A Family for a Season

You’re just a meddlesome meddler who loves sticking her nose into other people’s families! Blythe spits out.

Its almost funny.

Megan bursts into laughter.

Did you even try to think up a more absurd accusation? When I meet George, youve already been divorced for three years. And if I remember correctly, you left George for another bloke. Which family am I supposed to be meddling in?

***

Megan loves maths. Numbers are easier than people, especially people who dont get you. Exact sciences come naturally to her, just like her work in that field. So when George shows up in her life, bringing his seventhgrader daughter Avery along, Megan readily assumes the role of tutor.

Why are these numbers being cancelled here? Avery asks, hoping she hasnt forgotten the weekend lessons.

Because theyre the same, Megan answers.

Not a terrible answer. Good job, Megan praises, then points at the textbook. Alright, Avery, look again. If you multiply this part by that one, youll get Hold on How does it work Ah, thats right. She pauses a beat, then finds a simple analogy. Avery, its just ordinary multiplication, only you have to pull it out from under the root. Its no harder than counting sweets in primary school.

Avery, sprawled over the kitchen table in the morning, pokes at the surface with her pencil. Megan always insists on a quick review before school, while Avery begs for a few extra minutes of sleep. Megan wins.

This isnt sweets, Megan, Avery sighs. These are problems. Hard ones.

Theres nothing hard if you approach it the right way, Megan smiles, feeling a maternal protectiveness stirsomething shes long tried to keep under wraps. Lets try this one Oh, were already out of time

Mornings always start with the same routine.

George, smoothing Averys tousled bangs, asks, Megan, could you take Avery to school today? Ive got to dash.

No problem, Megan replies while getting dressed. Dont worry, Ill get her there in tiptop shape.

Thanks, Meg.

Its nothing.

She helps Avery pack her notebooks into the backpack. She loves George, and she loves Avery. Their family is a bit odd, but Megan doesnt need anything else.

At the school gate they run into Blythe, Georges exwife. Blythe, wrapped in a thin coat on a crisp autumn day, looks like shes already irritated. She always seems a little out of touch to Megan.

Avery! You forgot your changeover shoes, and theres PE today! I brought a pair. Say thanks someone finally thinks of you, Blythe snaps.

Seeing her mother, Avery waves goodbye to Megan, grabs the bag of trainers, and darts into the school building without a word.

Megan is about to climb back into the car when Blythe threatens, Dont you dare get near my daughter.

Megan frowns. Excuse me? What? Im not getting near her. Im just

You teach her, you drive her around. Do you think youre now her second mother? Blythe snarls, the hatred in her voice palpable.

The outburst catches Megan off guard. Blythe rarely says anything outright, but Megans presence already rattles her.

Im not trying to be anyones replacement, Megan says calmly, not rising to the bait. She spends a lot of time with us, so I talk to her, help her with maths, take her shopping. Im not pretending she doesnt exist on weekends.

Youre just a meddlesome meddler who loves sticking her nose into other peoples families! Blythe repeats.

Its almost comical.

Megan laughs outright. Did you really think you could invent a more ridiculous charge? When I met George, youd been divorced for three years. And if memory serves, you left him for someone else. Which family am I supposed to be meddling in?

Blythe is momentarily speechless, unable to find a retort. Megan, feeling a little push, nudges Blythe off the car, slides into the drivers seat, and heads to work. The argument replaces her morning coffee.

Where does this aggression come from? Megan wonders. Hes not living with her any more, and Blythe has never spoken to me like this before.

She later finds the answer herself.

That evening, while Megan polishes her leather boots, George says, Megan, I need to talk. Its not pleasant but would you mind if Avery stays with us for a while?

Megan keeps cleaning. Stay? Shes already here a lot.

No, I mean permanently. Or at least for a long stretch.

No problem. If it helps Avery, Im fine. But why? How does Blythe feel about this? she asks, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

George doesnt finish. Theres a catch If Avery moves in, Blythe will move in too.

Megans boot clatters to the floor. Whats your ex doing here? Are you hinting that were done and you want to go back to her?

He replies hurriedly, No! Absolutely not! I cant stand her! I love you! He lifts the boot, grabs a brush, and scrubs furiously, The bloke she left me for dumped her. He gave her a week to move out, and renting a flat is pricey, you know.

So let her go back to her parents! Megan exclaims.

Her parents live far away. If she leaves, Avery would have to change schools, the whole town, friendseverything. And Blythe wont go anywhere without Avery. Our flat is threebedroom; we can all fit.

Well all fit? In one flat with Blythe?

You must be joking

It sounds a bit wild, but I see no other way. We cant afford a separate flat for her, and if she goes back to her parents Ill only see her half a year a year. Avery doesnt want that. Megan repeats Well fit in her head, absentmindedly rubbing the brush.

And they do fit.

But at what cost Blythe moves in as if shes taken the flat by siege. Her belongings gradually crowd the space.

Megan, Blythe says from the living room where shes now sleeping, could you move that vase? It blocks my view of the telly.

The vase sits on the coffee table, hardly in the way.

Y

Just move it. I want to watch the news.

Isnt that my vase?

I cant touch your stuff without asking, else Ill have trouble later.

Megan carefully shifts the vase. Thanks.

Next come the curtains, piled into a laundry basket while Megan runs errands.

Did the curtains bother you? Megan asks.

They were light, the ones I chose. I want them back.

So you dont mind me touching your things now?

I thought not.

Megan walks through the rooms. We picked those curtains together with George.

Then I dont like them, Blythe snaps. Ill ask George to change them. Well get new ones tomorrow.

The flat starts to feel like a household harem.

Blythe restores the place to how it was when she and George lived together. The kitchen is rearrangedpans end up in the oven, spices on the top shelf because Blythe rarely uses them. The washing machine, once run every two days, now runs once a week to save water. Megan never figures out the savings, because that day the machine runs five or six times.

Megan, Blythe appears unexpectedly, could you please put your perfume off the hallway table? I need space for my cosmetics.

They dont bother me, Megan replies.

They do. I live here. I should be comfortable.

This is my home too, Megan says, but Blythe seems deaf.

Youre nobody here, Blythe retorts. This is my house, my man, my family. Youre just a side effect.

Megan passes the words straight to George. George, when are you going to sort out housing for Blythe and Avery? Im fine with Avery staying, but Blythe told me Im nobody, that this is her house, her man, her family. Is that normal? Are you just going to pretend you didnt hear?

George hears, but doesnt believe.

Megan, youve misunderstood. Blythes going through a rough patch, but she wouldnt say those things. Shes just nervous, maybe said something stupid, and you took it personally

Nervous? She said it straight to my face!

What do you want me to do? Throw her out? Where?

George sides with his ex.

Day by day George spends more time not only with Avery but also with Blythe. They stroll together, share jokes that leave Megan feeling like an extra.

But the idyll between George and Blythe doesnt last long. A petty argument erupts over a misplaced cup. Blythe cant forgive the slip.

You know I hate it when you do that! she shouts.

What did I do? Breathe wrong? Im drinking tea! George sputters.

Look, theres tea spilt all around the cup, the tablecloth is ruined! And stop thumping the table when you set something down. My nerves arent made of steel.

Your nerves! You sound like a grouchy old lady.

Youre a sloppy slob who cant remember the basics!

Megan watches from the next room, like a relic of a marriage that has lasted decades in misery. Yes, miserable, but still a marriage. And where does Megan fit?

Everythings starting over again, Avery says, Dad and Mum are back together and fighting again. It was better when they split

Megan realises this isnt her family any more. Shes just a temporary guest who never quite fit into the remerged household.

George faces the fact that theyre heading for divorce. He doesnt know how to untangle it, begs Megan to wait, but she knows it leads nowhere.

The day Megan packs to leave, a small incident occurs that might have been irrelevant if not for the tense atmosphere. While shes boxing up, Blythe decides to show her housekeeping skills and launches a fullon cleaning spree. She starts optimising the bookshelf in the lounge. Megan, a stickler for order, has her books alphabetised by genre. Blythe, driven purely by aesthetics, rearranges everything based on how the spines look.

Megan wants to protest but remembers shes no longer the owner, so she jokes, Did you plan to sweep my spirit out with the cleaning?

Just love a tidy space, Blythe replies, polishing another volume. Your place was looking like a library landfill.

Its for convenience, so I can find a book quickly.

I look at covers, Blythe says. I prefer that. It looks nicer.

Theyll never coexist.

When Megan steps out of the house, sitting in the car, she spots Avery at the window, waving goodbye. For a heartbeat it seems the girl might run after her caught between two worlds.

Ready to go? asks her brother, whos come to help with the move.

Yes, Megan replies. Lets get moving.