Chapter 8 - THE TODDLER PROBLEM
Emma and Ethan were normal two-year-olds.
Which meant chaos.
They cried.
Grabbed toys.
Threw food.
Ran in opposite directions.
Fought over the same cup even when two identical cups existed.
Margaret interpreted normal toddler behavior as early rebellion.
Claire disagreed.
But Claire also knew something uncomfortable.
She had become inconsistent after surgery.
Exhausted.
In pain.
Sometimes she let the twins watch cartoons longer than usual.
Sometimes crackers became dinner.
Sometimes she gave in because she could not physically manage another meltdown.
Margaret noticed.
“You’re teaching them crying works.”
Claire snapped:
“I’m surviving the week.”
Margaret answered:
“And I’m the one cleaning up what you teach.”
There.
The resentment was finally visible.
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Margaret did not see herself as intruding.
She saw herself as compensating for Claire’s failure.
