psychologist?”
Looking up, Lisa saw that the little girl was red-faced and sobbing, with tears streaming down her face.
“I can't believe this child,” the woman continued. “What did I do to deserve a daughter who can't even control her fucking bladder?”
Glancing at the husband, Lisa saw that he seemed too shocked to do anything.
“It's fine,” she said, getting to her feet and forcing a smile. “Accidents happen and -”
“It is not fine!” the woman hissed, still hiding her face as diners at the other tables glanced over. “This is humiliating, for Christ's sake!”
“I'll clean it all up,” Lisa told her, glancing down at the sobbing child, “and I think we can find a change of clothes.” When neither of the girl's parents said anything, Lisa reached down and put her hand on the child's shoulder. “How about you come with me,” she asked, smiling in an attempt to make the girl cheer up a little, “and we'll get everything clean and sorted? It'll be like this never happened, I promise.”
“And bring me a gin and tonic while you're at it,” the woman snapped. “Oh God, why me? I'm a good mother, why does this always happen to me? Why can't I have a child who behaves?”
“We'll straighten this all out,” Lisa replied, “and I'll get a change of clothes for your daughter.”
“Feel free to keep her,” the woman muttered. “God, I'm sick of this!”
“Come on,” Lisa said, still smiling as she took the little girl's hand. “It's okay. I'm just going to clean you up. There's no need to be scared.”
***
“Don't worry,” Lisa said as she pulled a fresh set of black trousers from the closet and turned to Elizabeth, who was standing and still sobbing in the storeroom behind the kitchen. “We all have little accidents from time to time. There's no need to feel embarrassed or sad, okay?”
When the little girl failed to respond, Lisa stepped over and crouched down in front of her.
“How old are you?” she asked.
She waited, but tears were streaming down the girl's red, flustered face.
“Your name's Elizabeth, right?” she continued. “How old are you, Elizabeth? Let me guess, you're... Ten? Eleven?
Finally the girl lifted her face slightly and looked at her.
“Nine,” she said timidly, her voice trembling with shock.
“Nine, huh?” Lisa smiled. “I remember when I was nine, I still had little accidents sometimes. It's really not that big of a deal. I once wet myself at school when I was... Oh, eleven, something like that. I thought it was the end of the world, I thought no-one would ever talk to me again. But do you know what? It was fine. These things don't really matter, not in the long run.”
“I embarrassed Mummy.”
“Well, don't worry about that,” Lisa continued, refraining from telling the girl what she really thought about her mother. “Listen, these trousers are totally the wrong size for you, but I think we can make them fit. I'll cut the bottoms off the legs, and I'll find something for you to use as a belt, and you'll be right as rain in no time. You'll look funny, but there's nothing wrong with looking funny, is there?” She waited for a reply, for perhaps even the first trace of a smile, but the girl was still weeping. “You mustn't worry about what your mother said,” she added. “I'm sure she's just stressed. She didn't mean any of it.”
“Did you see her?” Elizabeth asked.
“Your mother?” Lisa nodded. “Don't worry, I asked my friend to take her a gin and tonic.”
“Not Mummy,” Elizabeth continued, sniffing back tears. “The other woman.”
“Which other woman would that be?”
Heading back to the closet, Lisa began to search for a smaller pair of trousers.
“The woman...” Elizabeth paused, her eyes filled with fear. “The woman at the next table, in the corner.”
“I don't think there's -” Stopping suddenly, Lisa realized that the little girl could only mean the empty table nine. “I don't think
Looking up, Lisa saw that the little girl was red-faced and sobbing, with tears streaming down her face.
“I can't believe this child,” the woman continued. “What did I do to deserve a daughter who can't even control her fucking bladder?”
Glancing at the husband, Lisa saw that he seemed too shocked to do anything.
“It's fine,” she said, getting to her feet and forcing a smile. “Accidents happen and -”
“It is not fine!” the woman hissed, still hiding her face as diners at the other tables glanced over. “This is humiliating, for Christ's sake!”
“I'll clean it all up,” Lisa told her, glancing down at the sobbing child, “and I think we can find a change of clothes.” When neither of the girl's parents said anything, Lisa reached down and put her hand on the child's shoulder. “How about you come with me,” she asked, smiling in an attempt to make the girl cheer up a little, “and we'll get everything clean and sorted? It'll be like this never happened, I promise.”
“And bring me a gin and tonic while you're at it,” the woman snapped. “Oh God, why me? I'm a good mother, why does this always happen to me? Why can't I have a child who behaves?”
“We'll straighten this all out,” Lisa replied, “and I'll get a change of clothes for your daughter.”
“Feel free to keep her,” the woman muttered. “God, I'm sick of this!”
“Come on,” Lisa said, still smiling as she took the little girl's hand. “It's okay. I'm just going to clean you up. There's no need to be scared.”
***
“Don't worry,” Lisa said as she pulled a fresh set of black trousers from the closet and turned to Elizabeth, who was standing and still sobbing in the storeroom behind the kitchen. “We all have little accidents from time to time. There's no need to feel embarrassed or sad, okay?”
When the little girl failed to respond, Lisa stepped over and crouched down in front of her.
“How old are you?” she asked.
She waited, but tears were streaming down the girl's red, flustered face.
“Your name's Elizabeth, right?” she continued. “How old are you, Elizabeth? Let me guess, you're... Ten? Eleven?
Finally the girl lifted her face slightly and looked at her.
“Nine,” she said timidly, her voice trembling with shock.
“Nine, huh?” Lisa smiled. “I remember when I was nine, I still had little accidents sometimes. It's really not that big of a deal. I once wet myself at school when I was... Oh, eleven, something like that. I thought it was the end of the world, I thought no-one would ever talk to me again. But do you know what? It was fine. These things don't really matter, not in the long run.”
“I embarrassed Mummy.”
“Well, don't worry about that,” Lisa continued, refraining from telling the girl what she really thought about her mother. “Listen, these trousers are totally the wrong size for you, but I think we can make them fit. I'll cut the bottoms off the legs, and I'll find something for you to use as a belt, and you'll be right as rain in no time. You'll look funny, but there's nothing wrong with looking funny, is there?” She waited for a reply, for perhaps even the first trace of a smile, but the girl was still weeping. “You mustn't worry about what your mother said,” she added. “I'm sure she's just stressed. She didn't mean any of it.”
“Did you see her?” Elizabeth asked.
“Your mother?” Lisa nodded. “Don't worry, I asked my friend to take her a gin and tonic.”
“Not Mummy,” Elizabeth continued, sniffing back tears. “The other woman.”
“Which other woman would that be?”
Heading back to the closet, Lisa began to search for a smaller pair of trousers.
“The woman...” Elizabeth paused, her eyes filled with fear. “The woman at the next table, in the corner.”
“I don't think there's -” Stopping suddenly, Lisa realized that the little girl could only mean the empty table nine. “I don't think
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