bosom.
"Hi, Nikos," Colleen said. She reached but and took his hand into her fingers. The baby looked up at her pleasantly and contentedly.
"Isn't he adorable?"
"Like a little doll," Colleen said, and she meant it. For the first time the baby appeared like a baby to her. He looked dainty and soft. Then she realized there was something distinctly different about him. She looked at him more discerningly. "I thought he had blue eyes," she said,
"What's that?" Dana turned the baby more toward her.
"Blue eyes. His eyes are darker, almost black, and look, his hair seems to be changing color too."
"Yes," Dana said, but not sadly or with any concern. "Babies go through so many changes during the first few months. It's as if they're born one person and become another," she added softly.
"Gosh, there's so much to know about bringing up a child," Colleen said with sincere amazement.
Dana laughed. "Don't worry, most of it is instinctive. Come on, Nikos," she said, "I'll feed you, and then I'll be able to go down and feed myself. Wave so long to your aunt," she added, and waved the baby's hand.
Colleen laughed and headed downstairs, bouncing lightly over the steps. It was better, she thought. Maybe things would be all right, after all.
Shortly after Colleen had the table set, Jillian appeared, this time dressed as smartly as usual. She wore an olive-green suede skirt, at mid-calf length with a rust-colored cotton pullover and matching cardigan. Around her neck she had draped a thick gold chain and she wore gold leaf earrings. She had swept her hair back and tied a dark brown ribbon just over the crown of her head to give the back of her hair a fuller look.
It all proved to effect an amazing metamorphosis, rejuvenating her once again and returning her to the young-looking middle-aged woman Colleen had gotten used to seeing.
"You look great."
"Thank you, honey. Let's see how the roast is doing. Can't overcook it or Dana will be disappointed. I've got creamed onions and string beans, as well as mashed potatoes. Ail-American meal. Got to build up your sister-in-law. She still looks so pale and tired."
"I know." Colleen followed Jillian into the kitchen and watched her put on the full-length blue print apron. "I'm not much of a cook yet," she said. "Whoever I marry is going to have to get test-pilot pay. My father hired Mrs. Wilson about a month after my mother died, and you couldn't touch her kitchen. She treated every meal as though it were a work of art. Actually, it was."
"Oh, you'll do all right. You can follow recipes as well as anyone else. Dana was always in the kitchen," she added, smiling at the memories. "She would follow me around, asking questions, even when she was only five or six. I think she cooked her first meal solo when she was only ten. She was never lazy and never balked about helping out.
"Why, my girlfriends used to remark about her all the time," Jillian went on, "comparing their own children, naturally, and complaining. Dana was special." She paused and thought for a moment. "You know, her father and I never had to get after her about doing her homework or cleaning up her room… anything.
"Oh, there were times we chastised her about coming home too late or hanging out with the wrong boy here or there, but when it came right down to it, she always made the right choices, the sensible choices. I was very lucky. I guess I got spoiled." Jillian laughed. "Imagine, my child spoiled
me
. Usually it's the other way around."
"She was very lucky, too, to have you as a mother," Colleen said.
"Thank you, honey. Well," she said, looking at the stove. "We're all set in here. Let's go into the living room and relax for a few minutes until Dana comes down and Harlan comes home, okay?"
"Fine," Colleen said. "Oh, what's that gift in the hallway?"
"Trish Lewis was by earlier and brought it for Nikos. Dana forgot to take it up. Why don't you run it up to her?"
"Okay," Colleen said, and went back into the hall to get
"Hi, Nikos," Colleen said. She reached but and took his hand into her fingers. The baby looked up at her pleasantly and contentedly.
"Isn't he adorable?"
"Like a little doll," Colleen said, and she meant it. For the first time the baby appeared like a baby to her. He looked dainty and soft. Then she realized there was something distinctly different about him. She looked at him more discerningly. "I thought he had blue eyes," she said,
"What's that?" Dana turned the baby more toward her.
"Blue eyes. His eyes are darker, almost black, and look, his hair seems to be changing color too."
"Yes," Dana said, but not sadly or with any concern. "Babies go through so many changes during the first few months. It's as if they're born one person and become another," she added softly.
"Gosh, there's so much to know about bringing up a child," Colleen said with sincere amazement.
Dana laughed. "Don't worry, most of it is instinctive. Come on, Nikos," she said, "I'll feed you, and then I'll be able to go down and feed myself. Wave so long to your aunt," she added, and waved the baby's hand.
Colleen laughed and headed downstairs, bouncing lightly over the steps. It was better, she thought. Maybe things would be all right, after all.
Shortly after Colleen had the table set, Jillian appeared, this time dressed as smartly as usual. She wore an olive-green suede skirt, at mid-calf length with a rust-colored cotton pullover and matching cardigan. Around her neck she had draped a thick gold chain and she wore gold leaf earrings. She had swept her hair back and tied a dark brown ribbon just over the crown of her head to give the back of her hair a fuller look.
It all proved to effect an amazing metamorphosis, rejuvenating her once again and returning her to the young-looking middle-aged woman Colleen had gotten used to seeing.
"You look great."
"Thank you, honey. Let's see how the roast is doing. Can't overcook it or Dana will be disappointed. I've got creamed onions and string beans, as well as mashed potatoes. Ail-American meal. Got to build up your sister-in-law. She still looks so pale and tired."
"I know." Colleen followed Jillian into the kitchen and watched her put on the full-length blue print apron. "I'm not much of a cook yet," she said. "Whoever I marry is going to have to get test-pilot pay. My father hired Mrs. Wilson about a month after my mother died, and you couldn't touch her kitchen. She treated every meal as though it were a work of art. Actually, it was."
"Oh, you'll do all right. You can follow recipes as well as anyone else. Dana was always in the kitchen," she added, smiling at the memories. "She would follow me around, asking questions, even when she was only five or six. I think she cooked her first meal solo when she was only ten. She was never lazy and never balked about helping out.
"Why, my girlfriends used to remark about her all the time," Jillian went on, "comparing their own children, naturally, and complaining. Dana was special." She paused and thought for a moment. "You know, her father and I never had to get after her about doing her homework or cleaning up her room… anything.
"Oh, there were times we chastised her about coming home too late or hanging out with the wrong boy here or there, but when it came right down to it, she always made the right choices, the sensible choices. I was very lucky. I guess I got spoiled." Jillian laughed. "Imagine, my child spoiled
me
. Usually it's the other way around."
"She was very lucky, too, to have you as a mother," Colleen said.
"Thank you, honey. Well," she said, looking at the stove. "We're all set in here. Let's go into the living room and relax for a few minutes until Dana comes down and Harlan comes home, okay?"
"Fine," Colleen said. "Oh, what's that gift in the hallway?"
"Trish Lewis was by earlier and brought it for Nikos. Dana forgot to take it up. Why don't you run it up to her?"
"Okay," Colleen said, and went back into the hall to get
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