Chapter 7
Meredith spent the next five-minutes talking to Jenny as she walked around the kitchen making herself a cup of herbal tea and feeding Jenny the apples at the same time. She’d had enough coffee for one day.
Bringing Jenny’s favourite shape sorter toy through from the lounge once Jenny was finished eating, she placed it on the high chair table and put the baby back in the seat. Sitting down to enjoy her tea, she wrapped her hands around the cup, took a sip and allowed its warmth to heat her fingers. She hadn’t realised she’d become so cold.
When the tea had worked its magic and she was finished telling Jenny all about the terrible day she’d had, Meredith cleared away her cup and Jenny’s dishes, clattering them into the dishwasher. She decided to make a start on dinner to take her mind off the stressful day. She thought she would give Sam a laugh later when she told him about her having frightened the life out of Jenny. Turning on the radio she began to hum along to the tune that was playing as she gathered the items she needed for dinner. Jenny seemed happy and content for the moment and Meredith hoped she’d stay that way until dinner was ready.
At five-thirty, Meredith heard Sam come in the front door just as the timer on the oven buzzed to let her know the casserole she’d prepared earlier was ready.
“We’re in here,” she called to Sam from the kitchen.
A moment later the kitchen door opened and Sam stepped through already grinning but the grin froze on his face as he looked at Meredith’s hair.
“You’ve had a haircut,” was all he said, still staring.
“I did but then I got soaked and blown about in the wind so I had to wash it when I got home but there wasn’t really time to dry it so it doesn’t look quite right.” Meredith explained.
“Oh, right, I see,” Sam stammered.
Unknown to Meredith, the shorter layers in her hair had dried and were once again sticking straight out.
“It’s not that bad, although I did give Jenny quite a fright when I first got home,” Meredith laughed as told Sam about Jenny’s reaction. Sam managed to recover himself, laughing along with her as he walked over and lifted Jenny from the high chair to give her a cuddle.
“Don’t you like mummy’s new hair-do either?” he said as he swayed her gently in the air. Jenny chuckled. “Yeah, it is funny, isn’t it?” he added.
Meredith was leaning against the sink as Sam spoke. She turned to look at him with daggers in her eyes. What the hell is he on about? she fumed silently. He hasn’t even seen it properly done and now he’s making fun of me - and using our daughter as a co-conspirator. She banged the knife she’d been holding down into the sink and turned to face him.
“You haven’t even seen my hair when it’s properly done. And if you wouldn’t mind I don’t like the idea of you ganging up against me with my daughter.” Meredith put her hands on her hips and scowled, looking directly at him.
“Hey, I was only having a little joke and you have to admit it’s not the greatest hairstyle you’ve ever had.” Sam was still unaware that Meredith didn’t know quite how her hair looked at that moment. “Why don’t you have any make-up on either,” he asked, only just noticing its absence.
“Do I have to wear make-up all the time,” Meredith almost shouted. She took it as yet another criticism. “You are supposed to love me for who I am, not what I look like?” Meredith threw down the tea towel she’d tucked round her waist while she’d been cooking and slammed the casserole dish she’d just taken out of the oven onto the middle of the table.
“Of course I do. What’s got into you today?” Sam was beginning to panic. Meredith was normally very placid and didn’t take offense so easily. Things weren’t looking good for the conversation he’d hoped to have with her about his Saturday morning five-a-side tournament.
“You criticising me. Would you just stop it, please?” Meredith retorted in an angry tone. “Dinner’s ready,” she said slightly more quietly, realising that Jenny was starting to whimper again. She’d upset Jenny enough for one day.
Meredith and Sam sat down in their usual places with Jenny in the middle in her high chair. They’d decided it was best that Jenny get used to eating with them as soon as possible. Normally Meredith enjoyed the interaction with Jenny at meal times but tonight she wished Jenny was old enough to feed herself.
They ate their meal in silence, neither one willing to speak first and both fuming at what they perceived to be the others unreasonableness. When Jenny was finished, Meredith picked her up, leaving her own meal unfinished, and went through to the lounge without saying a word. Sam was left to finish his meal on his own.
Putting Jenny down on the carpet in front of the sofa, Meredith placed her daughter’s building blocks within her reach. Jenny immediately started throwing them around then began to whimper when she threw the last one beyond her reach. Meredith gathered the blocks together and gave them back to Jenny who started throwing them around again. Meredith was grateful for the distraction of having to keep gathering up the blocks. It took her mind of the totally crappy day she’d had. It didn’t seem to be getting any better and she still had to talk to Sam about last night.
Sam sat alone in the kitchen wondering what had just happened. He decided to stay where he was for five minutes to give Meredith a chance to calm down. It wasn’t like Meredith to get upset over something so trivial. He always told her the truth when she asked for his opinion on clothes, hair-cuts or anything else. She didn’t normally take it so badly. Maybe it’s just the stress of going back to work. After all, it is only her second week back, he reasoned.
Hearing Jenny and Meredith laughing in the lounge, he decided to venture through, taking the giggling as a sign that Meredith’s mood had lightened. He hated it when they fought and wanted the argument to be over. Sam liked a quiet life.
“Meredith, are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” came the huffy reply.
“Obviously you’re not fine. You don’t usually over react like that. What’s up?” Sam said gently.
“So it’s my fault. Well that figures. It couldn’t be that the remarks you made were very hurtful. It’s me that’s being oversensitive.” Meredith’s voice rose in anger. How dare he, she seethed. He was the one doing all the criticising and now it’s my fault when I made it clear I’m not going to stand for it.
“Okay, you’re clearly not ready to talk yet so I’ll just leave you to it,” Sam said, exasperated. I’m going to the den to read the paper.”
“Please yourself,” Meredith replied to his retreating back, but she felt tears pricking the backs of her eyes. Jenny had stopped what she was doing and was watching them both intently. Meredith picked her up, deciding to put her in the baby bouncer that she loved so much. Jenny began to giggle as Meredith gently bounced her up and down. Meredith couldn’t help but laugh. Jenny’s eyes were sparkling with delight. If only other things could be fixed as simply as that, Meredith thought.
Sam tried to read the newspaper but his mind was elsewhere. He was having to re-read sentences several times and force himself to focus. Finally, he gave in and went through to try talking to Meredith again.
“Do you want to tell me what’s up,” he asked Meredith tentatively as he walked in the room.
“You criticising everything about me is what’s up,” Meredith growled at him.
Jenny picked up on the atmosphere and began to whimper. Meredith bounced her again but Jenny wasn’t so easily distracted this time. She started squirming in the seat and holding her hands out for Meredith to lift her. Meredith was preoccupied with her thoughts and didn’t notice Jenny’s hands out in anticipation.
“I wasn’t criticising you. I only said I liked your hair better the other way. What’s wrong with that?” Sam tried to sound soothing.
“So what if you do? That doesn’t mean you can’t find something nice to say about it now. Maybe if you can’t thin
k of anything nice you should just keep quiet. Don’t you think I get criticised enough because I’m in the public eye without me having to come home and have you start in on me as well?” Meredith was fuming. Sam just didn’t get it, in her opinion. She wondered how he would feel if he had just walked in the door from work and she started telling him his suit was shabby or his hair was a mess.
Jenny chose that moment to start crying. Meredith tried bouncing the chair but with no effect. The crying became louder until she was once again sobbing. No amount of soothing talk or bouncing would console her.
“Here, let me try,” Sam offered.
“So now I can’t even play with my own baby properly? She’s upset because I’m upset. It won’t make any difference if you bounce her.” Meredith spun around to look at Sam as she spoke. Her eyes appeared to turn black, the anger she was feeling evident in her expression.
“That’s not what I meant. You’re obviously upset and I was trying to alleviate some stress for you.”
“I’m upset because of your remarks. If you want to alleviate my stress you could apologise for starters.”
Jenny wailed even louder as Meredith’s voice rose.
“I’ve nothing to apologise for,” Sam said defiantly. He was damned if he was going to apologise for telling the truth.
“Fine,” Meredith retorted, standing up and picking up Jenny. “We’ll go elsewhere to play,” she said as she marched up the stairs with Jenny in her arms still sobbing. “And you can sit there by yourself because I don’t feel like your company this evening,” she called over her shoulder as she exited the lounge.
“Fine. I’m off down the pub then. At least I’ll find someone sensible to talk to there.” Sam rose from the seat and threw the newspaper onto the coffee table before storming through the lounge to the hallway. Grabbing his jacket from the coat stand, he thumped out the front door and slammed it behind him hard enough that it shook the frame and the concrete surrounding it. Little bits of plaster rained down on him as he stormed down the steps.