Nov 19

Will was desperate to meet. He felt it was never too early to plan for Christmas. Bobbie agreed but was determined to give Maddy a little while to settle in with no distractions so she told him to get his ideas sorted and they could talk about it later in the week. She tried to put herself in Maddy’s shoes. Her mother just died and she was living in a new house with a new gramma. It must be confusing. For two days she put everyone off. Barb and Trixie were hurt but understood. Johnny, who could be a little fuzzy when it came to personal boundaries, would probably ignore her request and show up anyway.

That morning Bobbie let Maddy put the cat dish down to feed Fossie. She clapped her hands and jumped when he started to eat. She puttered along behind Bobbie when she went into the laundry room to scoop the litter box Then Bobbie remembered when Suzy tried to clean Fossie’s litter box. “Yuck, we don’t touch this; it’s yucky.” Suggested Bobbie.

Maddy put her hands behind her back. “Where Fossie goes potty?”

“Exactly.”

“Maddy needs to go potty”

Bobbie moved to wards the bathroom thinking that Maddy had almost told a joke.

“I want the big potty.”

Bobbie pulled down her pants and set her on the toilet. Maddy rested her arms around Bobbies neck so Bobbie had to sort of kneel in front of her. Maddy did her business and Bobbie hoisted her off and wiped her bum.

Buy this time it was well past coffee and breakfast time and Bobbie decided she’d have to start setting up her coffee machine in the evenings. She was sitting on the edge of one of the beds in Maddy’s room while Maddy pulled her toys out of a bag. She texted Mark, explained the morning was getting away from her and could he send up some coffee and breakfast. She got a thumbs up. Maddy was playing and Bobbie was thinking about her bedroom. The little pink room was for all the girl grand kids. Maddy needs her own room. The room was closest to the bathroom and closest to Bobbie’s room so even though it was the smallest it was the best choice for Maddy right now. Maddy was almost too big for a toddler bed. So, she could get rid of that soon. She could get a trundle bed so they could pull a bed out for Suzy to sleep when she came to visit. But where could Niko and Laura sleep when they visited.

The elevator dinged and it was Johnny with a big smile, holding a coffee carafe and a box of breakfast goodies.

“Hi Johnny. I wanted to be alone with Maddy for a while but you brought me coffee so you can stay if you want.”

“Right on. Breakfast is here, Come and Get it.”

Maddy came out slowly behind Bobbie holding her pant legs. Johnny put the food on the Island. “Hello Miss Maddy, I’m Uncle Johnny, would you like to help me open the box of goodies?”

Maddy came out from behind Bobbie and pulled her over to her high chair and raised her arms. Bobbie put her in the chair and brought the box over and opened it in front of her. She looked at all the treats and reached over and squished a muffin.

Johnny laughed. “You broke it you bought it Maddy Is that the one you want for breakfast?”

Maddy just grinned. This man makes Gramma smile she thought.

They sat around the island chatting and drinking coffee, Maddy had milk, and eating muffins and biscuits and jam.

Johnny sipped his coffee. “So, what are your plans for the day?

“I want to go shopping in my storage container and get a few things for Maddy. Then we’ll organize her things.”

“It sounds like I can help with all that. Why don’t we hop in my truck and we’ll go shopping for Maddy.”

Bobbie tidied things up and wiped Maddy’s hands and face and whispered. “Do you have to go potty?”

Maddy nodded and Bobbie got her out of the highchair and carried her to the bathroom. She put her down.

“I want the little potty.”

Bobbie helped her with her pants and she went in the little potty. They finished up and Bobbie helped her brush her teeth. They finished dressing and put on their coats and boots and Bobbie found her some mitts. And they went down the elevator to meet Johnny by his truck. They got in.

“Buckle up girls we’re going 4 wheeling.”

Johnny drove down over the edge of the parking lot, down the hill and towards the storage container at the foot of the motel property. They were almost at his house. They got out.

“That’s my house Maddy, I hope you can visit sometime.”

Bobbie nodded. “Next summer all the cousins will have a pool party there eh Johnny?”

Maddy repeated, “All the cousins.”

Johnny pulled open the side door and jumped in. So, what do you think you want?

“There’s a little red table and chair set, that came from my grampas and a bookshelf and desk that my other grampa made.”

Johnny found everything and handed it all down to Bobbie. Maddy stood back and watched. They loaded it the truck and this time he drove over to his driveway and out to the road and around the bend and up the hill to the motel. Maddy was just sitting on Bobbies lap and Bobbie had a twinge of guilt for not using the car seat. Maddy’s head was on a swivel.

And her hair was wild. Bobbie pulled out her braids this morning to brush it and had no idea how to braid it again. She’d need some help.

They got back to the apartment and loaded the furniture in the elevator.

I want to put the table here. Bobbie indicated a space between the kitchen and dining room. And we’ll just leave the other stuff here too because I have to figure out how to get her room ready.

She explained that she ordered a low trundle bed and wanted to move all the little beds out of the room so the new one could go in. “The trundle bed is for Maddy and Suzy, when she visits but I don’t have room for Lara and Nico.”

“You could set them up on couches; in either the media room or the living room.”

“I’d rather have a more dedicated space.”

“You have a lot of grand kids; you can’t give everyone their own room. Hey what about a Murphy bed? You could put it in your office. You have one wall that doesn’t have any shelves on it.”

“I had plans to install shelves to store my yarn there but I can put the shelves in the media room. That’s where I knit most of the time anyway.”

Johnny checked his watch. Look, I have to take off but I’m seeing Rocco later today. I’ll get his take on a murphy bed. He’ll help me. He won’t be able to resist I bet.”

“Thanks for the help, Johnny.”

Johnny patted Maddy’s wild hair on his way out.

Bobbie took Maddy’s hand and they went into the kitchen. She put Maddy in the high chair and on a whim texted Jane down in the kitchen and asked her to come up.

Jane knocked on the door and Bobbie let her in. “Hi Jane how are things going in the kitchen these days.”

“Mark is great. When I finish the dishes, he lets me help with some kitchen prep and I feel like I’m earning my pay.”

“I’m glad you’re happy. Mark says you are more than qualified to be a soux chef but I need to ask a favour…”

“Jane moved around and kneeled in front of Maddy in the high chair. “Hello Miss Maddy I’m Aunty Jane I bet your gramma needs some help with your hair”

Bobbie laughed sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I have never taken care of hair like this and you always look so nice.”