CHAPTER 18

Chapter 18

One afternoon, several days after the arrival of Uncle Teddy, Nancy was preparing a snack for Maggie. It was her favorite, a banana nut muffing. She set it on the kitchen table and went to pour a glass of milk. She grabbed a tall tumbler and poured herself a glass of iced tea.

“Maggie! Maggie! Come down for your snack.”

She turned to the sink and began to wash the dishes. She loved the scent of the lavender dish washing liquid. It made the chore a pleasant experience. She also used this time to practice staying in the moment, something she had read about in Good Housekeeping magazine.

She washed each cup and plate thoroughly, paying close attention to the scent of the soap, the sound of the water, the slipperiness of her fingertips. The article said it would help with stress. She didn’t know if it was working but it was worth a try.

She turned expecting to see Maggie sitting at the table but she wasn’t there. She turned off the water and grabbed a towel.

“Oh Maggie.” She walked into the living room and looked around.

From the bottom of the stairs, Nancy called out, “Maggie… I’m waiting… come eat your snack!” She waited for a reply but none came. She took two steps up and called again, “Maggieee…” Again, she waited.

“Maggie? Come down!” She waited.

Finally, Nancy lost her patience. “Ok, Maggie, I’m coming up! You don’t want me to come up!”

Maggie opened the door to her bedroom just as Nancy was about to take another step up. She stopped and looked sternly at Maggie. “What took you so long? I’ve been calling you for hours!”

Maggie walked quickly by without looking at her mother. She didn’t answer her questions. Nancy stood on the step watching Maggie as she ran into the kitchen. She shook her head and smiled. She was about to take a step down when she heard the bedroom door open. She looked up and saw Uncle Teddy making his way out of Maggie’s room.