Ketchup Popsicle - Part 6

Sandra and Mike named their baby boy Daniel. They took him home together and the following months graduated into a routine of nursing, napping, and bum changing sessions. Mike went back to work as usual but started doing something new that was a pleasant surprise for Sandra. Just as he was getting ready to leave the house every morning he would lean down and kiss the baby on his fluffy little head and then also kiss Sandra good-bye. Most of time both she and the baby were still in lying bed. She found that she was completely exhausted most of the time.

Daniel had a constant stream of visitors from Mike's family, none of whom paid much attention to Sandra. Mike mother came by every day to see her first grandchild. Her name was Marta and she was aggressive to say the least. She would take up the baby weather he was sleeping or nursing in Sandra’s arms when she arrived. Grandma, understandably could not keep her hands off the little guy, but she made Sandra feel like an incubation machine, that with her work done, was no longer needed. It was unbearable. But it did give her an opportunity to actually shower and nap while Marta proceeded smother the poor child.

Marta criticized everything that Sandra did, from wearing her pre-pregnancy clothes which were too tight, to deciding on nursing the baby instead of bottle feeding him. It drove Mike’s mother insane to have to hand the baby back to Sandra for feeding. It secretly pleased Sandra to deny Marta the bonding that comes with feeding a baby. Feeling that way surprised her but it was one thing that she could control in the whirlwind her life had become. Until that fatal morning of course. Sandra had come down from her shower to find Marta on the sofa with Daniel crutched in her arm, feeding him with a bottle!

"What are you doing?" Sandra demanded, all patience with the old terror now completely dissolved by the acid in the back of her throat at the sight of her bottle feeding Daniel.

"I’m feeding my grandchild, do you mind?" Marta replied flatly.

"Do I mind?" Sandra practically screamed. "Yes I mind and you know I do! You are going to completely throw his stomach into a fit. He’s not used to formula – he is breast fed and you damn well know it lady." There it was, the small town girl came out of her with fists a blazin’.
Sandra was embarrassed for her outburst, but firm on her resolve that Mike’s mother had gone too far this time.

Marta lifted the bottle to show Sandra the contents. "It’s water." She jiggled the bottle for emphasis. "You see." She said, "I’m not even going to comment on how completely out of line you were just now. Speaking to me in that tone." Her chin went up in the air along with her long pointy nose. Her perfectly coifed bright orange hair did not move at all. She glared at Sandra with her glacial blue eyes as though trying to will an apology out of her. "I don’t think that Mike would appreciate you speaking to me that way," she said.

Sandra turned crimson red with embarrassment and anger combined. Tears welled in her eyes. She managed to cross the living room and retrieve her innocent little Daniel from Marta's clutches. She made a point in not saying a word as she settled into the rocking chair, covered them both with a receiving blanket and began nursing him. She had no words for Marta. Why should she apologize? Marta was a cold, rude woman and Sandra didn’t deserve the treatment she received from her.

Marta stood, collected her purse and headed for the door without another word. Sandra heard the door close and removed the receiving blanket to look down at Daniel.

"It’s okay baby, the mean old witch is gone." she whispered.

Daniel opened one eye and then closed it again, content on his mid-day snack.