Book 1: Chapter 6
Before
“Happy birthday to you!” We all sang to Alex and Anna.
“Five years old!” I gushed at the twins as they grinned up at me. “You’re almost big enough to get a job!”
“Mamma!” Anna said laughing. “We’re only five! We don’t have jobs!”
“Anna’s right! My kids don’t need to get jobs yet,” Matthew smiled, picking Anna up and tickling her. Her laughter was music.
“Daddy! Put Sissy down!” Alex demanded, his little hands on his little hips.
“Oh. My apologies Prince Alex,” Matthew smiled down on our son. He put Anna down and Alex immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him and their friends.
Matthew wrapped his arms around me and watched the children playing in the back yard.
“Five years old,” he said quietly.
“It’s so hard to believe our little babies are five!” I said wistfully.
I stared after the children, watching Alex take the lead with his friends and Anna and her friends watching and playing.
The kids each had their own friends, but they all seemed to get along in their own ways. I smiled as I watched the two groups mingle and merge.
Mrs. Watkins cut up the birthday cake as we tried to wrangle twenty four- and five–year–olds to tables for five minutes.
We had just gotten the last child sitting down with cake when a voice called through the backyard.
“Hello?” The sickeningly sweet voice rang across the backyard.
“Aunty Seline!” The twins cried and jumped up.
Seline. Of course. And of course she came ‘fashionably‘ late in order to make an entrance no one would miss.
I watched as the twins ran to Seline and wrapped her legs in hugs.
“Oh no! I’ve been accosted by monsters!” Seline pretended to be scared.
“We’re not monsters, Aunty Seline!” Anna insisted.
“Yeah! It’s me and Anna!” Alex said.
“Oh. Thank goodness! You two didn’t see the monster that tried to eat me, did you?”
The twins laughed.
Seline unwrapped herself from the children and they went back to their cake and their friends.
“Astrid, Seline said, coming up to Matthew and I, and giving Matthew a longer than appropriate hug and a kiss that was too close to his mouth for my liking.
Ten years now, and she still ‘forgot‘ my name.
“Rachel!” She cried out as my mother in law came up to say hello to Seline. She hugged Matthew’s mother as though she hadn’t just seen her the night before at dinner.
I watched as my mother in law embraced Seline like a long–lost daughter. A tiny bead of jealousy rolled around my stomach. It was the one thing that I could admit I was a little jealous about. That Seline could get a warm hug from the woman who was supposed to be my mother in law. Rachel had yet to really warm up to me, no matter how much I tried.
Matthew said I was overthinking it, but he never saw the pointed smile Seline gave me every time. He didn’t see his mother’s features change when she saw Seline. He never noticed the quiet scoff his mother gave whenever I entered a room.
Nothing I did was ever ‘quite‘ good enough for Rachel Davenport.
Matthew and I had gotten the twins into one of the best schools in the city. Rachel made a comment that sounded like I was the reason they didn’t get into the best school.
“Masterson is a great school, Mom,” Matthew had argued. “It’s perfect for the kids‘ needs.”
“You went to Wildling, Rachel scoffed. The school we’d actually rejected because they didn’t offer enough art classes.
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Book 1: Chapter 6
“And that was a great school. For me. Anna and Alex aren’t me,” Matthew had said.
“No,” Rachel had said, shooting a withering glance at me. “They absolutely are not you, are they?”
I had to roll my eyes.
The kids thrived at Masterson. They made friends fast, were well liked by the staff, and excelled both academically and artistically.
When the children were done eating cake, and we’d cleaned up the mess of cups and plates, the twins insisted they wanted to open their presents for everyone to see. I had wanted to wait until everyone had gone home so no one felt like their gift wasn’t preferred over someone else’s.
But Matthew, the twins and my in–laws vetoed me.
I smiled as the children opened presents from their schoolmates and friends. Toys, books, games, and clothes began piling up on the table beside the twins. Each gift was received with excitement and awe and hugs to the giver. I had to admit, the children knew how to make their friends feel special. No one looked put out at all.
“My turn!” Seline cried, taking an envelope and handing it to Alex. I watched Anna’s face fall when Seline didn’t hand an envelope to her, too.
“Don’t be sad, little duck,” Seline reassured her. “That gift is for both of you. I gave it to Alex because he’s older.”
“By four minutes!” Anna said, scowling.
But as soon as Alex had opened the card and they saw what the gift was, Anna forgot to be upset.
“Disneyland?!” They exclaimed.
“Yeppers!” Seline smiled. “And fast passes so we don’t have to wait in long lineups!”
We?’ I thought to myself.
“Mommy! Look!” Alex came running over to me. “Look! Aunty Seline got us tickets to Disneyland!”
His excitement was contagious and looking into his deep brown eyes, I couldn’t help but smile.
“How exciting!” I said, looking at the passes. There were four passes. “For all four of us?”
I looked over at Seline, who was practically hanging off Matthew, and raised an eyebrow.
“Oh,” Seline said. “I wasn’t I didn’t think. I thought I could maybe take the kids. I didn’t think you’d want to go.”
She didn’t think I would want to go to Disneyland with my husband and my children?
“So, who is the fourth pass for?” I asked, trying not to sound upset and ruin the gift for the twins.
“I thought Matthew and I could take the twins,” Seline said.
“Please, Mommy!” Alex begged. “Please can Daddy and Aunty Seline take us?”
I handed the card and envelope with the passes in it back to Alex and excused myself, making it look like I just wanted to get some of the mess cleaned up and out of the way. In reality, I wanted to get away from the prying eyes of our friends and the parents of the kids‘ friends. I couldn’t stand the looks I was seeing between the parents of the other children and the stolen glances they made between Matthew, Seline and I.
1 carried the remainder of the cake into the kitchen, placed it on the island and then leaned on the island and drew in a deep breath that I let out in a
shuddering sigh.
Mrs. Watkins saw me standing there and looked towards the back door.
“Is everything alright, Ms Amelia?” She asked. I looked up at her.
Yes. Thank you Mrs. Watkins. It’s fine,” I said, hoping to reassure myself as well. She looked at me sceptically.
“I take it Ms Seline got under your skin?” She smirked at me. I was careful not to drop all my grievances about Seline on Mrs. Watkins. Just in case, but she saw things and knew Seline was not on my list of favourite people.
“Not like she ever gets out.” I muttered as I took a swipe of icing off a corner piece of cake with my finger and put it in my mouth.
“Amelia!” Matthew said, coming into the kitchen. Mrs. Watkins gave me a knowing glance and busied herself putting the cake away. “There you are. You just walked out on everyone?”
“I brought the cake inside so it wouldn’t melt, Matthew,” I said, turning to face him. “And the bag of wrapping paper trash so we didn’t have garbage sitting around. You must not have noticed.”
‘Don’t be like that,” he said, responding to my tone. It was clear I was not happy.
“Don’t be like what, Matthew? Like a hostess making sure trash doesn’t accumulate? Making sure our cake doesn’t melt in the heat? Or don’t be like the trash you all treat me like?” I vented.
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Book 1: Chapter 5
“No one treats you like trash, Matthew said, coming over to me and trying to wrap his arms around me. I stepped back and around the island. He frowned.
“What’s wrong now?” He asked, crossing his arms and acting as though he was the one wronged.
“Oh, nothing,” I said, flippantly. There is absolutely nothing wrong.”
“You’re upset,” he said. “I know you’re upset. What are you so upset about?”
He was trying to pretend to be sympathetic but his tone came off mocking.
“What reason have I got to be upset?” I asked, looking at him pointedly. “I mean, it’s a beautiful day, my children are having the time of their life with their friends and celebrating their birthday and they even got a trip to Disneyland as a gift! Amazing. And four passes. Just enough for us to go as a family. Oh! But wait! I’m not actually invited on the trip! But I can’t imagine anything that I could possibly be upset about. After all, Seline didn’t think that I’d want to go. To Disneyland. With my children. Why would I be upset about that?”
- me.
“Oh, Amelia,” Matthew rolled his eyes. “Is that all? I’ll buy you an admission ticket. Of course you can come.”
“Oh, can I?” I asked, feigning excitement. “Really? I can tag along on your little family vacation? Aren’t you concerned I’ll ruin all your fun?”
“What is it you’re upset about exactly?” he asked, frowning at me.
I looked him dead in the eyes, trying to determine if he was being serious, if he really didn’t understand what had me upset or if he was playing with
He looked back, a questioning look in his eyes. He couldn’t figure it out. He had no understanding as to what it was that had me upset.
“Do you really need me to spell it out for you?” I asked. “You really can’t come up with a single thing that I might be upset about?”
You’re upset Seline didn’t get you a pass to Disneyland,” he said confidently.
I stared at him, gape–mouthed, shook my head at him and walked out of the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” he asked me, as I headed towards the stairs. “We have a backyard full of guests.”
“Why don’t you get Seline to take over the hostessing duties? You’d clearly all prefer to have her around anyway,” I spat at him.
“Amelia, you’re being ridiculous,” Matthew said from the bottom of the stairs.
“Am I, Matthew? Really? And why, exactly, do you feel I’m being ridiculous?”
“You’re getting upset over nothing. I can buy you a Disney pass and you’ll come with us. I’m sure it was just an oversight on Seline’s part. Don’t be silly. Don’t ruin the twins‘ birthday.”
“Why are you always making excuses for Seline?” I asked. “We’ve been married for ten years Matthew, and she still pretends to forget my name. We’ve been a family of four for five years, and she somehow managed to forget to buy five passes? But I’m the one being ridiculous because I have the nerve to speak up for myself? To tell you that none of her mistakes are in fact mistakes?”
“Seline has never really been one to think things through,” Matthew said. Another excuse.
he’s always been a little self–centred.”
“I hope that wasn’t an apology, or an excuse,” I said, my hands on my hips. “Because that is a shitty apology or excuse.”
“Amelia, come back downstairs. Let’s finish the kids‘ birthday party, help them bring all their new stuff inside, and say goodbye to our guests. We can discuss the Disney trip later.”
And that was it for Matthew. He was done discussing the issue. Sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened. Hope Amelia forgets and
therefore the issue doesn’t need to be dealt with.
Because I didn’t want to cause further speculation among the guests, I did go back outside with Matthew. My mother–in–law and Seline were sitting with the twins talking animatedly. The other guests were starting to gather their children together to start heading home. They thanked us for a lovely party, and the moms I had become friendly with made sure to remind me of our planned lunch later in the week. I had come to love the mothers of my children’s friends. Raising kids really does take a village and knowing the mothers of other five–year–olds were experiencing some of the same challenges, made me feel that much less alone.
“Mommy!” Alex came rushing over, a huge grin on his face. “Aunty Seline said we could go to Disney this week!”
“Did she?” I asked, looking over at Seline and my mother–in–law.
“I hope that’s not too soon,” Seline said. “I just figured, they’re still little and they’ll be so excited to go, I wouldn’t want to make them have to wait too
long to go.”
“We will have to see what we have planned this week,” I said, more to Alex than Seline.
“Please, Mommy?” he begged.
“We’ll discuss it,” I said to Alex, who frowned and fumed as he turned away and sat back with Seline and my mother–in–law.
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Book 1: Chapter 6
“You don’t have to punish the children for Seline’s oversight,” my mother–in–law said, coming over to me for the first time all afternoon.
“I’m not punishing the children,” I frowned at her. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“The Disney trip. You didn’t have to tell Alex they couldn’t go this week just because Seline forgot to get you a ticket. If it’s that big a deal to you, you
can have mine,” she said.
It struck me then, this wasn’t just a trip with the children. It was indeed a family trip. It was just that they didn’t consider the mother of the children as part of the family. I was seething internally.
1 did not tell Alex they couldn’t go this week, Rachel,” I said, trying valiantly to maintain my composure. “I told him we would discuss it, because Matthew and I have to check that we haven’t got something already planned this week.”
I’m sure whatever you do have planned can easily be rescheduled,” Rachel said to me, dismissively before walking away and returning to where Seline was entertaining the children. Matthew stood behind her, watching with rapt attention. From outside, they looked like quite the happy little family
I finished taking the last of the trash and party favours inside, threw out the trash and stood in the kitchen looking out onto the yard.
I watched as the kids, Rachel, Matthew and Seline laughed together.
“Not really like you to stay so quiet,” a voice interrupted my thoughts. There stood my father–in–law. He had come in, presumably, to get another scotch from Matthew’s office.
“I’ve made my feelings known. In some cases it’s just not worth pursuing,” I said.
“Sometimes constant reminders are required,” he said as he went back outside and sat beside Rachel. I sighed.
I busied myself putting things away and making sure things were cleaned up and put in storage in the case of the party decorations.
The sun began to set and I decided to see if Matthew would get the kids ready to calm down for bedtime or if I was going to have to be the ‘mean‘ one who takes away all the fun.
The kids‘ bedtime was eight o’clock. It was seven–thirty. I gave them fifteen more minutes to see if Matthew or even his parents would clue in.
Of course, they didn’t. I went outside to collect my children and start their bedtime routine, since they needed the downtime.
“Okay, you two little munchkins, I said, trying to make my voice sound upbeat. “It’s time to get ready for bed.”
“Aww, Mommy, can’t we stay up a little longer?” Alex whined. “Aunty Seline was telling us about Disney and all the things we can do!”
“Don’t you want to have some surprises while you’re there?” I asked. “If you know everything before you go, then it won’t be a fun surprise!”
“You mean we can go?” Alex sat up.
“Alex, I never said you couldn’t go, honey,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “I only said we would talk about whether this week would work.”
Alex frowned again.
“Aunty Seline said you’d tell us we can’t go this week,” he frowned.
Matthew’s eyes flicked between Seline and I. Seline looked at me with a look that implied to me that she was in control here. I sighed.
“Mamma didn’t say we can’t go,” Anna frowned at her brother. My little peacemaker. “She just said we can, but she needs to make sure we don’t have something happening this week first.”
“I’m sure your mother can reschedule anything you have coming up this week,” my mother–in–law said. I drew in a breath and did not say a word.
“If it’s so important to you to go this week, then fine,” I sighed. “I took a quick look at the calendar, and I don’t see anything that needs to be rescheduled.”
I wasn’t going to win this one anyway. And there really wasn’t any reason not to let them go. I had just hoped I’d have some time to discuss this with Matthew without everyone around. But I could see that wasn’t going to happen.
“We can?” Alex smiled, looking up at me.
“Like I said, I never said you couldn’t go at all, Alex. But if it’s that important that it has to be this week, fine. Have a good time,” I said.
Alex got up and ran over to me, hugging my leg.
“Thank you, Mommy! You’re the best!” he said, smiling up at me. I couldn’t resist that smile even if I tried.
AIA
