table.
Jacob laughed, but Mabel pulled the boys hands from the table.
“Upstairs, now!” she barked.
Stephen rose from the chair so fast it almost tipped over, except Jacob caught the back frame. Stephen ran out of the kitchen.
“Mom, did you have to do that?”
“What, Rosemary?”
“Discipline Stephen like that. I’m supposed to be here to make him feel better and loved. Instead, you’re making it impossible to have any time with him.”
“Rosemary, Robin is different than other children. She’s …”
“In a wheelchair,” Rosemary finished.
“No, I meant she’s not as aggressive as Stephen. He needs to be taught how to behave.”
“Could you leave that up to me, Mabel?” said Jacob.
“I didn’t hear you discourage his behavior. Rosemary and I are family but also company, and he must learn how to act when in social situations.”
“When we were children Mom used to bat us in the head with her bag when she thought no one was looking. Once the mailman caught her and threatened to report her to Social Services.”
“He should have been minding his own business.”
“What did you carry in that bag, Mom? Lead?”
“Rosemary, I barely touched you with the bag. I meant to make you more alert to your surroundings. You and Cathy would drift off into dreamland and paid no attention to what happened around you.”
“Cathy one time emptied Mom’s bag into a drawer, and for some reason Mom didn’t notice how light it was. Boy, Mom was really embarrassed when she couldn’t pay the bill at the grocery.”
“Cathy always came up with little spiteful things like that.” Mabel’s eyes watered.
Jacob reached over and held her hand.
“Mabel, promise you’ll never hit my son with your monster of a bag.”
“Jacob …” Tears flowed down Mabel’s cheeks.
“Mom, Stephen is Jacob’s problem, not yours. You’re the grandma. You’re supposed to have fun with him. He’s supposed to look forward to your spoiling him. Okay?”
“I’m sorry, Jacob, I’m doing it again.”
“Yup; at this point I should be sending you home.”
“Like Cathy did.”
Jacob nodded.
“Don’t go home, Mom, just lighten up.” Rosemary stood to walk over to her mother and give her a hug.
“Stephen will forget all about this,” said Jacob.
“But not about his babysitter,” said Rosemary. “Why are you thinking about changing sitters? I always thought Molly was conscientious.”
“I think he’s gotten too close to her. You heard him talk about having her live here.”
“Yeah, but that’s because he misses the mothering Cathy gave him. That’s where you can come in, Grandma.” Rosemary patted her mother’s shoulders. “Instead of being the bad guy, why don’t you give Stephen unconditional love? He already has Jacob to boss him around.”
“But—”
“A grandma’s unconditional love,” interrupted Rosemary.
Mabel nodded her head.
“I’m going upstairs to make up with Stephen and find out what he wants to do today. I promise I will not try to affect his decision even if I think it unhealthy.” Mabel stood.
“Going to visit his mother at the ocean isn’t unhealthy, Mom. Cathy’s only been dead a short time.” Mabel nodded and left the kitchen.
“Thanks,” said Jacob. “I didn’t think you approved of my fatherly techniques.”
“Mom’s going to alienate Stephen the same way she did Cathy. I don’t want that to happen. I’m afraid she sees a lot of Cathy in him.
“As for you, you creep, I never said you made a bad father. A bad husband? Yes. You fool around with Stephen’s babysitter?”
“Rosemary, why would you think that?”
“Because I was stupid enough to sleep with you the night before you married Cathy.”
“Ah, but Cathy and I were not officially married yet.”
“Come off it, Jacob. You’re a male slut.”
“And you, Rosemary?”
“Stupid.”
Rosemary shivered.
“Is there a window open?”
“No. It’s me giving you the shivers,” Jacob
Jacob laughed, but Mabel pulled the boys hands from the table.
“Upstairs, now!” she barked.
Stephen rose from the chair so fast it almost tipped over, except Jacob caught the back frame. Stephen ran out of the kitchen.
“Mom, did you have to do that?”
“What, Rosemary?”
“Discipline Stephen like that. I’m supposed to be here to make him feel better and loved. Instead, you’re making it impossible to have any time with him.”
“Rosemary, Robin is different than other children. She’s …”
“In a wheelchair,” Rosemary finished.
“No, I meant she’s not as aggressive as Stephen. He needs to be taught how to behave.”
“Could you leave that up to me, Mabel?” said Jacob.
“I didn’t hear you discourage his behavior. Rosemary and I are family but also company, and he must learn how to act when in social situations.”
“When we were children Mom used to bat us in the head with her bag when she thought no one was looking. Once the mailman caught her and threatened to report her to Social Services.”
“He should have been minding his own business.”
“What did you carry in that bag, Mom? Lead?”
“Rosemary, I barely touched you with the bag. I meant to make you more alert to your surroundings. You and Cathy would drift off into dreamland and paid no attention to what happened around you.”
“Cathy one time emptied Mom’s bag into a drawer, and for some reason Mom didn’t notice how light it was. Boy, Mom was really embarrassed when she couldn’t pay the bill at the grocery.”
“Cathy always came up with little spiteful things like that.” Mabel’s eyes watered.
Jacob reached over and held her hand.
“Mabel, promise you’ll never hit my son with your monster of a bag.”
“Jacob …” Tears flowed down Mabel’s cheeks.
“Mom, Stephen is Jacob’s problem, not yours. You’re the grandma. You’re supposed to have fun with him. He’s supposed to look forward to your spoiling him. Okay?”
“I’m sorry, Jacob, I’m doing it again.”
“Yup; at this point I should be sending you home.”
“Like Cathy did.”
Jacob nodded.
“Don’t go home, Mom, just lighten up.” Rosemary stood to walk over to her mother and give her a hug.
“Stephen will forget all about this,” said Jacob.
“But not about his babysitter,” said Rosemary. “Why are you thinking about changing sitters? I always thought Molly was conscientious.”
“I think he’s gotten too close to her. You heard him talk about having her live here.”
“Yeah, but that’s because he misses the mothering Cathy gave him. That’s where you can come in, Grandma.” Rosemary patted her mother’s shoulders. “Instead of being the bad guy, why don’t you give Stephen unconditional love? He already has Jacob to boss him around.”
“But—”
“A grandma’s unconditional love,” interrupted Rosemary.
Mabel nodded her head.
“I’m going upstairs to make up with Stephen and find out what he wants to do today. I promise I will not try to affect his decision even if I think it unhealthy.” Mabel stood.
“Going to visit his mother at the ocean isn’t unhealthy, Mom. Cathy’s only been dead a short time.” Mabel nodded and left the kitchen.
“Thanks,” said Jacob. “I didn’t think you approved of my fatherly techniques.”
“Mom’s going to alienate Stephen the same way she did Cathy. I don’t want that to happen. I’m afraid she sees a lot of Cathy in him.
“As for you, you creep, I never said you made a bad father. A bad husband? Yes. You fool around with Stephen’s babysitter?”
“Rosemary, why would you think that?”
“Because I was stupid enough to sleep with you the night before you married Cathy.”
“Ah, but Cathy and I were not officially married yet.”
“Come off it, Jacob. You’re a male slut.”
“And you, Rosemary?”
“Stupid.”
Rosemary shivered.
“Is there a window open?”
“No. It’s me giving you the shivers,” Jacob
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