Motherhood Is Murder

Sara rose and crossed the room to Amanda. She picked her up and cuddled her. ?It?s attention time. She needs a change and some food. Are we done??

I rose. ?Actually, I have a couple more questions.?

Sara fidgeted and patted her baby on the back. ?Okay. Is it all right then if we move this conversation to the kitchen??

?Of course.? I picked up Laurie?s car seat and her eyes flew open. ?Oops. I think it?s attention time for Laurie, too.?

?I?ll show you Amanda?s room. You can use her changing station,? Sara said, turning to leave the room.

I unstrapped Laurie and scooped her out of the car seat. I glanced through the front window and spotted a woman pushing a double stroller down the street. A collie was leashed to the stroller. The woman stopped in front of Margaret?s house and fished for something in her parka. She pulled out a set of keys.

Must be the nanny coming back from the park.

I picked up the diaper bag and headed in the direction Sara had gone. There was a long hallway connecting to a formal dining room followed by an enormous marble kitchen. Bedrooms were in the back of the house, overlooking a huge fenced-in garden.

Sara was changing Amanda on a white wooden changing table.

A few months ago, my life had been so different. Before having Laurie, the only person I knew with a baby was Paula. Now it seemed that I was surrounded by pregnancies, new moms, infants, diapers, bottles, and nursery rhymes.

Sara picked up her baby from the station and placed a disposable changing pad on the table for me. I laid Laurie down and went through the same routine Sara had just completed.

?We can feed them in the kitchen. Do you need formula or want me to heat water or something??

?No. I?m nursing.?

Sara nodded. ?I couldn?t do it for very long. I found it so taxing.?

?I?m getting the hang of it.?

I followed her from the bedroom into the enormous kitchen. She placed Amanda in her highchair and proceeded to heat orange-colored mashed food on the stove.

She smiled. ?Homemade baby food.?

She was making the baby food? How do you do that? Was I supposed to make Laurie?s baby food? Thank God solids weren?t for a few more months.

I placed Laurie on my lap and pulled my nursing wrap out of the diaper bag.

?I understand from Margaret that she thinks her husband is cheating on her. Do you know anything about that??

Sara looked surprised. ?I didn?t know Margaret knew. She never said anything about it to me.?

?But you knew??

She shrugged. ?What can I say? I live across the street. I noticed Alan coming home later and later. Margaret told me some mumbo jumbo about his having to work late. But good Lord, the man is a podiatrist, not a surgeon. He works clinic hours, not the emergency room. But who am I to say anything??

?Do you know who he?s seeing??

She leveled her gaze at me. ?Does it matter? The guy?s a two-timer.?

I nodded in agreement. ?It matters. An affair is hard to prove without knowing who the other party is.?

?Why does she need to prove anything? Just dump him.?

It didn?t feel right to outline Margaret?s suspicions to Sara, so I simply said, ?Sometimes it?s not that easy.?

?Well, I know they have kids and all.?

Sara put a spoonful of mush to Amanda?s mouth. Amanda promptly turned from it.

Maybe she would like Gerber?s instead?

?Any idea how long the affair has been going on for??

?Let?s see, Amanda is six months now. I?d say she was probably four months or so when I first noticed him coming home late.?

Sara succeeded in stuffing a spoonful of slop into Amanda?s mouth, only to have Amanda?s little tongue push it back out again. Sara sighed and wiped Amanda?s chin.

She stirred the food and made another attempt. Amanda turned her head.

?Guess she?s not hungry,? she said, pulling the baby from the highchair.

Amanda wailed in protest. Sara sighed. ?I don?t think she likes my squash pottage.? She placed the baby back in the highchair. Amanda kicked her feet in delight. Sara pulled some Cheerios off a shelf and sprinkled a handful in front on the tray. Amanda dug in with relish, wrapping her chubby fingers around each Cheerio and