My spouse Noah and I divorced several years ago. He is now married to his new wife, Katie. We have a daughter, Lexie, so we’re still on good terms and try to provide her with a pleasant life. The ebb and flow of co-parenting with my ex-husband had become a routine: one week with me, one week with him. To my relief, Katie had seamlessly integrated into our daughter’s life. While a twinge of discomfort continued, I realized her significant impact on our child’s health.
“Katie is going to be a second mother to Lex,” Noah commented one day as he dropped off our daughter. “But she’s not a replacement mother.” I was fine with it. I’d rather have Katie, who adored Noah and Lexie, in our lives than someone who only desired Noah and had nothing to do with his family.Anyway, once Friday arrived, marking the end of Lexie’s week with Noah, I was ready to pick her up.
As I approached the front door, I prepared for the normal polite encounter, with Katie telling me about whatever recipe of mine she had tried. Katie is an excellent cook, and she occasionally cooks my recipes so Lexie may have “home food” when she visits. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel weird around Katie, and adjusting to having her in my daughter’s life has been difficult, but we’re doing our best to make things easier on Lexie.
Walking up the front porch, lost in meditation, I saw the door was slightly ajar and pushed it open even farther. “Hello?” I called out.But a piercing scream echoed throughout the house before I could say anything else. Lexie screamed. I knew it right away. Panic gripped hold of me, forcing me inside without hesitation. After racing through the home, I found myself in the kitchen, where Katie stood hovering over my daughter with a broom.
“Lexie?” I inquired, dubious of what I was witnessing. “What in the world is going on?!” My initial reaction was to strike out at Katie, accusing her of causing harm to my child — the scene was right in front of me. My daughter was on the floor, looking as if she had been thrown there, with her stepmother standing above her, clutching a broom. But, as the words formed on my lips, my sight was drawn to a rapid flurry of little feet in the corner of the room.
“It’s a rat!” Katie exclaimed, her gaze fixed on the rubbish. “Lexie, jump up!” Lexie jumped from the floor to a chair. “Mom!” Lexie shouted. “Hit it!”Katie flung the boom at me as she reached for a mop nearby. “Damn it,” I exclaimed, laughing. “I tried to shoo it away,” Katie added. “But then, Lexie tripped and fell because it ran over her shoe.” “It went crazy!!” Lexie spoke from the chair. “It just jumped onto my foot in the living room and then ran into the kitchen.”
“Okay, let’s just get it out of here,” I murmured, attempting to conceal my embarrassed grin. I opened the kitchen door to the back porch, and after a few minutes of silence and mild shooing, the rat bolted outside. “Come on, honey,” Katie said to Lexie, reaching out a hand as she leaped down. “I’ll get an exterminator to come over tomorrow and check out the property,” Katie said, ashamed. “But I’ll leave some mousetraps around later.”
I was still shivering from the possibility that Katie had harmed my child. I should have known she wouldn’t harm Lexie; she was “our” child, after all. “I’m sorry,” Katie apologized, as if she could read my mind. “That was a bit of a scene to walk into.” “It’s fine,” I said, my wrath subsiding. “I just…” I apologize, Katie. I immediately jumped the gun and assumed you were attacking her.
Katie shook her head and placed her hand on my arm. “I would never do that,” she replied. “I think I was more afraid of it than she was.” We stood in the messy living room, the wreckage of the struggle clearly visible. “Come on,” Katie replied. “Let’s have some tea before you go.” We sat at the dining table after Lexie made sure the rat wasn’t lurking beneath it.
Katie moved easily around the kitchen, making tea and removing a pie from the refrigerator. “I never thought I’d have to fight a rat in my own home,” Katie said, a genuine smile bursting through. “Yeah, well, we can add that to the list of things we never expected,” I answered, the tightness of the previous moment replaced by a sense of connectedness.
I saw how Katie defended Lexie, even if it was from a rat. And I knew everything was fine. Katie would keep my child secure when I was not present.The afternoon passed with us sitting at the table, sipping tea and telling stories about our childhood fears. I believed Lexie needed to know that, despite everything, Katie and I got along well. That Lexie could have a solid family life even though her father and I were no longer together.
I was glad I kept my calm as I walked inside Noah and Katie’s house. Admittedly, Lexie’s cry provoked a strong maternal emotion in me, and I would have lashed out at Katie if I hadn’t taken a moment to recognize the event for what it was: a humorous meeting.