by Nancy Akre
I am in his mother’s house, in the front door, as if I was greeting intentionally other guests. He is not. I am pushing the stroller, as I am trying to call him… I did not know I could do that too, I guess mommyhood gave me superpower… Before, all I could do was painting my nails and wait until they were done to be able to do another thing.
The baby is not being breastfed anymore, and all this day starting at home when he left, I was waiting for my husband to come. He told me he would be here the same time as me… guess who was lying? All he had to do was-
“ Hello Leah, how are you?”… I am stopping my text to see Lanisha before me, his cousin who does not like me. I do not know why, I never knew why, all I knew was that when I understood how she kept making “oopsie jokes” followed by an “I am sorry I hope you did not feel bad”, I definitely stopped to hope for a better relationship with her.
I am, as her, feigning a smile “pretty good, and you?”
“ yes, oh is that your baby? So cute… but you have gained so MUCH weight, I really don’t want to have a baby if it is how it is, I prefer stay fit”
Oopsie joke I said, but I won’t let her just say sorry, not this time.
“ Motherhood you know, you can’t bring life and just stay as THIN as a wood”.I know it was petty, but she started it . I did not mean to offend anyone… But, As I am pushing the stroller back and forth, couldn’t she see that I was being stressed, alone here, obviously waiting for someone?
“ouinnn” the baby starts crying again.
She just left, and I know more persons are coming. I inspired and expired, I try to call him one more time.
“ It is okay, my baby, daddy will come !”
Oh the phone stopped ringing-
“hey, you dumba-… dear where are you? the baby is waiting, you know“ I stopped because his grandparents are there . They come to hug me, I do too, then I tell them quickly that I have to calm the baby. They smile and go in.
I am right before the door, because I know how he will cry if he is in.
“ no, you won’t believe what happened”-
“ What? Did you get milk?” As I am thinking of the famous meme about it.
“ you are so petty, as if I was going to do that one day”
Our baby is teething and I am at the dinner party in his mother‘s house. His last toy was lost yesterday night surely, not sure.
I am pushing the stroller and I see his car. Lucky bastard.
“ Leah, we are about to eat” I hear his mother say.
I want to stay just to scream on his face. But I know they are all waiting for me.I just go in, stroller included and take a seat, a little “excuse me” later.
The prayer, the “amen” and everyone is getting served. As I am seeing food, I start to smile. He comes and I smile as I am eating his mother’s turkey but the baby starts crying again. I eat and with my other hand, I push back and forth the stroller.
He greets everyone, and come to me, to kiss me surely. No one really care about us, because everyone is busy taking news and stuff.
He goes for the cheeks and I whisper “ you are a dead boy”. He comes to see the baby, who is always crying, and puts the teether in his mouth. He finally calms down, and my anxiety as a first mother calm down with him. It must have been painful, poor baby. I continue to push the stroller, as he is slowly closing his eyes.
“ Baby, let me tell you, you know my old friend jack?”
“…”
“oh I am sorry, I had a low battery, so I had to charge the phone, and I saw my friend… Sorry baby”
“ I was getting worried, you know…”
He gives me a big hug, I feel more relaxed. “ Are you okay?” He asks.
As I am relieved to see the baby asleep, everyone happy, my part of turkey, I answer “ Yeah, but you did not tell me about Jack, spill the tea”.