“Ask someone to watch you.”
“Mommy, I no need-” Jess tries. Mom scowls at her. Jess falls silent.
“If you can’t stay out of trouble without supervision, then you need supervision. But as the mother of the groom, I can’t just leave early to watch my troublemaking daughter.” Mom redresses Jess and props her on her hip. “Luckily, Joyce is leaving.”
“Joyce?” Jess squeaks nervously. Joyce is Jimmy’s mother.
“Yes.” Mom brings Jess out of the bathroom and heads for the table where Joyce, her husband, and her children are sitting. “Joyce?”
“Yes?” Joyce asks, turning to smile at her sister.
“I can’t trust Jess to be on her own when she’s like this, but I can’t watch her right now. Would you mind taking her to your place? I’ll pick her up tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, no problem!” Joyce takes Jess from her mom. “She can wear some of Lily’s clothes.”
“Excellent. Thanks so much.” Mom kisses Joyce on the cheek and leaves.
“So, Jess,” Joyce says, setting her on the table, “I’m leaving with Lily and Amy. Hank is staying behind with Jimmy.” Jess sighs in relief. Joyce’s husband Hank isn’t someone she likes spending time with, either, so the both of them staying at the reception is perfect.
Joyce finishes packing things up, then puts her infant daughter Lily into a stroller. Amy – one of Jess’s favorite cousins – and Jess follow her to the car. Jess is buckled into a car seat next to Lily, to her displeasure.
“Don’t worry, girls, we’ll all get into some comfier clothes when we get home,” Joyce calls from the driver’s seat as they pull out of the parking lot.
“Yay!” Amy cheers.
Jess remains silent for the entirety of the drive. At Joyce’s house, she follows her cousin and aunt inside, then sits on the living room couch while Joyce takes Lily to the nursery to be changed. Joyce returns a few minutes later, puts Lily in a playpen, and then takes Jess to the nursery as well, where she is taken out of her flower girl dress and put into a soft pink onesie.
As Joyce carries her back to the living room, Jess can’t help but wonder how she’ll be treated. Will Joyce treat her like the adult she is, or the toddler she appears to be?