The family's baby

Chapter 17

*Grace's P.O.V*

"You know why, mommy! You made sissy Za drive away with my stuff!" I tell her, feeling confident in my anger towards her for doing it!

"So it's my fault your stuff didn't get removed from her car before that?" Mommy asks me, making me less confident.

"Well... no... but you did send her away with them!" I proclaim.

"I did but that isn't the real issue... did you or did you not leave your luggage in Zahira's car for someone else to get?" Mommy asks.

"... maybe... but!" I tell her before mommy's finger is placed against my lips.

"No buts, baby... this is your second warning. Now, do big girls get their own luggage or do they rely on mommy or daddy to get them?" Mommy asks, making me start nibbling my cheek trying to think of an answer.

"They get them..." I tell her, defeated.

"That's right, baby. Big girls get their own luggage when they exit a vehicle and come inside. They don't rush inside expecting someone else to collect it for them." Mommy tells me.

"You still sent her away..." I mutter, earning a tight hug and a kiss to my temple from mommy.

"Baby... if I knew you left them in the car, I would have made sure daddy collected them for you. Neither daddy, Zahira, or you mentioned that they were still in her car until it was too late. I can't be blamed for treating you like a big girl when you are trying to act like one... I assumed you brought them in with you, like any big girl would do." Mommy tells me, shutting down my next argument before I can even try it.

"Well... if I'm supposed to be a big girl, why can't I be on my own then!?" I ask her, grinning because I caught her now!

"To do what, exactly? You don't drive, have only the money we gave you, the closest bus stop is... 20ish minute walk and goes nowhere you would want to go, you can't walk to any store because it's only houses for miles, you have no friends..." Mommy starts listing before I cut her off.

"I have friends!!" I tell her, hurt by her words.

"No friends in the area because last I checked, they all left for college or some other reason. That is why you let mommy finish before interrupting her." Mommy says, wiping the tears from my eyes away for me.

"Oh... they might be back... you never know!" I tell her with a forced smile.

"Maybe... that is why I said last I checked, baby. Look, as I said before, all three of us will be living here and it's not that big of a house where we can all claim our own wing for ourselves. We will constantly be in the same rooms together, trying to do the same things. I'm sorry but you will be stuck spending a lot of time with us no matter what. You will have to rely on us to take you places, no matter what, and it's just easier to stay with you. This isn't as serious of a punishment as you think it is. You are acting like I'm keeping you trapped when in fact, all I'm doing is making sure I know where you are and what you are up to, baby." Mommy tells me.

"But what if I want alone time! I don't want to spend all day by your side!!" I complain to her.

"I never meant you would be! You literally were on your way to relax in your room, alone, before you announced you forgot your clothes. This was after receiving your punishment, too. I don't want you constantly on my hip either, Grace. I love you dearly but I need time for myself too. I can't and won't stand over you, staring down like a hawk 24/7. I just want and need to know what you are doing and where. It's for your own safety, Grace, and so we don't have easily avoidable things like forgotten luggage, for instance, happen anymore." Mommy says, making me look away with a guilty look on my face.

"I just want to make sure you are safe and being taken care of, baby. Is that so bad? Does it really sound so terrible to keep me informed of what you are doing and have planned? To easily leave the house and go do something? To not make your parents and siblings scared that you are doing something stupid and reckless and risking your life?" Mommy asks and I find it hard to argue against her points.

"... no. I guess not. Not when you put it like that... do I have to take a bath though? Can I please take a shower?" I try to plead with my best puppy dog eyes. All my attempt earns me is an eye roll and a smile.

"Yes... I need to watch you because I'm not playing this game of in and out of the shower until I'm satisfied with how clean you are. Nor do I feel like sitting in the bathroom watching you shower so it's baths for you until I'm satisfied you know what you are doing." She tells me, pinching my cheek lightly until I swat her hand away.

"What if I don't want to take baths?" I ask her, crossing my arms across my chest in a pout.

"You should have thought about that before you decided to exit the shower, still visibly dirty then. Look, Grace... you can either shower and have everything in plain sight for me to see or bathe and have everything hidden under bubbles. It might not feel like it, but I'm doing us both a service here by keeping you under bubbles... and baths aren't as bad as you are making them out to be, anyway. Plenty of adults take baths to relax." She tells me, making me hide my face against her in embarrassment.

"b-b-but you want to wash me... to bathe me! It's not the same!" I tell her.

"Fine, Grace... will you take a bath if I let you clean yourself under my supervision? Is that acceptable?" Mom asks.

"... I guess... it's not like I have a choice, right?" I ask in return.

"No, you do not and let me be clear... if you put up any fight to do what I ask while taking your bath, I won't hesitate to do it correctly myself, am I understood, young lady?" Mom asks after your threat in her no nonsense tone of voice.

"I guess..." I tell her, defeated. In response, she grabs my chin and forces me to sit up and look her in the eyes.

"That is not good enough, Grace, because I will not be having this conversation again. Am I understood that this is the last chance you will get with bathing yourself?" Mom asks again, still holding my chin.

"Yes... mom. I understand." I tell her.

"Good. Now... it's past time we finish getting you ready for your nap." Mom says, standing up with me and transferring me to her hip. Before I can even register what just happened, we are out the bedroom door and into the hallway.

After all this talking, I forgot I was taking a stupid nap. Maybe she will take so long getting me ready for it, it will become too late for it. I know... but a girl can dream, can't see? After another yawn, I rest my head on my mother's shoulder and decided a nap might not be so bad afterall...