Ah.That could explain the tears.Annie only accepted help when it was forced on her, and even then, reluctantly.“I’ll be over tonight.”
Within three hours she finished shopping, made an enormous baked ziti, and arrived at Annie’s doorstep.
Margie knocked.The door didn’t swing open for a full two minutes, but when it did, there was chaos.
“I come bearing gifts,” Margie said with a smile.
Annie’s face fell.“My mom called you, didn’t she?”
“Not exactly.”Margie stepped inside.
Toys were strewn across the floor.She could hear the twins squealing in the next room.Three baskets of laundry sat next to the couch.Margie couldn’t tell if they were clean or dirty.
“I saw you at the grocery store today,” Margie confessed.
Annie groaned.“Another witness.”
“You were crying,” Margie said softly.“It’s okay to – ”
Annie cut her off.“What?I wasn’t crying.”
Margie paused.“In your car?When you were leaving?”
A distant look formed on Annie’s face.“No.”She slowly shook her head.“No, I was stuffing a cookie into my mouth.”
Margie laughed, clapping a hand to her mouth.“Oh!Well, I called your mom and found out your secret.”
“What’s my secret?”Annie asked.“That I’m hopeless at doing anything on my own?”
“Oh hush.Is that why you’re so against asking for help?”
“What about the state of my home makes you think I need help?”Annie asked with a wry smile.
Margie wasn’t there to judge.She had three grown children.She knew how these things went.She was also old enough to know how silly it was to be ashamed of it.
Margie carefully stepped over the toys and made her way to the kitchen.The sink was overflowing with pots and pans.“I heard your mom was in the hospital, and you’re all alone.”
“Plenty of mothers are able to take care of their children on their own,” Annie said, adding a soft, “except me.”
There it was.Margie dropped the pan on the counter and pulled Annie in for a tight hug.“Is that what this is about?You are taking care of two little kids by yourself.You’re doing great.Where are they, by the way?”
Annie broke the hug.“They’re in their cribs.They just had their baths and should be going to sleep.”
Noel sang out, “Jingle Bells!”as if on cue.
Annie sighed.“I wanted to get dinner to my mom before they had to go to bed, but I ran out of time.”
“I’m happy to watch them if you want to run and see her.”
Her eyes cast down.
“What?”Margie asked.“Do you really think my home looked any different when I had little kids and my husband was off on business trips all the time?”
“You’re always put together, Margie.”
“Ha!Hardly!I’m just in a different stage now.My mom was over helpingallthe time.And one of my cousins who had kids slightly older than mine came over a lot, too.But it was still chaos.”
Annie was quiet for a moment.
