her mouth. “My little girl!” She spread her arms out. “Come here. Let me—”
“Aw, mother,” pleaded Emily, stepping back. “Let’s not make a big deal about this, okay? Pleeeease?” She entered her bedroom and closed the door firmly, leaving Susan feeling flushed with mixed emotions—a little sad, a little joyful, and a little old.
George looked up as Susan trotted down the stairs into the living room. He noticed immediately that she looked very alluring this evening, and was about to say so when he was distracted by the expression on her face. Usually he could read whatever mood she was in, but this time he was getting very conflicting messages.
She did not leave him in confusion for long.
“You’re not going to believe this. I just saw Emily getting out of the shower . . .”
“I don’t find that difficult to believe at all. Emily is a very clean child,” said George.
She gestured impatiently because George wasn’t understanding immediately. “Her potniki spots are coming in.”
“No!”
The potniki spots were something very crucial for every Tenctonese woman. Matt Sikes had discovered that the previous night. His close encounter with Cathy’s potniki had ended up with his getting a stiff neck and blackened jaw.
Susan indicated the small of her back. “She has a beautiful little swirl right here.”
She sat as George finished putting out the silverware. He had totally forgotten to compliment Susan on how good she looked. By this point he was caught up completely in this startling new development. “What color? The same as her head?”
Buck walked in. He was cradling his baby sister, Vessna, in one arm. Vessna, her firm little grip already well-developed, had her tiny fingers wrapped securely around the spoon for the roundworms. Buck was carrying a jar of thymus sauce in his free hand, and he set it down on the table. He worked on pulling the spoon from Vessna’s grip, and was amused when the infant wouldn’t give it up immediately.
In answer to George’s question, Susan said, “No. More auburn.”
George sat opposite her and said wistfully, “Just like my mother.”
Emily trotted in, her body still damp from the shower and her clothes sticking to her. George looked up at her and said proudly, “Our little girl is becoming a woman.”
Emily moaned loudly and shot a furious glance at her mother. Susan shrugged and smiled.
Buck, having placed Yessna in her bassinet, glanced around. “What do you mean, Dad?”
He pointed at Emily. “Her potniki are coming in.”
The young Tenctonese girl stomped her foot in irritation. It was so aggravating. Here she was, genuinely annoyed, and her parents found her annoyance . . . cute.
“It seems like only yesterday you got your droonal flanges,” Susan said in a melancholy voice.
Emily sat down with enough force to rattle the silverware. “Could we please talk about something else?”
Her mother reached over and rested a hand atop hers. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Not to put too fine a point on it, Emily repeated, “Puh -leeze.”
George took some food, scooping it onto his plate, and decided to take his daughter up on her pleas. Besides, there was certainly something of interest to everyone to be discussed. “All right,” he said agreeably. “I have some wonderful news.”
Emily looked heavenward and breathed a silent Thank you for her father’s decision to change the subject.
“Albert and May,” continued George, “want to have a baby.”
“Oh, that is good news!” said Susan cheerfully. “Are they going to adopt?”
“No,” said George. He remembered Matt’s warnings, but ignored them. After all, who knew Susan Francisco better? The unmarried, divorced, and bruised Matt Sikes? Or Susan’s own husband? “They’ve asked me to father the child.”
He had been looking down as he cut his food, but he sensed—even before he looked up—that the temperature to his immediate right where Susan was sitting
“Aw, mother,” pleaded Emily, stepping back. “Let’s not make a big deal about this, okay? Pleeeease?” She entered her bedroom and closed the door firmly, leaving Susan feeling flushed with mixed emotions—a little sad, a little joyful, and a little old.
George looked up as Susan trotted down the stairs into the living room. He noticed immediately that she looked very alluring this evening, and was about to say so when he was distracted by the expression on her face. Usually he could read whatever mood she was in, but this time he was getting very conflicting messages.
She did not leave him in confusion for long.
“You’re not going to believe this. I just saw Emily getting out of the shower . . .”
“I don’t find that difficult to believe at all. Emily is a very clean child,” said George.
She gestured impatiently because George wasn’t understanding immediately. “Her potniki spots are coming in.”
“No!”
The potniki spots were something very crucial for every Tenctonese woman. Matt Sikes had discovered that the previous night. His close encounter with Cathy’s potniki had ended up with his getting a stiff neck and blackened jaw.
Susan indicated the small of her back. “She has a beautiful little swirl right here.”
She sat as George finished putting out the silverware. He had totally forgotten to compliment Susan on how good she looked. By this point he was caught up completely in this startling new development. “What color? The same as her head?”
Buck walked in. He was cradling his baby sister, Vessna, in one arm. Vessna, her firm little grip already well-developed, had her tiny fingers wrapped securely around the spoon for the roundworms. Buck was carrying a jar of thymus sauce in his free hand, and he set it down on the table. He worked on pulling the spoon from Vessna’s grip, and was amused when the infant wouldn’t give it up immediately.
In answer to George’s question, Susan said, “No. More auburn.”
George sat opposite her and said wistfully, “Just like my mother.”
Emily trotted in, her body still damp from the shower and her clothes sticking to her. George looked up at her and said proudly, “Our little girl is becoming a woman.”
Emily moaned loudly and shot a furious glance at her mother. Susan shrugged and smiled.
Buck, having placed Yessna in her bassinet, glanced around. “What do you mean, Dad?”
He pointed at Emily. “Her potniki are coming in.”
The young Tenctonese girl stomped her foot in irritation. It was so aggravating. Here she was, genuinely annoyed, and her parents found her annoyance . . . cute.
“It seems like only yesterday you got your droonal flanges,” Susan said in a melancholy voice.
Emily sat down with enough force to rattle the silverware. “Could we please talk about something else?”
Her mother reached over and rested a hand atop hers. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Not to put too fine a point on it, Emily repeated, “Puh -leeze.”
George took some food, scooping it onto his plate, and decided to take his daughter up on her pleas. Besides, there was certainly something of interest to everyone to be discussed. “All right,” he said agreeably. “I have some wonderful news.”
Emily looked heavenward and breathed a silent Thank you for her father’s decision to change the subject.
“Albert and May,” continued George, “want to have a baby.”
“Oh, that is good news!” said Susan cheerfully. “Are they going to adopt?”
“No,” said George. He remembered Matt’s warnings, but ignored them. After all, who knew Susan Francisco better? The unmarried, divorced, and bruised Matt Sikes? Or Susan’s own husband? “They’ve asked me to father the child.”
He had been looking down as he cut his food, but he sensed—even before he looked up—that the temperature to his immediate right where Susan was sitting
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