Page 76 of Goodbye Paradise
At the sight of it, she got all excited, reaching one thick little arm toward the plate.
“You can have it,” I teased, “if you sayJosh.”
Chloe looked up at me and smiled an open-mouthed smile. We played this game a lot.
“Go on. Say,Josh.” This was the part where she said “dada” instead, and then I gave her the cornbread anyway. As it turns out, the J sound was one of the last that most babies learned. It was harder to say than many of the other consonant sounds. Go figure.
“Bosh,” Chloe said, her voice tentative.
My heart stuttered. “What did you say?”
“BOSH!” she reached for the plate.
Laughing, I passed it to her. “Close enough, babycakes. Close enough.”
Maggie returned a bit later, her little car overflowing with purchases. “These are for you,” she said, handing me a bag with king-sized sheets in it.
“I would have…” Our finances were hopelessly tangled at this point. I would probably die owing Maggie and Daniel money.
She held up a hand. “My treat. And I know how much you enjoy the topic of beds and bedding. So just roll with it, my little blushing cousin.”
I turned away, hearing her snicker.
“Mama,” Chloe said, toddling into the room.
“That’s right. Mama is home.” Maggie scooped her daughter off the floor. “Did you have your nap?”
“That would be no,” I said. “Somebody wouldn’t even consider it. I think it’s just a little crazy around here today.” Chloe might not know what was going on, but she could sense the excitement. “Maybe she’ll pass out in the car when you go to meet the bus in Pittsfield.”
Maggie chewed on her lip. “Actually, Josh? Could you stay here with Chloe? I mean, I haven’t seen Miriam since she was twelve. I’m not sure I can pick her up and keep myself together. I’m weeping all over the place, Chloe might get freaked out.”
“No problem,” I said immediately. “I’ll stay with her.”
When the timecame for Maggie and Daniel to drive off, Chloe was not happy with this arrangement. They left, and shehowled. Not only did she want to go with Mama and Dada, she was exhausted from skipping her nap.
“Let’s go read a book,” I suggested. I tucked her crabby self under one arm andThe Very Hungry Caterpillarunder the other. And I carried both upstairs to Maggie and Daniel’s bed. If she fell asleep on me (and I hoped she would) it would be a short trip to the crib.
Whimpering a little, Chloe let me settle her on my chest. Yawning myself, I opened the first page of the book, and began to read in my most sedate voice.
It worked on both of us…
There werevoices coming up the stairs. Excited voices. But my head was heavy on the pillow. What’s more, there was a warm, heavy weight on my chest which even in my sleep I recognized as Chloe.
When you’re napping underneath a toddler, there is no guilt. Even asleep, you are performing an essential function: making a small, volatile human less irritable. So even though I had a vague awareness that there might be some important reason to wake up, I ignored it in favor of more time peering at the inside of my eyelids.
I was just slipping back under the sleep waves when the voices came closer.
“Oh my! She’s… oh, Maggie! She’s beautiful!”
Reluctantly, I opened my eyes. And there stood Miriam, right over me. She still had the same beautiful smile, and glossy brown hair. But she also had two black eyes, a cut on her cheekbone…
And a giant pregnant belly.
I just barely held off my gasp of surprise.
Sitting up a little, I shook off my sleep. It killed me to see evidence that someone had hurt Miriam. So I grasped at the good news. “Lord. More babies? I’m not ready.”
Miriam pressed her hands over her smile, and her eyes watered. “God, Josh. It’s so good to see you. You have no idea. Just look at you two…” she flicked tears away from those bruised cheeks.
