"Tener is 'to have' tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvi-"a piercing wail interrupted Rachel's thought process, and causing the led to break off her pencil as she rammed it into the page in frustration.
'IT' as she had taken to referring to the baby, had been home from the hospital for 6 weeks, and all IT seemed to do was cry.
"-tuvimos, tuvieis, tuvie-" another wail, this one louder than the first. How is she supposed to finish her Spanish homework with all this noise? Was anyone going to go shut IT up?
Usually Shelby went running at the first squeak from the babys mouth. She wouldn't let anyone besides her, Brett, or Nanny, do anything for the baby. Rachel presumes she herself would also be on that list if she could be bothered to show an interest. Hiram and Leory have found their offers to change diapers, feed the baby , bath the baby or even watch the baby have been rebuked. They are allowed to hold the baby, play with the baby and cook.
Brett has been splitting his time between Chicago and Lima. One of the neighbours has a studio apartment built over their garage which Brett has been renting. He comes to Lima Thursdays to Mondays, to help Shelby out with IT. They're still trying to think of a suitable living arrangement.
The wailing is continuing. Rachel flings her pencil down in frustration. Seriously? Where was Shelby? If she wasn't going to bother spending time with Rachel anymore, she should at least stop IT from crying so that Rachel could at least get some studying done. Rachel stomps toward her bedroom door, and throws it open.
Dad and Daddy are in the corridor, hovering in the doorway to what was the guest room and what is now a nursery. They both want to go in and comfort the baby but are too scared to risk the wrath of Shelby.
Shelby is in the bathroom. She went to the toilet 15 minutes ago, now she is just sat on the floor with her back against the door, and her knees drawn up under her chin. She should be able to do this, its not like last time, she's an adult now. She has a steady job, common sense, and 16 more years of life experience, yet she still can't look after a tiny baby properly? It must be something shes doing that is causing him to cry so much. May be if she stays here he'll stop?
"Will some one make IT stop?" she hears Rachel stomp her foot out in the hall.
Shelby drags herself to her feet , unlocks the door and shuffles into the hall. She knows she looks a mess, her sweater has stains on it and she's pretty sure these are the same leggings she had on a week ago.
"At last!" Rachel exclaims as Shelby appears. Hiram and Leroy look at her concerned, but she chooses to ignore them.
"where's Brett?" Shelby asks exhaustedly.
"He went out to see about arrangements for a Christening" LeRoy replies. Shelby nods and makes her way into the room to see to Robbie.
Rachel's mood plummets further. Brett wants to raise the baby in the Christian faith, so naturally he wants to get IT christened. In Rachel's mind this which means hours of standing around in the backyard while they have a party, and IT will get passed around and cooed over, while Rachel gets ignored. AGAIN.
Inside the nursery the babys wails are even louder if that is possible. LeRoy, were he able to offer his opinion, would have said it is because the baby can pick-up on Shelby's stress levels. Shelby rocks him back and forth, but nothing is working. His face is scrunched up and red, his limbs flailing.
"Hush little baby don't you cry." Shelby attempts to sing, but her throat is scratchy and her voice wavering from her own tears of frustration that keep threatening to fall.
"You're sharp and singing in the wrong key" Rachel comments from the doorway.
"I'm trying to sooth him" Shelby says as the cries ratch up notch.
"I'd want to cry harder if that was assaulting my ears" Rachel notes. "Why won't he stop crying?"
"I don't know" Shelby replies
"I can't hear myself think. The neighbours will be filing another lawsuit for noise pollution"
"I'm trying my best" Shelby battles to keep her own tears under control.
"Well try harder then! " Rachel snits. Somewhere inside of her she knows she is being obnoxious, but she can't help it.
"It isn't that simple, I - " Shelby began
"No wonder Dad and Daddy had to look after me!" Rachel continues.
The second the words are out of her mouth she regrets it, she doesn't even have to see the look of hurt on Shelbys face to know she has gone too far.
"GET TO YOUR ROOM! " The voice that says it is not the one Rachel is expecting. Brett is stood behind her, and has heard everything. Ordinarily Rachel would argue back, tell him he has no right to tell her what to do, no right to parent her, but one look at Dad and Daddys faces, which hold the same stern looks show that if Brett hadn't spoken first, they would have. Shame propels Rachel forward, down the corridor and to her bedroom.
Brett sweeps into the nursery and plucks the baby out of Shelbys arms and starts rubbing his back. "Go and lie down" he tells her softly. "I've got him"
Shelby watches as the baby lets out an enormous burp, and then immediately quietens.
Shelby is torn between being relieved the baby is now quiet and feeling inadequate again. He had gas? Was that all? Why didn't she notice?
Perhaps a nap would be a good idea. She pauses outside of Rachel's room. The last stinging comment her daughter made ringing in her ears. No, she can't deal with that right now. Maybe later. Perhaps Dad and Daddy were right all those years ago – may be she really can't handle it. What if she really is her mothers daughter?
