My New Assistant

36

"Baby wait." Maya said as Carina was leaving the kitchen. All Carina did was shake her head before getting her keys to leave with Maya behind her.

Carina's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she navigated the winding roads, her jaw clenched in frustration. Beside her, Maya sat in the passenger seat, her eyes focused on the passing trees, the tension between them was thick and heavy. The silence was suffocating. Carina's usually warm gaze was now cold, her lips a firm line.

Maya knew better than to push her, but the quiet was unbearable. She shifted in her seat, glancing at Carina, hoping to catch her eye, but Carina's focus remained stubbornly on the road ahead. Maya sighed softly, breaking the silence with the faintest sound, but Carina didn’t respond. Her anger radiated off her in waves, filling the car with an unspoken storm.

Although Maya knew Carina had a reasonable reason to be mad she didn't go the whole day without them talking about what happened. She looked at Carina who was still looking at the road even though they were at a red light.

"Can we talk please.... I don't want us to be mad all day Carina." Maya decided to say to brake the silence.

Carina groaned before looking at Maya who was already looking at her.

"Talk about what Maya? Talk about how you always go against what I say when it comes to Gio?" Carina snapped before looking back at the road.

"I already told you I was sorry Carina."Maya said now getting a bit frustrated.

"Sorry doesn't work anymore Maya! You've said sorry before and nothing changes. I talked to you about why school is important and you agree with me at the moment but as soon as something happens that Gio is not a fan of you are completely at her mercy." Carina said as she was at another red light again.

"Ok that's a lie Carina..." Maya said not believing Carina.

"Really Maya? What about that one time that we tried to get Gio to sleep in her own room again? You agreed that we needed our bed back but the minute she began crying for 20 minutes you were in the room when I asked you not to." Carina said looking at Maya who was looking out the window.

"There was also the time when I had agreed to one dog and we ended up with two. And now you tell her she doesn't have to go to school? You can’t just say things like that, Maya, Gio needs structure, and you’re making it sound like school isn’t important.” Maya had looked genuinely frustrated.

“I didn’t mean to contradict what we had talked about and decided about Carina. I was just trying to reassure her. She’s been so anxious about going.” Maya said now looking at Carina.

“yes and now she thinks she doesn’t have to go at all! I told you it was a good idea if she was here with us to see the schools so she could see that it wasn't all that bad but again you make these decisions without letting me know. I was under the impression that you were going to talk her into coming to school.” Carina had snapped as she pulled into the parking lot of the first school.

"Parenting isn't easy." Maya huffed before getting out of the car without waiting for a reply from Carina.

Carina groaned before getting out of the car following Maya. When they got into the building they talked to the receptionist who told them that the director was going to be with them shortly.

The school director, Mrs. Thompson, was a stern woman in her late fifties, her hair pulled into a tight bun. She barely smiled as she greeted them, her gaze lingering on their interlocked hands.

“Please, have a seat." she said, her voice a little cold.

Maya and Carina exchanged a quick glance before sitting down.  They began with small talk, discussing Gio’s nervousness to start kindergarten. But as the conversation turned toward the school’s values, Mrs. Thompson’s demeanor shifted.