Page 19 of Wishes at Water's Edge
Alexis looked down at the spoon and laughed. “No, I was just tidying up and I found this in my couch. Things have been a little crazy around here.”
“We figured.” Vivian smiled at her. “Things are always a little hectic when you’ve just had a baby. That’s why we made you a tuna casserole for tonight.” She held up a tote bag that appeared to contain a large casserole dish at the bottom of it.
“Oh!” Alexis hugged her mother and sister. “Thank you so much. It’ll be a huge relief not to have to cook tonight. Why don’t you guys come on inside?”
“Okay. Is Cash sleeping?” Julia asked, dropping her voice and peering up the stairs.
“Yes.” Alexis laughed. “But he’s sleeping well these days, thank goodness. He doesn’t wake up for quiet noises usually.”
“We texted you that we were here because we didn’t want to ring the doorbell,” Julia said as she and Vivian stepped inside. “But you didn’t see it, I guess, so we resorted to tapping on the door quietly. We didn’t know if Cash was sleeping or not and we didn’t want to risk waking him up.”
Alexis was about to laugh as she realized why her mother and sister had been tapping softly on her door like a couple of woodpeckers, but unexpectedly she felt tears spring into her eyes.
“You’re both so sweet,” she said, flooded with gratitude. “It’s such a relief to not have to cook tonight—having one more thing less to do sounds amazing.”
“Of course!” Vivian took her daughter into her arms and gave her a warm hug. “We’re here for you. Anytime you’re feeling overwhelmed, you know you can reach out, right? Just let us know when you need help and we’ll be there to lend a hand.”
Alexis wiped away one of the tears, which had escaped her eye and was running down her cheek. “I know. I always want to just be able to handle everything myself, but it’s so much right now.”
“It’s too much right now,” Julia said. “I know how hard it is to take care of Macey, and she’s less of a handful than a newborn baby is. I know you love Cash and you’d do anything for him, but we feel the same way about you. Let us take care of you while you take care of him.”
Alexis pulled her mother and sister into a group hug and let herself cry with relief, although she laughed a little through her tears.
“You’re both absolute angels,” she said. “Come on into the kitchen and I’ll make you some tea.”
The three of them trooped into the kitchen, and Vivian got mugs out of the cupboard while Julia put water in the tea kettle. Alexis shook her head, laughing because even when she offered to make them tea, they made it for her.
She cleared the rest of the items that were on the table into organized piles, vowing to put everything away once her mother and sister had left.
“What flavor do you want, Alexis?” Julia asked as she pulled the tea basket out of the cupboard.
“Mm, I’ll take lavender mint please,” Alexis said after a moment.
“Oh, that sounds amazing.” Julia plopped the tea bag for Alexis down onto the counter. “I’m going to stick with my chai though. I have a chai addiction whenever the leaves are changing colors. It’s got such a lovely autumnal taste. What about you, Mom?”
“Oh, I think I’ll have a nice earl gray,” Vivian said with a smile. “Do you have milk, Alexis?”
“I do.” Alexis went to the refrigerator and opened it. There was a half-empty bottle she no longer trusted because it had been open for a week already, but she still hadn’t emptied it and put it in the recycling. Thankfully, Grayson had picked up a fresh bottle the night before, along with peanut butter and frozen, pre-cooked hamburger patties in case they needed a quick, easy meal. She pulled the correct milk out of the refrigerator and opened it. “You want some too, Julia?”
“Yes please.” Julia poured hot water into each of the mugs. “I love milk with chai.”
“Isn’t that a chai latte then?” Vivian said with a smile as she picked up her mug and tea bag.
“No, for it to be a latte the milk needs to be frothy,” Julia said.
“I have a frother,” Alexis offered. “I can?—”
“Nope.” Julia held up her hand. “I’m good, Tired Mommy. You sit down and drink your tea.”
Alexis laughed. “It’s not like I’m an invalid. I was cleaning the house before you got here.” She gestured to the piles of objects as she obeyed Julia and sat down at the kitchen table.
“Yeah, but you look really tired,” Julia said, setting Alexis’s mug of tea down in front of her.
“I mean, yeah, but it’s been better than—” A huge yawn overtook Alexis, and Julia laughed and thumped her back.
“I think what Julia is trying to say is that we know you have a lot going on,” Vivian said as she sat down. “We’re here to help you out, not ask you to do extra work hosting us.”
“I know, but I like to host.” Alexis smiled. “If I’d known you were coming, I would have tried to whip up a batch of cookies or something. Or—” She laughed. “I guess I would have wanted to, but it’s unlikely I would have found the time for it.”
