here’s cab fare. Could you please head back home? I’m worried my grandmother is trying to take care of everyone alone while Dan drinks coffee.”
Taking the money, she left without saying goodbye. “You were a tad harsh with her, Lisa.”
“Mother, Daniela is my employee, not my girlfriend. Our relationship is professional. We pay her to look after the children. I didn’t blame her or even suggest she was to blame for this in any way, but she’s not hanging out here while my noni juggles two babies and a toddler. If she doesn’t like it, she can look for another job.”
“Okay, I got it,” Pam said, sneaking a peek at her watch. “How long does blood work take?”
“Oh God, I hope not long. I’m about ready to scream.” They watched people come and go, other doctors and patient families. Pam felt guilty feeling trapped. She would stay as long as Lisa needed her, but it didn’t mean she had to like it. They looked up just as Tom arrived. He was so handsome, and even though he no longer wore a uniform as a detective, he exuded a cop vibe that made heads turn in the ER. He hugged both women while they told him what the doctor said.
She suddenly thought of Natalie, probably at the house now. “I need to call home for a minute.” She dialed the number and Annabelle answered.
“Hi, did Natalie Borg arrive?”
“Yes, Mrs. Smith. She’s in with Mrs. Smith the first now.”
“Ha! Okay, explain the situation to her, will you, please? She’s welcome to stay, but I have no idea when I can leave the hospital.”
“She knows and understands. I’m preparing to get the Mahjong tiles out.”
“You don’t have enough people,” Pam replied.
“I’ll play and Natalie said she’ll be two people.”
“Oh, good. Thank you, Annabelle,” Pam said laughing. They hung up, the vision of organic Natalie playing Mahjong with stately Bernice comical. Pam was sorry she’d laughed, seeing how miserable Lisa was, feeling pain for Miranda.
Lisa pulled Pam aside. “Mom, what am I going to do? I love Miranda and I want to be here for her, but I have three children at home. I’m nursing. My boobs feel like they are about ready to explode.”
“Tom said he’d stay till tonight. Let me take you home. You can come back tonight after the boys are sleeping.”
“I just don’t feel right about leaving her now,” Lisa said. Pam knew she might be implying that Pam should stay, but she wasn’t offering.
“Miranda loves Tom. If she wakes up while he’s here, she’ll be fine. We’ll take turns the rest of the time, okay? I’ll come in the morning. I’ll enlist Tom and his mother. We can get Ed’s mother to come out and help. It will work out, you’ll see.”
“You don’t get it, Mother,” Lisa said.
“What don’t I get?”
“I can’t stay here with Miranda because I have a family. You asked me to take her; I think you should stay with her.” Annoyed, Pam knew she was partially responsible for her daughter’s bad behavior and it was never too late to be a parent. She spoke softly to her, but firmly.
“I do get it, Lisa. But I don’t think you do. This is life. You want the responsibility of being a parent this is what you get. You don’t get to bail out when the going gets tough. Nobody twisted your arm to take Miranda. Now if you think it’s too much to handle, we’ll have to figure out something else for her.
“Noni and Dan are at the house with the boys and Megan. They have everything under control. Let me take you home and you can nurse everyone and help noni and Daniela get them to bed. Then either you or Dan needs to come back here because Miranda might wake up and if someone she loves isn’t here, she could be frightened. You’ll work it out, I promise you. You’re a good mother.”
Lisa was fighting back the tears. Pam had never criticized her before. What she said was true, so it really hurt. “I’m just scared, Mom. I guard my schedule like it’s the most important thing in
Taking the money, she left without saying goodbye. “You were a tad harsh with her, Lisa.”
“Mother, Daniela is my employee, not my girlfriend. Our relationship is professional. We pay her to look after the children. I didn’t blame her or even suggest she was to blame for this in any way, but she’s not hanging out here while my noni juggles two babies and a toddler. If she doesn’t like it, she can look for another job.”
“Okay, I got it,” Pam said, sneaking a peek at her watch. “How long does blood work take?”
“Oh God, I hope not long. I’m about ready to scream.” They watched people come and go, other doctors and patient families. Pam felt guilty feeling trapped. She would stay as long as Lisa needed her, but it didn’t mean she had to like it. They looked up just as Tom arrived. He was so handsome, and even though he no longer wore a uniform as a detective, he exuded a cop vibe that made heads turn in the ER. He hugged both women while they told him what the doctor said.
She suddenly thought of Natalie, probably at the house now. “I need to call home for a minute.” She dialed the number and Annabelle answered.
“Hi, did Natalie Borg arrive?”
“Yes, Mrs. Smith. She’s in with Mrs. Smith the first now.”
“Ha! Okay, explain the situation to her, will you, please? She’s welcome to stay, but I have no idea when I can leave the hospital.”
“She knows and understands. I’m preparing to get the Mahjong tiles out.”
“You don’t have enough people,” Pam replied.
“I’ll play and Natalie said she’ll be two people.”
“Oh, good. Thank you, Annabelle,” Pam said laughing. They hung up, the vision of organic Natalie playing Mahjong with stately Bernice comical. Pam was sorry she’d laughed, seeing how miserable Lisa was, feeling pain for Miranda.
Lisa pulled Pam aside. “Mom, what am I going to do? I love Miranda and I want to be here for her, but I have three children at home. I’m nursing. My boobs feel like they are about ready to explode.”
“Tom said he’d stay till tonight. Let me take you home. You can come back tonight after the boys are sleeping.”
“I just don’t feel right about leaving her now,” Lisa said. Pam knew she might be implying that Pam should stay, but she wasn’t offering.
“Miranda loves Tom. If she wakes up while he’s here, she’ll be fine. We’ll take turns the rest of the time, okay? I’ll come in the morning. I’ll enlist Tom and his mother. We can get Ed’s mother to come out and help. It will work out, you’ll see.”
“You don’t get it, Mother,” Lisa said.
“What don’t I get?”
“I can’t stay here with Miranda because I have a family. You asked me to take her; I think you should stay with her.” Annoyed, Pam knew she was partially responsible for her daughter’s bad behavior and it was never too late to be a parent. She spoke softly to her, but firmly.
“I do get it, Lisa. But I don’t think you do. This is life. You want the responsibility of being a parent this is what you get. You don’t get to bail out when the going gets tough. Nobody twisted your arm to take Miranda. Now if you think it’s too much to handle, we’ll have to figure out something else for her.
“Noni and Dan are at the house with the boys and Megan. They have everything under control. Let me take you home and you can nurse everyone and help noni and Daniela get them to bed. Then either you or Dan needs to come back here because Miranda might wake up and if someone she loves isn’t here, she could be frightened. You’ll work it out, I promise you. You’re a good mother.”
Lisa was fighting back the tears. Pam had never criticized her before. What she said was true, so it really hurt. “I’m just scared, Mom. I guard my schedule like it’s the most important thing in
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