The Monster: Chapter 6
“One more night,” Jen said to nobody. Tommy was returning on an early morning flight, and, if she could hold out until he walked in the door, everything would be fine.
She poured a glass of wine, and went over to the French doors leading to the deck. She looked at her own reflection in the glass. She thought she looked old. Could one age a decade in two days, or was she just exhausted?
After the dessert Wilma had gone straight to her room, stating in no uncertain terms that fake mommies were not welcome. After an hour Jen had peeked inside Wilma’s bedroom, and the girl was fast asleep in her bed. There was no way Jen was going to insist that Wilma brush her teeth, even though dental hygiene was a big thing for Tommy. Jen could imagine the disappointment in his face if he ever found out that Wilma had eaten ice cream and gone to bed without brushing her teeth. She’d happily take that, as long as Tommy stayed home for a long time, and didn’t have to travel again in a while.
“Fake mommy! Come here!”
The respite had been too good to be permanent.
“Fake mommy! There’s a monster under my bed!”
So she was back in the good graces now? An hour ago she wasn’t allowed inside the bedroom. Jen decided to ignore the emergency call.
“Please! There’s a monster!”
Jen sighed, and put down her wine glass on the side table. She went upstairs, but stopped without entering the bedroom.
“Monsters aren’t real,” she said. “Go back to sleep, and stop being a pest.”
“But I think there’s a monster under the bed. You must come and check. Please.”
“I can’t check if I can’t come inside your room. Is that what you want? I’m just a fake mommy, you know.”
“Yes! I promise I won’t call you fake mommy again! Hurry! Please! Please!”