Gratifying and maddening GM

I am currently driving from the west coast to the east coast, stopping at a different motel each night. I try to stay at one with an indoor pool, so I'm not hampered in lg watching by the weather. Tonight, I was at the pool when a woman came in carrying a girl. It was obvious the girl was handicapped in some manner. Her legs were not paralyzed, but not strong enough to support her. She was in the water with her mother, and was trying to get some other girls to play with her. The other girls ignored her. It was sad to watch it. I talked some with the mother.

I later joined them in the spa. I learned that her birthday was coming up in a few days. I asked her how old she would be, and she said nine. Her older sister said something kind of mean to her, and left the spa. I told she would be a very pretty nine year old. After a while, she started making her way around the side of the spa toward me. When she got next to me, she asked me my name. I told her my name, and I said"I think your name is Rachel." She said "How did you know my name?" I said I had guessed, then confessed that I had heard her mother say her name. We had been talking for a few minutes, with her mother on the other side of the spa, when she started working her way along the side of the spa with her arms. Thinking she was wanting get by me, I pulled away from the side, and asked her if she wanted to get by. She said "no", so I sat down again. She proceeded to crawl on to my lap. Knowing she couldn't support herself, I put my arm against her back, so she could sit sideways on my lap.

I guess that was more than her mother could take. She angrily called Rachel back over to her, so I helped her over to the side of the spa. After a couple of minutes, I apologized to the mother for upsetting her. She said she wasn't upset at me, but she said nothing more to me, and gathered up Rachel and left. I got to wave good-bye to Rachel, and she waved back.

I think the mother was overly protective of Rachel, and may have considered me just someone trying to take advantage of a handicapped girl. I was just trying to bring as little happiness into her life. I was nearly in tears when she left.