You Outshine the Morning Sun

Lin

I didn't know Pippa's parents well, but from what she'd told me, they were a bit intense. They'd driven my poor Pip to a nervous breakdown in high school. My wife was smart as a whip, and I couldn't imagine how a parent would push their kid so hard they had a breakdown.

I could tell she was starting to get nervous as Friday approached. She was already tired, and now even more stressed. She was snapping a little bit. I was extra patient with her and tried to do as much of the baby work as I could.

On Friday afternoon, she sat at the kitchen table, trying to work on her laptop. Her right heel was going a mile a minute. I walked up behind her and rubbed her shoulders warmly, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"It's gonna be fine," I assured her.

She put a hand on top of mine. "You don't know my parents."

"They're gonna want to spend time with the babies and Molly," he pointed out. "That'll take the pressure off you."

"I'm afraid they're gonna be too intense with Molly," she confessed. "They know she's in a GT program, so they're gonna be all over it. They're gonna want to make sure I'm doing everything in my power to challenge her. After school programs, camps."

"Then you just tell them patiently what you're doing with Molly and don't let them sway you," I told her. "You're a fantastic mother, so don't let them make you feel otherwise."

"But what will they say to Molly?" she asked as I sat down next to her. "I don't want them making her feel inadequate."

"Maybe have a talk with Molly before they come?" I suggested and she nodded, staring blankly at the table. I leaned forward and kissed her temple as I heard one of the babies cry out from our bedroom. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

I grinned as he walked back to the bedroom to get Felix. The girls were home soon after, ready for their afternoon snack. Pippa's parent would be here around 6:00.

"Cam, as soon as you're done with your snack you need to finish cleaning your room," I reminded my daughter. She huffed.

"But they're not even my grandparents!" she complained.

"Doesn't matter," I told her. "They're our guests. I want the house clean."

She grumbled some more as I sat on the carpet carefully with my son. I set him down on the play mat, which had all sorts of dangly things hanging down to bat at. He was a happy little guy for the most part. His eyes explored the colorful shapes above him and he made little happy grunting sounds. I talked to him softly, both in English and Spanish.

We were taking Pippa's parents out for dinner once we picked them up, so the girls had to wait a little later than usual to eat. One could tell. They were a little cranky. We took a cab to the airport and they had to sit in close proximity.

"Stop touching me," Cam growled at her stepsister.

"I can't help it!" she told Cam, tucking her hands in between her knees.

"Be nice," I reminded them. We pulled into a parking garage at JFK and Molly skipped into the building. We all stopped at the big screen to check what gate they'd be arriving into. Their flight was on time and set to touch down in about 15 minutes.

We'd let the girls bring their electronics to keep them occupied as we waited. Pippa looked like she was about to puke. I sat next to her, rubbing her back in support. I checked my watch. They should be walking out any time. A few minutes later, we saw them coming down the escalator.

"Grandma!!" Molly practically screamed when she spotted Pippa's mother. The woman beamed as Molly ran to her and crashed into her arms. Molly hugged her grandfather, then they all began walking towards us, holding hands. Molly was in the middle, grinning.