total…
Silence.
Ahhhhh.
Becka was still asleep in her bassinet, too.
When she came back downstairs, Mrs. Reed didn’t say anything at first. She pulled out a calendar daybook and opened it up on the kitchen table, pointing to the months of June and July.
“Starting next week, Eliot should be in better spirits,” Mrs. Reed explained. “I think it’s a good idea if we go over his schedule together. This week, Monday is musical jamboree, Tuesday and Wednesday are kiddie swim, Thursday is Pool Day, and Friday is games.”
Pool Day? Madison was sure Egg had told her it would be during the weekend. What was it doing on a Thursday?
“Does Eliot go to Pool Day?” Madison asked, confused. This was one of the best events of the summer. She wanted to spend it with her friends. Not some baby.
“Eliot is competing in the kickboard swim for toddlers. It’s one of a handful of events for the wee ones. I think they have more competitions for the older children. I’m sure you’ve done Pool Day other summers before, right?” Mrs. Reed asked. “You must have fond memories.”
Madison felt a pang in the pit of her stomach. Memories?
“I think Eliot has a real shot at winning a kiddie ribbon,” Mrs. Reed said.
“And what will I be doing?” Madison asked.
“What else? Spending time with Eliot, of course,” Mrs. Reed said, smiling.
I’d rather be hanging out with Aimee and Fiona.
Watching Hart lifeguard.
Winning a Pool Day medal of my own!!!
Madison didn’t say anything out loud. She just nodded and agreed with whatever Mrs. Reed said.
“I have to take Becka to the doctor,” Mrs. Reed said. “You’ll be fine.” She smiled again. “Eliot will be in a good mood when he wakes up from his nap.”
Forty minutes later, when Eliot awoke from his nap, he was in a much better mood. He even told Madison that her Lego helicopter was “goovy,” which was his way of saying “groovy.”
The remainder of the afternoon seemed to fly by after that. Soon it was time to head home and Madison was back at Dad’s for dinner.
Despite all that had happened on day two, Madison didn’t feel much like talking. Eliot whipped trucks at her head. What was that about? And he cried all the time. Madison didn’t want Dad or Stephanie to think she was a total failure.
Most of all, Madison wanted to talk to Mom about it.
After a long, late dinner and dessert, Dad said Madison could telephone Mom in Australia. It was just about eight-thirty in Far Hills. That meant it was already twelve-thirty the next day where Mom was working! Madison hit a bunch of extra numbers to call long-distance. After a long wait, the phone on the other end finally began to ring.
“Mom?” Madison cried into the telephone. “Is that you?”
“Maddie?” Mom said. Her voice crackled with long-distance static. “What a surprise, honey bear!”
“I wanted to call because I missed your call yesterday and a lot has happened.”
“I know I should have called last night…,” Mom said.
“I got the mother’s helper job,” Madison said.
“You DID?” Mom squealed. “Hooray! I am so proud of you. I knew you could do it. How’s it going? You just started?”
“Well, yeah…” Madison started to explain, but then the phone crackled and she wasn’t sure if they were even still connected.
“Maddie?”
“Mom, are you still there?”
“Oh yes, honey bear—hold on a second—let me just—” Mom’s voice was choppy. Madison glanced over at Dad. She wondered what he’d say if Madison told him that Mom had just put her on hold while she was calling halfway across the planet.
He’d die.
“Maddie, are you there?” Mom said. “I was just in the midst of a meeting when you called. A lunch meeting…”
“Oh, sorry,” Madison said. “I know you’re busy.”
“No! I’m always here—wait, hold on another second, okay?” Mom interrupted Madison once again to speak to someone in her meeting.
Madison stared off into space.
Busy,
Silence.
Ahhhhh.
Becka was still asleep in her bassinet, too.
When she came back downstairs, Mrs. Reed didn’t say anything at first. She pulled out a calendar daybook and opened it up on the kitchen table, pointing to the months of June and July.
“Starting next week, Eliot should be in better spirits,” Mrs. Reed explained. “I think it’s a good idea if we go over his schedule together. This week, Monday is musical jamboree, Tuesday and Wednesday are kiddie swim, Thursday is Pool Day, and Friday is games.”
Pool Day? Madison was sure Egg had told her it would be during the weekend. What was it doing on a Thursday?
“Does Eliot go to Pool Day?” Madison asked, confused. This was one of the best events of the summer. She wanted to spend it with her friends. Not some baby.
“Eliot is competing in the kickboard swim for toddlers. It’s one of a handful of events for the wee ones. I think they have more competitions for the older children. I’m sure you’ve done Pool Day other summers before, right?” Mrs. Reed asked. “You must have fond memories.”
Madison felt a pang in the pit of her stomach. Memories?
“I think Eliot has a real shot at winning a kiddie ribbon,” Mrs. Reed said.
“And what will I be doing?” Madison asked.
“What else? Spending time with Eliot, of course,” Mrs. Reed said, smiling.
I’d rather be hanging out with Aimee and Fiona.
Watching Hart lifeguard.
Winning a Pool Day medal of my own!!!
Madison didn’t say anything out loud. She just nodded and agreed with whatever Mrs. Reed said.
“I have to take Becka to the doctor,” Mrs. Reed said. “You’ll be fine.” She smiled again. “Eliot will be in a good mood when he wakes up from his nap.”
Forty minutes later, when Eliot awoke from his nap, he was in a much better mood. He even told Madison that her Lego helicopter was “goovy,” which was his way of saying “groovy.”
The remainder of the afternoon seemed to fly by after that. Soon it was time to head home and Madison was back at Dad’s for dinner.
Despite all that had happened on day two, Madison didn’t feel much like talking. Eliot whipped trucks at her head. What was that about? And he cried all the time. Madison didn’t want Dad or Stephanie to think she was a total failure.
Most of all, Madison wanted to talk to Mom about it.
After a long, late dinner and dessert, Dad said Madison could telephone Mom in Australia. It was just about eight-thirty in Far Hills. That meant it was already twelve-thirty the next day where Mom was working! Madison hit a bunch of extra numbers to call long-distance. After a long wait, the phone on the other end finally began to ring.
“Mom?” Madison cried into the telephone. “Is that you?”
“Maddie?” Mom said. Her voice crackled with long-distance static. “What a surprise, honey bear!”
“I wanted to call because I missed your call yesterday and a lot has happened.”
“I know I should have called last night…,” Mom said.
“I got the mother’s helper job,” Madison said.
“You DID?” Mom squealed. “Hooray! I am so proud of you. I knew you could do it. How’s it going? You just started?”
“Well, yeah…” Madison started to explain, but then the phone crackled and she wasn’t sure if they were even still connected.
“Maddie?”
“Mom, are you still there?”
“Oh yes, honey bear—hold on a second—let me just—” Mom’s voice was choppy. Madison glanced over at Dad. She wondered what he’d say if Madison told him that Mom had just put her on hold while she was calling halfway across the planet.
He’d die.
“Maddie, are you there?” Mom said. “I was just in the midst of a meeting when you called. A lunch meeting…”
“Oh, sorry,” Madison said. “I know you’re busy.”
“No! I’m always here—wait, hold on another second, okay?” Mom interrupted Madison once again to speak to someone in her meeting.
Madison stared off into space.
Busy,
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