“See you guys later,” Tasha kissed Grant and Tyson the next morning after breakfast. They were both going to Grant’s brother’s house and won’t be back until later in the evening.
“Take care of yourself.” Grant kissed her on the lips. “I will call you when we get there.”
“Bye mom,” Tyson said. And the two of them left.
Tasha locked the door and went back to bed. She had decided to just stay in bed, reading and relaxing all day.
Tasha picked one novel, titled ‘The New Beginning’ off her little bookshelf in her room and started reading. She just bought the novel two days earlier.
*******
“Oh my God,” Maddie thought to herself, “how on earth am I going to survive the next two months?” She stole a look at the woman sitting across from her at the dining table; her mother. Her own mother, who she always related to like an acquaintance. Their relationship was that frosty. Words between them were always scanty and stingy too.
A roar of laughter from the television in the sitting room penetrated the murky thoughts clouding Maddie’s mind. “Calm down, ” she told herself, and forced a small cough. She drank from the glass of water in front of her to calm her nerves. Without even thinking about it, she stole another look at her mother and glanced away.
Maddie’s mom, Lauren, could feel the usual tension brewing between them; though she appeared unruffled but for all her display of calmness, there was an underlying anxiety. She glanced at Brody; her son-in-law, who had been nice to her since he came to pick her up. at the airport a few hours earlier.
She could spot his anxiety too, despite his relaxed posture. It was as if he was expecting a physical attack from one lady to the other one.
Feeling suddenly sad about it all, Lauren dropped her cutlery, picked her glass of water too, and drank from it. “I really enjoyed the meal,” she smiled at Maddie. She turned to look at Brody, too. “Thanks for the meal.”
“Maddie is an excellent cook,” Brody said, smiling into his wife’s face.
Maddie said anything, she just gave a nod of her head.
Mother and child, not finding the right words to say, held each other’s gaze for what seemed like an eternity to both of them. The older woman awkwardly tore her gaze away. She rose, slid her chair backward, and left the dining table without saying another word. She didn’t want to go to bed just yet, instead she went outside to the front porch, where she sat on one of the cane chairs there. Not long after she came out, her phone rang. She checked the screen. It was her elder sister, and she picked the call.
Her sister, Joyce, wanted to know if she was already in Dallas. They talked for about ten minutes before they hung up, with Joyce promising to check up on her the following day.
Brody came out afterwards with a bottle of non- alcoholic wine and two glasses. He sat with her and while they sipped the wine, Lauren asked him about his parents and his business. He asked her about her banking job, too. Before she knew it, she heard the grandfather clock mounted on the wall outside jingled.
“That must be nine o’clock,” she said and checked the time on her phone.
“Yes ma’am,” Brody said.
“I have to call it a day,” she got up, “what time do you leave for church in the morning?” She inquired of her son-in-law.
Though she would have loved to sleep in tomorrow as she usually does on most Sundays. She knew Brody and Maddie were church people and she wouldn’t want to incur Maddie’s wrath so early into her visit.
“We leave at nine am.”
“That’s fine,” she smiled. I will have enough of my beauty sleep by then.”
Brody got up, and they both walked into the sitting room. She asked for Maddie and Brody said she must be in the bathroom, having her bath. They wished each other a good night, and she left for the guest room.
He got into their bedroom just as Maddie was getting out of the bathroom. She sat with a sigh at her dressing table to moisturize her body. She was angry at herself for allowing her mother to come and now she was getting nervous by her mother’s presence. Above all, she was feeling very pregnant.
Maddie was over seven months gone already. Being with her mother was always emotionally tasking for her. And the fact that they are going to be living under the same roof for the next two months was tormenting her already before the end of the first twenty-four hours. Maddie could not help going down memory lane as she moisturized her body.
One dark Sunday evening when she was five years old, she came back from a weekend visit to her aunt’s place and did not meet her mom at home. She couldn’t comprehend all her dad said that her mom did not want to live with them anymore. “Why daddyyy?” She asked in confusion.
“You see, your mummy and I have some problems.” He explained to her, scratching his head. He wished Lauren was there to explain herself. “It’s between the two of us, it’s not because of you”. He tried to explain further.
“Nooo!” she screamed. “I want to see my mummy.”
Her dad made her sit on his lap,” your mummy will always come to visit you and you can go to her new place anytime you like “. He tried to calm her down. She said nothing again, she just held onto her father’s neck and cried her heart out; breaking her father’s heart as she sobbed. Though she had always been a daddy’s girl from the world, go. But she loves and adores her mother too.
It was a very emotional night for both father and daughter. Maddie refused to eat anything for dinner, and his own appetite was nowhere to be found. She insisted her father must sleep with her at night, as she wouldn’t let go. Maddie slept fitfully throughout the night.
Roland got little sleep either. He couldn’t believe Lauren would end their marriage just like that. He was hoping they would work things out, at least for the sake of Maddie.