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My mother-in-law, Kitty, watches TJ for me every Saturday so I can go grocery shopping. Grocery shopping on Saturday has been a tradition for years – I meet my mom and grandma for lunch, then we shop for our groceries together. The custom cut butcher, the customer service people, and a few other assorted employees think we’re pretty cute, shopping with three generations. We should probably be in a commercial for the store. Or a human interest piece on the news.
This week is different, because my parents and grandma went out of town to visit my brother at college. They’ll be back in an hour or two, but we’d usually be done having lunch together by now. Tom usually drops TJ off with Kitty on his way to work, about half an hour before I leave for lunch. He decided to go in to work early, so TJ and I had some more time to spend together. Kitty was looking forward to watching him, though, so I agreed to bring him over around noon. That would give him some time to play before going down for his nap at 1:30.
He was raring to go. As soon as I got him dressed, he took my hand and pulled me to the door to go. I drove him over to Grandma’s house, where she walked up the stairs with him while I carried his diaper bag, womb bear, and other assorted necessities. She took his shoes off while I unloaded my cargo.
That’s when TJ took my hand, pulled me to her front door, and said, “Bye bye.”
I told him I wasn’t going to leave yet, that I was going to stay and talk to Grandma for a little while. Kitty tried to get him to show me his blocks. He started crying. I sat down on the sofa, and he pulled me up again, repeating, “Bye bye. Bye bye.” Then he ran into the family room, where Kitty’s computer is, and said, “Play!” They like to play games together.
Kitty tried to help me out. “You want to play games with Mommy?” she suggested.
“Play! Grandma!” he insisted.
As they settled in at the computer, I went to join them. TJ took my hand and said, “This way.” He pushed me out of the family room, all the way back to the living room sofa, where he made me sit. Then he ran back to Grandma at the computer.
I tried to come back in and join them again, but TJ started screaming. “Bye bye,” he kept saying.
I didn’t want him to resent my presence any further, so I decided I should leave. He did reluctantly hug me and let me give him a kiss before I left, as he tried to push me out the door. He even said, “I love you,” back to me. I know he loves me, but he didn’t want Mommy to intrude on Grandma time.
So I left. And here I am, home alone and waiting for the phone call to go grocery shopping. Snubbed by my own son.
That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a writer, editor, and disability advocate. I'm a multiply disabled autistic lady doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and casual gaming. I hate vegetables. I cannot reliably speak, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or messaging instead.
