If You're Not Busy

Chapter 91 Home At Last

When Tessa had finished her gigs in Ireland, the whole family flew home to the States together. Once home in Genoa City, Mariah and Tessa sorted out the paperwork to start the adoption process. It could take them months to get approved, and Tessa still had her tour of the States to complete. So she waved goodbye to Mariah and the kids two weeks later and set off to finally finish her tour, which she started over a year before in Australia and before the nasty accident in Paris put a hold on it all. She had one break in the space of eight weeks, to fly home and have a break with Mariah and the kids. She'd never been so glad to see the end of a tour. She flew home from San Francisco absolutely elated it was finally over. Mariah was delighted to have her home full time again. The kids were getting so big now and were becoming a handful. Tessa asked Mariah if she'd like them to go to kindergarten, so they both got a break now and again. A couple of weeks after Tessa got home, Bowie and Crystal were sent to kindergarten, twice a week for three hours at first to give their mom's a rest.

They both seemed to love it and would always fall asleep in the car on the way home when Tessa picked them up. Mariah was back at her job at Jabot, Kyle and Jack were glad to have her back, because they had new lines coming out, and although Mariah had kept up with her work while she had been with Tessa, there was nothing quite like having her in the office to have a conversation with. She was coming home exhausted, and then Tessa would feed her, and nine times out of ten she would take it into her office because she still had stuff to finish. "Mariah" Tessa shouted one night. You can't keep doing this! Doing what? shouted Mariah back. Going into your office all night, and taking your dinner with you. We never see you anymore. Do you realize, you've not been with the kids once in the last week? You've been gone before they get up, and back after I have put them to bed. "Tessa" My job is insane at the moment, I don't have enough hours in the day to do anything else.

I've noticed said Tessa glumly. What do you want me to do? I have to do my job. "Mariah" I'm not saying you don't have to do your job, but surely you can cut some of the hours down so that you are at least here for either breakfast or bedtime? The kids miss you, and so do I. Mariah was startled at this comment. Do you miss me? But you see me before I go to work, and when I get home. Well that's not true, is it? I mean, you get up and are gone before I'm even awake, and when you get home in the evening you more or less grab your plate off of me and then head for your office. When you finally come to bed, you wake me up getting your stuff ready for the next day, because what you haven't realized is that I've been in bed fast asleep for three hours, because it's well past one in the morning. I'm sorry said Mariah am I disturbing your beauty sleep? "Mariah" come on, there's no need to be snarky. I'm just pointing out some facts for you. "Tessa" shouted Mariah again. Look, we just have an enormous amount on. With new lines coming out at the moment, plus Kyle's trying to acquire a new fashion company, and I'm having to do a lot of PR work for it.

I'm sure everything will settle down a bit once it all goes through. I really do hope so Mariah, because we've had the paperwork for us to adopt come through today, all signed and given the go-ahead, and the builders have nearly finished the extension, so it's going to be all go soon, buying new furniture and decorating the new wing. "Tessa" You do realize, I used to have to cope all on my own while you were on tour, with two little ones don't you? Yes, obviously said Tessa. Well, welcome to my world said Mariah in a raised voice as she left with her plate of food and headed for her office. Tessa turned away in tears, and then picked up her plate of food and went and sat at the dining room table all on her own. Later on, Tessa cleared up the kitchen and put the dishwasher on. She didn't bother going into Mariah's office to collect her plate. Afterward, she sat on the sofa thinking about what Mariah had said to her. Did Mariah not realize how much work she was doing? I know she looked after the kids while I was away, but I did come home from time to time and took over so that Mariah could have a rest.