When Tessa had finished her gigs in Ireland, the whole family flew home to the States together. Once home in Genoa City, Mariah and Tessa sorted out the paperwork to start the adoption process. It could take them months to get approved, and Tessa still had her tour of the States to complete. So she waved goodbye to Mariah and the kids two weeks later and set off to finally finish her tour, which she started over a year before in Australia and before the nasty accident in Paris put a hold on it all. She had one break in the space of eight weeks, to fly home and have a break with Mariah and the kids. She'd never been so glad to see the end of a tour. She flew home from San Francisco absolutely elated it was finally over. Mariah was delighted to have her home full time again. The kids were getting so big now and were becoming a handful. Tessa asked Mariah if she'd like them to go to kindergarten, so they both got a break now and again. A couple of weeks after Tessa got home, Bowie and Crystal were sent to kindergarten, twice a week for three hours at first to give their mom's a rest.
They both seemed to love it and would always fall asleep in the car on the way home when Tessa picked them up. Mariah was back at her job at Jabot, Kyle and Jack were glad to have her back, because they had new lines coming out, and although Mariah had kept up with her work while she had been with Tessa, there was nothing quite like having her in the office to have a conversation with. She was coming home exhausted, and then Tessa would feed her, and nine times out of ten she would take it into her office because she still had stuff to finish. "Mariah" Tessa shouted one night. You can't keep doing this! Doing what? shouted Mariah back. Going into your office all night, and taking your dinner with you. We never see you anymore. Do you realize, you've not been with the kids once in the last week? You've been gone before they get up, and back after I have put them to bed. "Tessa" My job is insane at the moment, I don't have enough hours in the day to do anything else.
I've noticed said Tessa glumly. What do you want me to do? I have to do my job. "Mariah" I'm not saying you don't have to do your job, but surely you can cut some of the hours down so that you are at least here for either breakfast or bedtime? The kids miss you, and so do I. Mariah was startled at this comment. Do you miss me? But you see me before I go to work, and when I get home. Well that's not true, is it? I mean, you get up and are gone before I'm even awake, and when you get home in the evening you more or less grab your plate off of me and then head for your office. When you finally come to bed, you wake me up getting your stuff ready for the next day, because what you haven't realized is that I've been in bed fast asleep for three hours, because it's well past one in the morning. I'm sorry said Mariah am I disturbing your beauty sleep? "Mariah" come on, there's no need to be snarky. I'm just pointing out some facts for you. "Tessa" shouted Mariah again. Look, we just have an enormous amount on. With new lines coming out at the moment, plus Kyle's trying to acquire a new fashion company, and I'm having to do a lot of PR work for it.
I'm sure everything will settle down a bit once it all goes through. I really do hope so Mariah, because we've had the paperwork for us to adopt come through today, all signed and given the go-ahead, and the builders have nearly finished the extension, so it's going to be all go soon, buying new furniture and decorating the new wing. "Tessa" You do realize, I used to have to cope all on my own while you were on tour, with two little ones don't you? Yes, obviously said Tessa. Well, welcome to my world said Mariah in a raised voice as she left with her plate of food and headed for her office. Tessa turned away in tears, and then picked up her plate of food and went and sat at the dining room table all on her own. Later on, Tessa cleared up the kitchen and put the dishwasher on. She didn't bother going into Mariah's office to collect her plate. Afterward, she sat on the sofa thinking about what Mariah had said to her. Did Mariah not realize how much work she was doing? I know she looked after the kids while I was away, but I did come home from time to time and took over so that Mariah could have a rest.
But she's not even thought about trying to get home early or even staying for breakfast. Am I being unreasonable? I really don't think I am, especially now we are trying to add to our family and were having all this building work done because of that. I mean is she still interested in extending our family now that she has all this work on? I guess I have to ask her that question. Tessa sat on the sofa for quite a while, feeling very sad for herself. At around midnight, she decided it was time to go up the stairs to bed. Mariah had not come out of her office all evening. So Tessa guessed it would be another late night for her. She didn't bother knocking on Mariah's office door to tell her she was on her way to bed. Once she got into bed, she tried to settle down but things just kept on churning away in her mind. When Mariah finally came to bed, it was two in the morning. Not the time or place to have it out with your wife! So Tessa finally drifted off to sleep.
Luckily the kids didn't wake and come into their room until seven. The kids rushed in and jumped on her to wake her up. She looked at the empty space beside her. Mariah had already gotten up and gone to work, without even saying good morning. Although Tessa had not had much sleep, she was lucky that today was Bowie's and Crystal's day at kindergarten. They know spent two whole day's a week there now. Which Tessa was very grateful for because it allowed her to sort the builders out, do payments for materials and see what progress they were making on the extension. The boss of the builders gave her a nice surprise and told her that by the end of the week, they would be finally done and she could now employ the decorators to start the painting next week. Oh my god, that's great news said Tessa I will get onto the decorators straight away. Which she did, and got them to agree to start on Monday morning. Things are finally coming together she thought. I only wish my marriage was.
She was very sad thinking about it. When she picked up the kids later, she decided to call in on her mom and dad's place, to have a chat. Cindy and Carl were delighted to see the kids and her. Okay said Cindy once the kids were occupied by the TV and some sweets. What's going on? Oh, nothing said Tessa a little sad. Oh come on, who are you trying to kid? said Carl Your face is always a giveaway when something is going on. It's Mariah said Tessa since I've been home and off the tour and the kids have been going to kindergarten, Mariah has become a workaholic. We never see her! Said Tessa getting upset. She's up and out of the house before the kids get up, and she doesn't get home until after I have put them to bed. I see her literally for five minutes, while I hand her some dinner I've cooked for her that night, and then she goes into her office with it while I sit on my own at the dining table. I then do all the clearing up and head off to bed. I worked out that she's surviving on about four hours of sleep a night!
Have you tried to talk to her? asked Cindy. "Mom" I have tried. I told her we all miss her, especially the kids. But she more or less turned around to me and said welcome to my world. I looked after the kids while you were away on tour! Hang on said Carl we were all there helping her. I know dad. we've also got all this building work going on so that we can adopt a couple of new family members, and I can honestly say at this point that I'm not sure if I want to do that if Mariah is going to be at work all the time. It's like she lives outside of our family unit. We don't sit and chat anymore, she never asks how the kids are doing. Oh, that's not like her said, Cindy. No, it's not said Tessa and I know she wants to do a good job at Jabot. But if the sacrificing she's doing is affecting our home life, then what am I going to do? She said that Kyle is trying to purchase a new fashion company, and she will be doing all the PR and probably the marketing too. So she will be even more snowed under. This means there will be no hours left in the day for any of us.
Does she work the weekends then? asked Carl. Err well, She's home but not home if that makes sense? Do you mean she's in her office the whole time? Yep, like I said I only see her when she wants me to make food, and then she disappears again. It's like the kids only have one parent at the moment. I just don't know what to do anymore. Do I just get on with everything, and hope she realizes what she is doing? Have you tried talking to her? asked Carl. Well, I did try as I said to mom a little bit last night when she got home from work after I'd put the kids to bed yet again. I shouted at her and told her she can't keep doing this. She said doing what? So I said going into your office every night and taking your dinner with you. And did she realize we never see her anymore? The kids haven't seen her for a week! And that she's gone before they get up and comes home after they go to sleep. She shouted back that her job is insane at the moment, and she doesn't have enough hours in the day for anything else.
I said I noticed and she asked what do I want her to do? She has to do her job. I said I understand that, but is there any way she could cut some time so that she could be at home for either breakfast or bedtime? What did she say to that? asked Cindy. Well, I also told her that me and the kids missed her. She asked why do I miss her? Because I apparently see her every morning and when she gets home. I said not all the time. Most mornings she's gone before I'm even awake, and then in the evenings there's no dinner together, she just takes her's to her office and stays there long after I have gone to bed. But when she does come to bed, she wakes me, because she's fumbling around in the dark, sorting out her clean clothes ready for work before she goes to sleep. I don't even get a goodnight anymore. And then she snapped at me and said does she disturb my beauty sleep? I told her not to be so snarky. She then went on to tell me about Kyle purchasing the other fashion company, which will mean more marketing and PR work for her. She then said once it all settles down and goes through things should settle down at work.
But I don't see how that will happen said Tessa sadly. I told her the paperwork for adopting has come through, all signed and we've been given the go-ahead. Plus the builders are finally finished and I've organized for the decorators to come in on Monday. So that's when she said welcome to my world, I used to juggle everything while you were away on tour, with that she left and went to her office. I don't know what to say or how to make things better. And now I want to know if she is still interested in adopting now she has all this work on. Because there is no way, I will be able to cope with four kids! Oh, you'd have no worries there said Cindy, all us grandparents would help you out. I do know that mom, but that's not the point. I need to ask Mariah the question, it's not going to be long before the decorators are finished, and then we need to buy furniture once that's done. The adoption could be imminent not long after. How exciting said, Carl. It used to be exciting dad, but not having Mariah around as much is putting a real damper on things.
I'm even thinking I can't be bothered to pursue it anymore." Tessa" shouted Cindy sharply. You have always wanted more children, surely you can just talk to Mariah about your concerns and go from there? Do you want me to have a word with Frank and Dena? Ask them to talk to her. No, at least not yet mom. I think I can talk to my wife without any interference from her parents. Also can you please not mention the conversation I've just had with the both of you, to them? Of course, we can said Carl jumping in before Cindy could say anything. Okay said Cindy I promise to keep my mouth shut, and not the cat out of the bag so to speak. Thank you, mom, I know it will be hard for you, to keep this from Dena. I will talk to Mariah as soon as I can, so you don't have to keep it to yourself for too long. The sooner the better said Cindy I don't want to worry about putting my foot in it. Tessa laughed.
I will try my best mom. Tessa gathered the kids up, now that she'd managed to get everything off of her chest, and started to load them into her car. She turned to her parents who were standing on their doorstep. Thank you both for letting me blow off some steam. She went and kissed them both and then set off for home. She was feeling less overwhelmed, now that she'd had a chat with someone. Now all she had to do was get Mariah to sit down and have a chat, and not let it turn into a major row! The kids were knackered from playing at her parent's house, so she bathed them early and put them to bed. She decided to lay the table and made it look nice, to try and encourage Mariah to sit down with her and have dinner. She made one of Mariah's favorite meals to entice her further to stay and not lock herself into her office. Mariah walked in later and smelt the dinner. What's the occasion? asked Mariah. No occasion, I just want you to have dinner with me. Can you do that?