Chapter 30 – Mothers and DaughtersHave you ever had the suspicion that someone was keeping something from you? Something important? I don't know why...but I just have this feeling that there is something that Ethan is not telling me.
Oh don't worry, I have no reason to believe that my husband is up to anything. Our relationship is the best that it's ever been (especially now that he and I both have Wednesdays off together...having the place to ourselves is nice).
It's just when the subject of our daughter's future comes up he just smiles and refuses to talk about it. Curious indeed...but I digress.
Elysia mentioned in her last post that I finally saw my mother for the first time in twenty-six years. While I cannot say that mother has changed (that would be asking a bit too much), I do believe that she has mellowed some. She has accomplished her life's goal, that is to be the leader of this nation, and now that she is at the top there is no reason for her to so ruthlessly pursue those who oppose her. I suppose that her advanced age has a lot to do with that; it is not terribly easy to plan for someone's downfall when you are nearing the twilight of your life.
Elly caught this candid snapshot of mother at the park when she came by to watch one of her jam sessions with Judd and the Frio girls. Is that a genuine smile...?
I do not know how far I will go with our relationship. Maybe over the years she has come to accept who I am? Or am I too naïve for my own good? Part of me would love to give mother the benefit of the doubt, but the part of me that grew up with her knows better.
We shall see, I suppose.
These past couple of months have been an exercise in insanity, and for my sister and brother-in-law, an exercise in patience. My niece is a handful and a half. None of us are quite sure what has gotten into Iris lately, but she has been pulling some...interesting stunts around the house. She pranked the downstairs shower with hair dye and got her uncle Ethan.
He was not thrilled, particularly since he and Malcolm had a meeting with the hospital board that day. It is a good thing that the chairman of the board happens to be the little culprit's grandfather.
Iris rigged the kitchen sink a week or so later. (Fortunately Judd has a good sense of humor...)
Then she scared the living daylights out of her dad by booby-trapping the computer.
About a week before the beginning of summer break she punctuated her troublesome streak by getting in some serious hot water at school. To be perfectly fair, though, there were extenuating circumstances.
I was helping Elly study for finals in the living room when the front door opened. A rather muddy, slightly scraped up, and very unamused Iris ambled inside, followed by her equally unamused mother. Malcolm, who had been working on the computer, was now surveying the scene with concern.
“Downstairs. Now.”
“But mom-”
“No buts. I need to speak with your father. Do not come back upstairs until I tell you to, is that clear?”
“Can I take a bath first please? I feel really gross.”
“Yes, but you are to go to your room the minute you are done,” Darlene replied. Defeated, Iris slowly trudged down the stairs. My sister-in-law sat down on the couch and started rubbing her temples.
“Darlene, what in the world...?” Malcolm asked as he sat down next to his wife.
“Iris has been suspended for two days for her involvement in a fight.”
“
What?!” Malcolm's voice cracked. “What happened?”
“She beat up the schoolyard bully.”
“...come again?”
“According to witnesses the bully was already pummeling another kid when Iris intervened. The playground monitor arrived a minute or so later to find him laying on the ground with Iris sitting on top of him.” Darlene heaved a sigh. “And there lies the problem. She put a stop to the bully and probably saved this other kid from being seriously hurt. How do we punish a child for doing something that wasn't necessarily wrong?”
“Wait then, why was she suspended if the fight wasn't her fault?”
“School policy. I can't bend the rules, even for my own daughter. The worst part is I have a meeting with the parents of the other kids tomorrow, which means confronting the bully's father...which I am absolutely NOT looking forward to.”
“Who is that?”
“VJ Alvi," she practically spat.
“Iris beat up
Wesley?" Elly interjected. "He's three years older than she is and a good four inches taller! Who the heck was the other kid?”
“Cycl0n3 and Emma's son, Timmy. He wound up with a bloody nose, but the school nurse didn't think it was broken.” She looked Malcolm in the eyes. “So what should we do about Iris?”
My brother-in-law thought for a moment. “Her heart was in the right place, I can't fault her for that. She should have let the playground monitor handle things, though.”
“I already told her that. Iris said that the playground monitor wasn't even looking, and she thought that if someone didn't do something fast things were going to get really bad.”
“We have a little vigilante on our hands, don't we?”
“What's worse is that the other kids on the playground were cheering her on...”
In the end Malcolm and Darlene gave her a long lecture on letting the authorities handle things, but let her off the hook as far as any further punishment was concerned. There was one positive that came out of the experience though; Iris made a new friend in Timothy Sw0rd.
By the time all of this had finally blown over it was time to switch gears into celebration mode. Today, my baby girl grew up.
She was dead exhausted from finals and didn't want much of a birthday party so we just had a quick celebration with cake and ice cream (and her boyfriend, naturally).
I swore to myself that I wouldn't cry. I failed...miserably.
I could not help it. Elysia has grown into an amazing, beautiful, upstanding woman. Thus far she has not chosen a vocation, but I know that she will excel at whatever she decides to do. Her future is bright, and I could not possibly be more proud.
Now if only Ethan would tell me what he keeps smiling about!
(Edit: All in good time, my love...all in good time. 
- Ethan)
