the over excited Adie and
contented cooing coming from the general direction of the stroller. Glancing at
the scene unfolding around her, it was clear she hadn’t any idea just what she
had let herself in for. She had no
clue when it came to one on one time with one kid, never mind a toddler and
small baby. Still, when she glanced
at Lily, she knew that this seemed to be the least she could do to try take
some of the strain and pressure from her shoulders, even if it was just for one
night.
Reaching
the front door, she released the lock and Adie bounded into the apartment.
Running around the circular entrance hallway, she then headed straight into the
main living space and excitedly pointed towards the huge widescreen television
that was mounted over the fireplace. “Auntie Em, can we watch the ‘toons on the telewision, pwease? I love
the ‘toons.” She beamed excitedly, jumping up and down in front of the
screen.
Flicking
on the television she tuned into the kids channel and seated Adie on the sofa.
Once Adie was settled, Emma turned to Lily who had managed to settle Leo down to
sleep and had wheeled him to the far end of the hallway near the bedrooms so
that they could talk and Adie wouldn’t disturb him.
“Em,
I’m so worried. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I can’t get to the bottom
of this entire going on. I love him
so much, but I think we’re just drifting apart. I don’t know whether it’s the kids that
have changed things or what, but I was so absorbed with Adie when she was born
that things just started slipping. Then when I found out I was pregnant with Leo
something seemed to just snap with him. What am I going to do?” Her voice broke as she burst into wracking
sobs. Emma grabbed her tight and
engulfed her in a hug.
“Shhh,
Lil, it will all be okay.” She soothed, rocking her and rubbing her back. “You need to sort this out, hun, you
really do, but I’m worried about you. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here tonight? I’ll ring him and
maybe if you can get a decent night’s sleep things won’t feel so bad.”
“No. He’s working again all weekend,” she
sniffed, wiping her hand across her nose. Throwing her arm around Lily’s
shoulders, Emma led her across the large open living room and to the breakfast
bar. She handed her a box of tissues before heading to the fridge and popping
open a bottle of wine. She poured
two glasses and joined Lily, who was very ungracefully blowing her nose.
“It’s
been like this for months now – him working all day, every day, and it
seems like he’s doing everything he can to be away from us. I should have said something sooner, but
I hate to dump on you. I feel if I don’t tackle it he’ll just walk away completely.”
She paused and sniffed loudly. “He’s so detached. And when we do talk, or even attempt
to, the kids seem to always need attention and he doesn’t like it. And he was the one who begged me to keep
Adie when I found out I was pregnant and now look…” she halted, gulping back
almost the entire glass of wine as she did. “I don’t regret having the kids for one
minute. They are so precious, but I wonder if they just came at the wrong time
for us…” She gulped back the rest of her glass of wine and reached for the
bottle as she finished speaking.
“Hey,
slow down a bit there, Lil, you want to be sober enough to have that
conversation. And much as I’d love to offer you some pearls of relationship and
parenting wisdom, I am the worst one to be coming to for advice, as you well
know. My disaster of a personal
life speaks for itself.” She laughed bitterly more to herself than anyone but
glancing back at her friend crumbling in front of her, she softened. “Look, talking is good and hopefully you
can get somewhere with him tonight.
contented cooing coming from the general direction of the stroller. Glancing at
the scene unfolding around her, it was clear she hadn’t any idea just what she
had let herself in for. She had no
clue when it came to one on one time with one kid, never mind a toddler and
small baby. Still, when she glanced
at Lily, she knew that this seemed to be the least she could do to try take
some of the strain and pressure from her shoulders, even if it was just for one
night.
Reaching
the front door, she released the lock and Adie bounded into the apartment.
Running around the circular entrance hallway, she then headed straight into the
main living space and excitedly pointed towards the huge widescreen television
that was mounted over the fireplace. “Auntie Em, can we watch the ‘toons on the telewision, pwease? I love
the ‘toons.” She beamed excitedly, jumping up and down in front of the
screen.
Flicking
on the television she tuned into the kids channel and seated Adie on the sofa.
Once Adie was settled, Emma turned to Lily who had managed to settle Leo down to
sleep and had wheeled him to the far end of the hallway near the bedrooms so
that they could talk and Adie wouldn’t disturb him.
“Em,
I’m so worried. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I can’t get to the bottom
of this entire going on. I love him
so much, but I think we’re just drifting apart. I don’t know whether it’s the kids that
have changed things or what, but I was so absorbed with Adie when she was born
that things just started slipping. Then when I found out I was pregnant with Leo
something seemed to just snap with him. What am I going to do?” Her voice broke as she burst into wracking
sobs. Emma grabbed her tight and
engulfed her in a hug.
“Shhh,
Lil, it will all be okay.” She soothed, rocking her and rubbing her back. “You need to sort this out, hun, you
really do, but I’m worried about you. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here tonight? I’ll ring him and
maybe if you can get a decent night’s sleep things won’t feel so bad.”
“No. He’s working again all weekend,” she
sniffed, wiping her hand across her nose. Throwing her arm around Lily’s
shoulders, Emma led her across the large open living room and to the breakfast
bar. She handed her a box of tissues before heading to the fridge and popping
open a bottle of wine. She poured
two glasses and joined Lily, who was very ungracefully blowing her nose.
“It’s
been like this for months now – him working all day, every day, and it
seems like he’s doing everything he can to be away from us. I should have said something sooner, but
I hate to dump on you. I feel if I don’t tackle it he’ll just walk away completely.”
She paused and sniffed loudly. “He’s so detached. And when we do talk, or even attempt
to, the kids seem to always need attention and he doesn’t like it. And he was the one who begged me to keep
Adie when I found out I was pregnant and now look…” she halted, gulping back
almost the entire glass of wine as she did. “I don’t regret having the kids for one
minute. They are so precious, but I wonder if they just came at the wrong time
for us…” She gulped back the rest of her glass of wine and reached for the
bottle as she finished speaking.
“Hey,
slow down a bit there, Lil, you want to be sober enough to have that
conversation. And much as I’d love to offer you some pearls of relationship and
parenting wisdom, I am the worst one to be coming to for advice, as you well
know. My disaster of a personal
life speaks for itself.” She laughed bitterly more to herself than anyone but
glancing back at her friend crumbling in front of her, she softened. “Look, talking is good and hopefully you
can get somewhere with him tonight.
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