The family's baby

Chapter 15

*Grace's P.O.V*

"What do you mean I'll be taking baths? You can't be serious, mom. I'm not taking a bath and you can't make me." I tell her, putting my foot down at her ridiculousness. I haven't taken a bath in years and I'm not about to start now.

"This isn't up for discussion, Grace, and I said given baths... not taking." Mom tells me, sounding annoyed.

"I don't care! I'm not doing it! Baths are stupid and I refuse to take one! In fact, since you won't just let me wait until my wash day, I'll just go get back in the shower and wash my hair now! That should put an end to this stupid talk of baths!" I say, planning to turn and stomp away. Instead, I'm stopped dead in my tracks as a hand grips my arm.

My mom, who seems to not like the tone I'm now taking with her, starts by stepping in close and gliding her pointer finger nail up my neck until it rests under my chin, forcing me to look up at her while she looks down at me. I know I could easily overpower her finger and look away but her eyes seem to almost dare me to do it. The hand still squeezing my arm also detours me from trying anything. I gulp realizing how much trouble I'm in right now and how much anger she is holding back.

"I need you to give me your full and undivided attention, Grace Dawn Santini. Do I have it? Good." Mom starts and continues before I can even respond. Her using my full name tells me to keep my mouth locked shut anyway, and not make a sound unless I want to make things worse. Really, I want to run and hide but I can't right now.

"This righteous, infallible, temper tantrum attitude you seemed to have graduated college with ends now. You do not get to demand anything from me. Not while you live under our roof and especially when you clearly have forgotten how I taught you to act and what respect should be shown to me and your father. If even your father, my HUSBAND, doesn't have the right to demand anything from me, I'm sure as hell not going to accept it from you, my CHILD!" She snaps at me, making me flinch back before I return to my original position and she continues her lecture.

"If I tell you something is going to happen, the only acceptable response from you is when is it happening and what do I need to do to be ready. We are done... I... am done doing this. I will no longer explain every decision I make for you down to every last word. Yes, I mean every last word. I'm tired and it's a waste of our time. I was relaxing on my chair, half asleep, Grace! Your father was about to start another one of his projects... probably to surprise you with. Instead, I'm stuck disciplining you like I would a toddler. Worse than a toddler in fact, because Jazmin would never dream to act like you have been acting today. Not to mention, I just had to frantically get your room ready for you and when I was finished, just in time, might I add, I had to explain to you why I was cleaning instead of getting a thank you for getting it ready or cleaning it in the first place. Something I very distinctly remember telling you to do before you left." Mom says, making me grimace. She never approved of the way I cleaned. It's not my fault I put it off until the last minute and have to rush to get it done.

"Not to mention, while I'm stuck here dealing with you, because you feel the need to clearly show everyone how little trust they can put into you making the correct decisions and can't be left without supervision for anything you do, your father had to drop everything to go fetch your luggage from your sisters car and then go shopping because again, no one was expecting you so nothing is here that we know you need!" Mom states, making me want really badly to look anywhere but at her.

"We had plans to get them but you threw those plans out the window when you showed up with your own 'secret' plans. So now we are forced to scramble while you stand here and complain about why we are unhappy that you caused your father and I to throw out our entire week's plan for ourselves and for you!" Mom says, pausing to take a slow, calming breath but I don't think it worked very well with the tone she continues using...

"You have been extremely selfish today in all your actions. If I have to spank this selfishness out of you, young lady, I will and I would not test this threat and find out how much I mean it. I will not stop myself again from taking you by the ear to the nearest seat and blistering your behind until it's black and blue. The only reason you were saved is because your father isn't here to stop me from taking it too far. Yes, THAT... is how much trouble you are in." Mom continues, making me want to curl up and hide but I'm stuck standing here with my back straight and my head raised because of her stupid finger. I can't help but bite my bottom lip, trying to keep myself from crying, which she seems to ignore.

"I did not tell you to take a bath or you will be taking baths. I said you will be GIVEN baths. As in me giving you a bath just like I would Jazmin. Since you just took a waste of a shower that barely half cleaned yourself, you will not be given a bath right now. You need a nap more and I will get the pleasure of changing your sheets to new ones... again, after you wake up because you will not be sleeping on top of this filth tonight because you will most certainly spread it all over with how you sleep." Mom says, looking me over before continuing.

"Instead, I will add baths to your bedtime routine. A routine I will be watching very closely for a very long time. You do not want to mess that up, Grace, or you will be a very, very sorry young lady. Since I now have to watch you take a bath and get ready for bed, you will be getting ready for bed at 8pm every night. No, that is not up for debate. I have my own schedule and needs, Grace. Don't give me that face. I did not say you will go to bed at 8. I said you will get ready for bed because I can't do it any later and you clearly can't be trusted to do it on your own. You will go to bed at 10 because that is when your father and I go to bed and you can not stay up on your own." Mom says, followed by a warning look.

"Don't. I know what you want to say and just don't. We are done here. We played this game before and I'm not falling for it again. I had to treat you like this when we first adopted you. I thought you learned but you clearly were just pretending and hiding what you were up to from me. At least hiding how badly you needed me because let's be honest, you have never not needed me in some ways. I refuse to listen to your pleas to be treated like a big girl any longer. Until I am satisfied you can actually act like an adult, you will be mommy's little girl again. Give me a single reason to take back a privilege and I won't hesitate, Grace. This time we are doing it my way!" Mom tells me and despite how hard I try to hold them back, I feel the tears start to slide down my face as mommy continues.

"You need clothes and to be cleaned up. My bathroom will be our best choice since you had to pretend to be a big girl and couldn't just ask mommy to bring you your clothes so you wouldn't have to go walking around in nothing but a towel. Instead, you decided you were going to be a big girl and find the clothes mommy picked out for you on your own... because you weren't about to yell to figure out where I put it because you can't be trusted to keep track of your clothes. Not to mention staying in the bathroom so you can finish getting ready for your nap but that would mean actually properly cleaning herself and listening to mommy. Yet, you still wonder why I'm having a hard time trusting you, baby." Mommy finishes, easily picking me up and putting me on her hip.

It's a good thing too because I was on the verge of collapsing. As soon as I'm on her hip, the floodgates burst open and I'm bawling my eyes out. This was not what I imagined today to be like... Maybe mommy has a point and that was my problem all along.

My surprise was for me. I never considered what it would mean for them. I just thought... hoped everything would work out, forgetting it only works out because my mom makes it work. I really did have good intentions with this trip. I just, I should have checked with someone. I took a big risk by showing up here like I did and my only consequence for all this is inconveniencing my mom by making her spend more time with me and take care of me. Am I really being punished or is she? Does she even want me here?

Wondering that, I bury my still bawling face into my mommy's neck and say a silent thank you, mommy that was so quiet there was no way she heard me. The way she started scratching my back in comfort right after I said it was kind of suspicious though. Either way, I know I'm lucky to have her. Just maybe not so lucky at this very moment...