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MidReal Story
Unexpected Connections: A Maid's Daughter's Weekend Bond
Anonymous
May 22
Scenario:My maids daughter has to stay at my house for the weekend
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Ethan Montgomery
reluctant host, no significant relationships, tall with sharp features, reserved yet curious
Isabella Montgomery
Ethan's younger sister, Ethan's sister and Maria's friend during the weekend stay, resembles Ethan with softer features, outgoing and empathetic
Maria Rodriguez
maid's daughter and guest, daughter of the maid and guest at Ethan's house, petite with curly black hair, friendly and resilient
I’m not a people person.
I don’t like crowds, and I don’t like small talk.
I don’t like being around people who are too loud, too happy, or too sad.
I don’t like people who are too much of anything.
I prefer my life to be quiet and predictable.
I like to know what’s coming next, and I like to be prepared for it.
That’s why I have a schedule, and that’s why I stick to it.
My life is structured and organized, and I like it that way.
It’s the only way I can function in a world that is so chaotic and unpredictable.
So when my maid asked me if her daughter could stay with me for the weekend, I said no.
I said no because I didn’t want her daughter in my house for the weekend.
I said no because I didn’t want her daughter in my space for the weekend.
I said no because I didn’t want her daughter in my life for the weekend.
I’m a creature of habit, especially on weekends.
I like my weekends to be quiet and predictable, just like the rest of my life.
I like to get up late, eat breakfast in bed, and read the paper.
I like to go for a run, and then come home and take a long shower.
I like to lie down on the sofa and read a book or watch a movie.
I like to have dinner delivered and then take a bath before I go to bed.
I like my weekends to be relaxing and indulgent, and I don’t like anything to get in the way of that.
That’s why I have a maid, so she can do everything for me, and I don’t have to think about anything at all.
That’s why I have a driver, so I don’t have to go anywhere I don’t want to go.
That’s why I have an assistant, so I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do.
That’s why I have a security team, so I don’t have to worry about anything at all.
But this Friday evening was different.
I was in my room getting ready for my bath when Rosa came in.
She stood in the doorway biting her lip, fidgeting with her hands, and looking everywhere but at me.
She was a petite woman in her late fifties with curly black hair and dark skin, and she had been my maid for over ten years.
She had been my mother’s maid before that, and she had been her mother’s maid before that.
I knew her well, or as well as anyone could know someone who worked for them.
And I knew she wouldn’t be in my room if it wasn’t important.
“Can I help you with something?”
I asked as I buttoned my shirt.
I’m going away for the weekend,” she said, still not looking at me.
“Okay,” I said.
“Do you need me to pack your bag for you?”
“No,” she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
“What can I do for you then?”
I asked, walking over to her and placing myself between her and the door.
She hesitated before meeting my gaze, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
Ethan, it’s Maria,” she said.
“I don’t know what to do with her this weekend.”
I didn’t say anything at first because I didn’t understand.
But then it clicked, and I knew exactly what she wanted from me.
“It’s not a problem,” she said quickly.
“I already arranged for someone to pick her up from school today, but they can’t take her until Monday.”
“I just…” She sighed shakily.
“I don’t want to leave her alone all weekend.”
I walked over to the bed and sat down on it heavily, my mind racing with all the ways this would ruin my weekend.
“You want your daughter to stay here with me?”
“She won’t be any trouble,” Rosa said quickly.
“She’ll just stay in her room and won’t bother you.”
“That’s not the point,” I said sharply.
“You know how much I hate it when people are in my space when I don’t want them to be there.”
“I just don’t want Maria to be alone all weekend,” she whispered, and my heart skipped a beat as I realized this was more than just an inconvenience for her.
“I’m sorry, Rosa,” I said, softening my tone and reaching out to take her hand in mine.
“What’s going on with Maria?”
She squeezed my hand tightly and looked into my eyes, and then she told me everything that had happened with Maria and her aunt.
Maria had been living with her aunt since the beginning of the school year while Rosa worked long hours during the week and weekends at the house of a wealthy family in the suburbs about an hour away from where she lived.
Her aunt had recently gotten a new boyfriend, and he didn’t want Maria in the house anymore, so she had to leave with nowhere else to go for the weekend.
Rosa was working long hours and couldn’t take time off to be with Maria, so she had to stay with me if she wanted to be safe and taken care of.
“I don’t know what else to do,” she said, tears streaming down her face as she looked at me with wide, pleading eyes.
I didn’t say anything for a long time as I tried to process everything she had told me.
I didn’t want Maria staying with me for the weekend; that much was still true.
I didn’t want anyone staying with me for the weekend, especially someone I didn’t know or trust or expect.
I wasn’t equipped to deal with people, especially unexpected people in unexpected situations, and I didn’t want this person in my life, even if it was only for a few days.
But Rosa had taken care of me my whole life, and it was my turn to take care of her daughter, even if only for a few days, even if only for one weekend.
She needed my help, and I couldn’t turn her away when she asked for it.
“Of course, she can stay,” I said finally, and relief flooded Rosa’s face as she let out a soft sob and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into a tight hug.
“Thank you, Ethan,” she said as she pulled away from me, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.I nodded and forced a smile, even though my stomach was churning and my hands were shaking and my chest was tight with anxiety about the weekend ahead.“I’ll have Maria pack a bag and bring it over,” Rosa said, taking a deep breath and collecting herself as she stood up straight and smoothed down the front of her uniform.“Okay,” I said, nodding again, and then I watched as she left the room, shutting the door behind her as she went.
I sat on the bed for a few more minutes after she left, trying to calm my nerves and figure out what to do next, but all I could think about was Maria and how much I didn’t want her in my house or my life for the next three days.
I wanted Rosa back here with me, so she could do everything for me, and I didn’t have to think about anything at all.
But Rosa wouldn’t be back until Monday morning, and in the meantime, she had left me with a lot to think about and a lot of decisions to make, starting with Maria herself and why she needed a place to stay for the weekend and why Rosa wanted that place to be here with me instead of somewhere else.
I couldn’t imagine having a child, especially one who was almost an adult, and having that child live somewhere else or be somewhere else most of the time, especially if there wasn’t anywhere else for that child to go or anyone else who could take care of that child when they needed help or a place to stay for the weekend or anything else they might need.
Rosa needed a place for Maria to stay, and I was the only one who could give it to them, even if I didn’t want to do it or have them here or deal with any of this at all right now.
Rosa needed my help, and I needed to give it to her, no matter how much it scared or upset me or how much I wanted it all to go away instead of dealing with it myself in my own way on my own terms.
“Rosa,” I called out after several minutes had passed and Rosa hadn’t come back yet, and then Rosa appeared in the doorway as soon as I did, like she had been waiting just outside the whole time for me to call for her again like I knew she would be.
“I’ll go tell Maria she can come over right now,” she said, and I nodded as I stood up from the bed and went to stand in front of my desk, where I picked up a pen and held it between my fingers to keep myself busy so I wouldn’t start to panic or get overwhelmed.
“I won’t be able to go with you, but let me know what time she’ll be here, and I’ll be ready for her,” I said as I looked up at Rosa, who was smiling again as she nodded and wiped away a few more tears from her eyes.
“I’ll send her over with everything she’ll need for the weekend, so you won’t have to take care of anything,” she said, and I nodded again, even though I wasn’t sure that was true and I didn’t feel any better about any of this than I had before.
“I’ll let you know when she’s on her way,” she said, and then she left the room again, leaving me alone once more as I tried to catch my breath and calm my nerves and figure out what to do next.
I tried to keep myself busy while I waited for Maria to arrive, but it was hard to do that while I was waiting for something I didn’t want to happen or anything at all to happen after that, especially when I had no idea what was going to happen or what would happen after it did.
I couldn’t make myself forget about Maria or stop thinking about what she would be doing once she got here or stop worrying about how we would get through the weekend together as best as we could, even if we didn’t want to or know how.
I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with Maria once she arrived, especially since we hadn’t met yet, and I didn’t know if she would be able to take care of herself or if she would want me to take care of her instead.
I didn’t know if she would want me in charge of everything while she was here or if she would want to take control and do everything herself from start to finish.
I wasn’t sure which one of those options was better or worse than any other one, and I wasn’t sure what I would do or say once Maria got here that would make any difference at all.
