Everything I Didn't Say

Ten

Rosalie

After Leah had finished practice, we had arranged to meet back at the hotel after we got back and freshened up. I was staying in the same hotel as the players because the girls  had invited me along as their guest. It just so happened that Leah was only one level above us in the hotel.  We made plans for her to visit us in our room, and I suggested to her that she could help with Millie's bath time, and then we could order some takeaway and watch a movie with Millie.  Instead of going out, I opted to keep Millie and Leah in the hotel so they could get to know each other in a more relaxed setting.

I placed Millie in her playpen while I had a quick shower and dressed into sweats and a hoodie. I had just finished giving the room a quick tidy up when I heard someone tapping on the door. After picking up Millie, I go to the door and look through the peep hole.

I exclaim, "Hello Mummy!" as I open the door and look at Millie.

I take a step to the side and motion for him to come in.

"Hello, sweetheart, have you been a good girl for your mama?" Leah greets Thea, stroking her cheek.

"If you had arrived fifteen minutes ago, you would have seen that she was not being a good girl for mama and throwing a tantrum, but we survived, didn't we babygirl?" I make a tickling motion towards her, making her squeal with delight.

With a sly grin on his face, she tells her, "I don't believe for one moment you were having a tantrum"

I say to Leah, "I'll go and start running her bath if you wanna just sit and play with some of her toys?" but then I remember that this is all still so new to her that she may feel anxious about being left alone. I smile and suggest, "Or you can both come and we could do it all together, whatever you feel most comfortable with."

I watch as she scoots off the sofa to the floor and begins playing with Millie's toys, and she swiftly toddles over to join in the fun, giggling at the sight of her mother playing with her Peppa Pig doll while oinking like a pig.

Well that answers my question, I think to myself.

She gives me a reassuring look, says, "I think we'll be fine here, but if I need you, I'll shout," and returns her attention to her fun with Thea and peppa pig.

I walk through to the bathroom and start running water for Millie's bath and add some bubble bath and a few of her toys. Once it's finished running and ready for her, I head back through to the bedroom and pause at the door. I've been just standing there for a while, watching Leah interact with Millie. I can tell that she is really smitten with her from the way she looks at her, and she appears to feel the same way about Leah. For Millie, this is the only thing I've ever wanted. I take another sneaky photo of them playing on the floor.

I let them play for a little longer while I text Louisa, Katie, Beth, and Jen to give them an update on what's going on in our group chat. They share my joy in Leah's efforts to get to know Millie, but assure me that they are always nearby in case I need them.

As I stand in the doorway, disrupting their game, I say, "Right missy, bath time."

I ask Leah, "Do you wanna bring her through Leah?" and she cracked a smile before picking up Millie and carrying her through to the bathroom.

I  help Millie out of her clothes and into the tub, telling Leah that she will likely get soaked along with her because of how much water she likes to splash around.

"So do I, sweetheart," she replies with a chuckle, her finger to his mouth in an imitation of a shh sound.

Leah's maturity and poise as a mother as impressed me more than I expected. In fact, I am so impressed that I am happy to let her take the reins during bathtime. Leah is perched on the floor next to the tub, playing with Millie's mermaid Barbies; It's like a dream come true to see them together, and it makes my heart so happy. After Millie's bath, we both pitch in to get her dried off and dressed for bed. The two of us seemed to be on the same page, and it was helpful to have someone else around when she was having a tantrum about getting dressed.  It felt so natural having her there helping to care for Millie.