyer. She had been petitioning for child support. The Judge, noting that her husband failed to appear, granted it.

He was working off the books, and the cops were smart enough to drive an unmarked cruiser, busting him just after he went inside the apartment. He saw them, ran out the back door and right into the arms of another cop. The ones at the door smelled pot and added to his woes by finding enough drugs to pop him for intent.

The divorce went through while he was in jail. They put an ankle monitor on him after three months, and put him on work release, checking on the monitor once an hour. Almost everything he made went for back support.

Tina took the day off to appear in court. It was a lot quicker than she thought, and she was back by lunchtime. She marched up to me and barked "Stand up!" I did, she reached up, pulled my head down, and kissed me. A lot. While people whooped and clapped she gave me orders. "You will pick me up at seven tomorrow night. You're taking me out to eat; anywhere is fine as long as it has a buffet, then you're taking me dancing. Understand?"

I nodded, and she smiled before going back to work.

*****

Eight months later, I got home and the boys were playing the Xbox they just had to have.

"Where's your Mom?"

"She's in your bedroom crying, Pops. You do anything stupid?" Ten year old Kevin was grinning.

"Aside from marrying a woman with smart alecky kids? Nothing come to mind."

Tina was laying across the bed sniffling, a pair of her favorite jeans lying on the floor.

"What's the matter, honey?"

"I can't fit in these anymore!"

She'd gained about fifteen pounds, and she looked a lot better. I tried cheering her up.

"We'll start eating lighter; you'll be back in them in no time."

She threw a sneaker at me. "No I won't!"

"Sure you will."

"Listen, idiot. I'm about to start eating like a horse. You better really love fat girls, because you're about to get one."

"Why would you be eating like a horse?"

"BECAUSE I'M PREGNANT! IN SEVEN MONTHS WE'RE HAVING A BABY. OH, AND IT'S A GIRL, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED."