Chapter 10: Parenting Is Hard

“Hold still, Riley,” Maryanne sighs, trying to unbuckle the flailing child.
“No, play ‘n snow.” She squeaks as she is freed from her confines and tries to jump out of the car.
“No, now just wait. Let me put your jacket back on.” This second step is more frustrating than the first as Riley continues to defy Maryanne by keeping her arms stuck to her sides.
“Now,” Maryanne leans back for a second, huffing. Heat takes over her face, frustration taking hold of her body. “If you want to play outside, then you need to put your jacket back on, okay?”
Riley’s small cheeks puff out as she frowns, but reluctantly follows direction.
“Thank you.”
Once the jacket is on, Maryanne makes sure that Riley’s gloves and hat are all the way on before she allows the girl to exit the car and run right into the pile of snow across the driveway. She laughs as Riley picks up the clumps of the flakes and throws them in the air, giggling.
“Good afternoon, Miss Maryanne.”
Geneva exits the mansion, holding her jacket tighter.
“Geneva, I didn’t know you would be back yet.”
“Mister Ryder had to go to the city for work. He asked me to come back early to help you with Riley.”
“Oh,” Maryanne’s heart drops, disappointment causing her body to become heavy. He isn’t home.
“Oh Miss, it is alright. Do not worry at all. You must have had a long day, go inside and change. I have made some hot chocolate.”
“Thank you, Geneva.”
Maryanne smiles and takes one last look at Riley playing before entering the house and taking off her jacket. Sighing, she stretches, trying to ease her tense muscles. She wanders into the kitchen, grabbing the cup of hot chocolate, and walks up the stairs carefully. She pauses occasionally to make sure she doesn’t spill any of the contents.
Once inside her room, Maryanne sets the cup down on her night table while she goes into her closet to change her wardrobe.
After changing into a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeved fuzzy shirt, she cuddles on the small chair in the corner of her room with the hot chocolate in hand. Smiling softly at the warm feeling radiating through her body, Maryanne’s mind begins to wander.
If Max had gone to the city, did he leave last night after storming out, or did he stay somewhere here in town first?
“Was he that upset with me,” Maryanne wonders aloud.
Sighing, she shifts her weight so that she can pull out her phone. No new messages or calls.
Swiping open her screen, she stares at Max’s name in her contacts. Does she text him?
“I need to apologize.”
Before she can talk herself out of it, Maryanne hits the call button and brings her phone up to her ear. Every time it rings, her heart begins to race more. How can she apologize to someone like Max?
The call ends up going to voicemail and the auto response starts to play. She should hang up and just text him.
As the beep signifying her to start leaving her voicemail rings in her ear, Maryanne rushes to speak, stumbling over her words.
“Max, uh, I guess I just wanted to say. . . I wanted to apologize.” She states after taking in a deep breath and calming herself. “I should not have been so upset yesterday. Just because you have money does not mean you rely solely on that. You could’ve hired a babysitter, but instead you did your best to take care of Riley yesterday. I should have thought about that. What I am trying to say is, I am sorry for being rude and judgmental about your financial situation or your parenting style. I understand how difficult it is to take care of a child. Don’t work too hard and I will see you when you get home.”
After hitting the end call button, Maryanne realizes that she had called the mansion home. Not Max’s home.
Her heart flutters and she swallows her embarrassment. What if he wasn’t still mad at her and finds her apology a joke? Heat builds in her cheeks. What if he comes home and makes fun of her?
Maryanne sips her hot chocolate and decides to push it all from her mind.
She makes a decision as she sits in her small chair, her legs on the cushion with her, warmth fighting off the winter chill. When Max returns home, she was going to be kinder to him, and try to forget about their past together.