(idea) by junkpile Mon Sep 11 2000 at 4:16:25

I get to the new baby's house, to hell with her parents, we know who is in charge, and Anna opens the door and shoves the baby at me. The phone is ringing and something on the stove is making too much noise, not as much noise as Toccoa though. Anna says She's been crying for a while. See what you can do.

What I can do is apparently enough; seconds later Toccoa is hiccuping her way to a sleepy smile. I try to resist the smugness of Look, she likes me! and I fail.

This morning the phone rings and Alice answers. It is a good compliment when someone answers your phone automatically, as if it were her own. I smile in the kitchen. Alice says Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Um, we don't have one of those, sorry. Didn't think we needed one. I say Who was that? because Alice is laughing and laughing.

It was a survey, she says. Lady wanted to talk to the Man of the household.

The baby is sleeping and Anna decides to lie down too. Asleep as soon as she's down, arm around the baby in a safe boundary. Drew and I stand in the doorway and watch her, she is exhausted and of course she is beautiful. Drew says I feel. So. Lucky. He says it in a whisper.

I could be telling you these things or I could be stirring the risotto or I could be under a cool clean sheet with someone or I could be watching a girl grow up. You'll forgive me for setting priorities.

I like it! 3 C!s