"No he won't. He's never ever been gone this long." Sydney could not
stop crying and was now inconsolable. She usually didn't like to cry in
front of anyone, but all of this had been building inside, since she tried
not to bother Edith with such things.
Emily was now growing worried.
"Sydney, please don't cry anymore. You're going to make yourself sick, sweetheart."
"Don't you ever get lonely here all by yourself, Emily? Mr. Sloane, he's hardly ever here. Doesn't it get lonely?"
"Yes Sydney, sometimes it does. But I know my husband enjoys his work, and that he has a very important job - just like your father. And my door is always open Sydney, you should know that. You come over to talk whenever you like. And if Edith should try to interfere, then I shall talk to her. All right? Do you think you can sleep now?"
"I think so. I know it makes me sound like a baby, but can you sit here until I fall asleep? Please?"
"Of course. You just settle in. It's very late, you might not even be up when Edith comes to get you."
"That's okay," Sydney whispered, yawning. "I'll just stay here again."
Emily could only smile, then kissed Sydney on the forehead. "Maybe. Sleep, now. I'll see you in the morning."
Sydney slept, better here than she would have at home she thought and woke up very late the next morning. She felt refreshed for the first time in a long time. Then, she heard Edith downstairs.
"She isn't up yet? She never sleeps this late. Never. I have breakfast on the table at eight every morning, and every morning she is there not long after that to take it. This is insane. How late was she up last night?"
"Please Edith, calm down. She had fun last night. I don't think she knows what fun is anymore. She's very upset about Jack. I told her it would be alright for her to come over whenever she felt lonely. It gets very lonely here for me as well, and a girl her age shouldn't be so alone."
"She's not alone. She has me! Though I suppose you think I don't do a good enough job. Is that it?"
"You do a wonderful job, Edith. Just because she's spent some time here doesn't mean she loves you any less. She was worried about you last night, that you've been working too hard."
"I work as hard as I need to. I have a child to take care of. It's easy for you, as soon as it gets to be too much work, you can just send her home! You don't have to worry about children of your own."
Emily was very upset by this. So upset, that she felt she could no longer stand. Her body fell hard into the chair, her elbow smacking hard off the table. She began to sob violently. Her body shook with each, and the table moved from the force. At this, Sydney went downstairs.
"Stop yelling at her!" she screamed at Edith. "She's my friend! She's the only friend I have, so leave her alone! I don't want to go home! I hate it there! It just makes me think of Daddy. She told me I could stay here, and I want to. Leave her alone, stop talking to her like that."
"Sydney, please, it's alright," Emily told her. She was not angry, just very hurt.
"Edith, Sydney is going to stay here. That is what she wants."
"Yes, I want to stay. I like it here, with Emily. I'm not a burden, she told me so, and she won't be sending me home."
Edith felt like she was being abandoned. She'd had Sydney almost completely to herself for nearly five years. Still, she'd been very cruel to Emily, and that wasn't fair. She walked closer to the chair Emily had collapsed into.
"Emily, I'm so sorry. What I said wasn't fair. I know you love Sydney too, and of course she can stay. I'll go get some of her things and bring them."
"Thank you, Edith," Sydney whispered. "I'll be home in a few days. I just need to get away from all the thoughts of Daddy. I'm not angry at you, really. I love you too, and I'll miss you even though you're close by. I just need a break."
And then she added, "And I think you deserve one too. Don't worry about cleaning the house or doing the wash or any of that. Just give yourself a nice vacation. I don't think Daddy would mind either, if he were here. You do so much for us, you deserve it."
"Thank you Sydney. I think I will take some time off. I'll go get your things. Enjoy your breakfast. And once again, I'm sorry Emily."
"That's quite all right," Emily accepted. Edith nodded her head and left.
"Sydney, please don't cry anymore. You're going to make yourself sick, sweetheart."
"Don't you ever get lonely here all by yourself, Emily? Mr. Sloane, he's hardly ever here. Doesn't it get lonely?"
"Yes Sydney, sometimes it does. But I know my husband enjoys his work, and that he has a very important job - just like your father. And my door is always open Sydney, you should know that. You come over to talk whenever you like. And if Edith should try to interfere, then I shall talk to her. All right? Do you think you can sleep now?"
"I think so. I know it makes me sound like a baby, but can you sit here until I fall asleep? Please?"
"Of course. You just settle in. It's very late, you might not even be up when Edith comes to get you."
"That's okay," Sydney whispered, yawning. "I'll just stay here again."
Emily could only smile, then kissed Sydney on the forehead. "Maybe. Sleep, now. I'll see you in the morning."
Sydney slept, better here than she would have at home she thought and woke up very late the next morning. She felt refreshed for the first time in a long time. Then, she heard Edith downstairs.
"She isn't up yet? She never sleeps this late. Never. I have breakfast on the table at eight every morning, and every morning she is there not long after that to take it. This is insane. How late was she up last night?"
"Please Edith, calm down. She had fun last night. I don't think she knows what fun is anymore. She's very upset about Jack. I told her it would be alright for her to come over whenever she felt lonely. It gets very lonely here for me as well, and a girl her age shouldn't be so alone."
"She's not alone. She has me! Though I suppose you think I don't do a good enough job. Is that it?"
"You do a wonderful job, Edith. Just because she's spent some time here doesn't mean she loves you any less. She was worried about you last night, that you've been working too hard."
"I work as hard as I need to. I have a child to take care of. It's easy for you, as soon as it gets to be too much work, you can just send her home! You don't have to worry about children of your own."
Emily was very upset by this. So upset, that she felt she could no longer stand. Her body fell hard into the chair, her elbow smacking hard off the table. She began to sob violently. Her body shook with each, and the table moved from the force. At this, Sydney went downstairs.
"Stop yelling at her!" she screamed at Edith. "She's my friend! She's the only friend I have, so leave her alone! I don't want to go home! I hate it there! It just makes me think of Daddy. She told me I could stay here, and I want to. Leave her alone, stop talking to her like that."
"Sydney, please, it's alright," Emily told her. She was not angry, just very hurt.
"Edith, Sydney is going to stay here. That is what she wants."
"Yes, I want to stay. I like it here, with Emily. I'm not a burden, she told me so, and she won't be sending me home."
Edith felt like she was being abandoned. She'd had Sydney almost completely to herself for nearly five years. Still, she'd been very cruel to Emily, and that wasn't fair. She walked closer to the chair Emily had collapsed into.
"Emily, I'm so sorry. What I said wasn't fair. I know you love Sydney too, and of course she can stay. I'll go get some of her things and bring them."
"Thank you, Edith," Sydney whispered. "I'll be home in a few days. I just need to get away from all the thoughts of Daddy. I'm not angry at you, really. I love you too, and I'll miss you even though you're close by. I just need a break."
And then she added, "And I think you deserve one too. Don't worry about cleaning the house or doing the wash or any of that. Just give yourself a nice vacation. I don't think Daddy would mind either, if he were here. You do so much for us, you deserve it."
"Thank you Sydney. I think I will take some time off. I'll go get your things. Enjoy your breakfast. And once again, I'm sorry Emily."
"That's quite all right," Emily accepted. Edith nodded her head and left.