One Hour Alone

            Kyle and Trish Lang were working parents.  As working professionals, they had encountered and conquered many obstacles. The biggest challenge yet was raising two children, 6 month old Zoe and 4 year old Brandt. The Langs enjoyed many advantages including a supportive family, friends and a full time nanny. As it turns out, they had so much help that Trish Lang had never been alone with her two children for more than 20 minutes. Tonight, she would test her mettle by caring for them alone while her husband Kyle went for a drink with a co-worker. “I’ll only be an hour, hour and a half tops,” Kyle had insisted.  Well, this is what I signed up for, thought Trish.

            When the time came, Trish was ready. She had a pot of coffee on, Brandt’s favorite go to books, tons of snacks and best of all an open mind. After the nanny left, Zoe was happily playing in her saucer and Brandt was zooming his cars across the floor. Trish poured herself a cup of coffee and settled into a chair that allowed her to watch both kids. 

            As soon as she sat down, Brandt ran up to her and begged, “Mommy, will race me? Please? I’m racing! I am the red car. He’s fast. Do you want the blue one or the white one? Which one mommy? Let’s race!”

            After a sip of coffee, Trish responded “the white one.” She knew Brandt would accept this choice.

            “Ok Mommy, you are the white, I’m red, ok? We’re racing, ok? Watch!” Brandt grabbed both cars and shoved them hard across the floor. “I win!” cried Brandt enthusiastically.

            At that moment, Zoe started screaming. To Brandt’s dismay, Trish rushed over. She picked up Zoe, who stopped crying instantly. They tried to go back to racing, but Zoe started crying again, and by the end of the second race it became too much to ignore. “Let’s grab a snack,” suggested Trish.

            “I want to keep racing,” Brandt whined.

            “You can keep racing, but I need to help Zoe right now,” Trish responded firmly.

            Brandt sulked off to play. Trish sat down and tried to feed Zoe. She was excited to go in her high chair, but didn’t eat much. She probably just wanted some attention. Trish was cleaning up when she heard a loud noise in the living room. She rushed over to find Brandt with a blanket wrapped around his legs, and an expensive lamp on the floor, broken. Brandt was very still as he waited to see Trish’s reaction.

            “Oh sweetie,” she soothed. “Let me help you out of that.” She pulled the blanket off of his feet and cleaned up the lamp. Thank goodness that Zoe is peaceful and still strapped into her high chair thought Trish thankfully.

            When the cleanup was complete, Trish freed Zoe from the high chair and called Brandt over. “Let’s read a story,” she suggested. At first the two kids did not want to share Mommy’s lap, but Trish used her most gentle voice and the magic of sleep enchanted them.

            Kyle arrived home shortly afterwards. He smiled when he saw the three of them snuggled together on the easy chair. As he pulled a blanket around them he noticed the word Mom with little hearts written in red crayon on the wall near the place where the lamp used to be. Where was that lamp anyway? He wondered. But that was a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, Trish and the kids had enjoyed their first hour alone.