Devin add extra sparkly stuff to the glitter. Everyone will think she’s the best princess ever.”
Assuming the costume made it to the streets. It was a big gamble—and somewhere, lurking under preteen bravado, her girls knew it. Time to set up the mama backstop. “So what do you think you should tell Lizard?”
“That princesses wear ruffles.” Mia reached for the note and crumpled it in a determined hand. “Those are the rules.”
Nell was pretty sure it would involve some kicking and screaming—and also very sure that Lizard Monroe was totally incapable of breaking three squishy hearts. One mama, choosing to let a gamble ride.
Ginia reached out and touched a glittery ruffle, eyes twinkling. “I bet Josh will think she’s really pretty.”
Dangerous territory. “Josh always thinks Lizard is pretty.” Adults had rules too.
“I think they should get married.” Mia cartwheeled into a beanbag chair, ready to move on to the next topic of interest in her life. “How come they’re not married yet, Mama? They’re all gooey and stuff, just like Auntie Nat and Uncle Jamie and Auntie Lauren and Uncle Devin and even you and Dad sometimes.”
Ooooh, boy. Nell tried to take the easy road. “Maybe he hasn’t asked her yet.”
“Mama!” Said in unified tones of disgust by three very liberated girlchildren. Mia shook her head. “She could ask him. Or they could ask each other. But not asking at all is silly.”
Spoken like a child who hadn’t tangled with the twists and turns of adulthood just yet. Nell didn’t plan to talk about those overmuch. Her girls had such confidence in themselves—the gift of the preteen years. Something sacred, almost, and not to be damaged until absolutely necessary.
Life would get them there eventually, and then they would understand Lizard better. Until then, unsatisfactory mama explanations would have to suffice. “I guess they haven’t decided they’re ready yet.” She hugged three blonde heads in turn, a message of both love and warning. “And they don’t need any help deciding.”
A synchronized eye roll, mostly for form, and then the three began shifting gears. Nell watched, fascinated by how their differences lived closer to the surface these days. Mia headed straight back for the costumes, eye caught by something red and shiny in the corner. Ginia moved more slowly to the table where spangles, jewels, and glitter were still being applied liberally to the few bits and pieces left in the room, touching a droopy plant leaf as she went. And Shay sat quietly in place, thinking.
Uh, oh. Nell sat down by her silent triplet and waited. Still waters had nothing on this kid.
Shay reached out for the frothy skirt of Lizard’s costume. “She doesn’t really want us to change it, does she?”
That was one of those questions with no good answer, so Nell went with her gut. “Probably not. It’s kind of like when you roll your eyes in the morning, but you eat your eggs anyhow. You feel better if we let you protest some.” And even adults took occasional trips back to that realm—some more often than others.
Her wise childling raised a pointed eyebrow.
Okay, maybe not quite ready for eggs as a life lesson. “Sometimes we just want someone to tell us the rules again. It makes us feel better. Like our world maybe hasn’t changed too much.”
Shay cuddled in, a girl pretty content with her current world. She looked over at her two sisters, already working industriously on their chosen projects. “Is that why we like to run stuff? So we can make the rules?”
Where the heck was Daniel when she needed him? Or Auntie Nat? They were way better at the philosophical stuff than she was. “Maybe. Rules give shape to things, and the three of you like creating special things for people to look forward to.”
“Yeah.” Shay grinned, innocent and sunny child again. She
Assuming the costume made it to the streets. It was a big gamble—and somewhere, lurking under preteen bravado, her girls knew it. Time to set up the mama backstop. “So what do you think you should tell Lizard?”
“That princesses wear ruffles.” Mia reached for the note and crumpled it in a determined hand. “Those are the rules.”
Nell was pretty sure it would involve some kicking and screaming—and also very sure that Lizard Monroe was totally incapable of breaking three squishy hearts. One mama, choosing to let a gamble ride.
Ginia reached out and touched a glittery ruffle, eyes twinkling. “I bet Josh will think she’s really pretty.”
Dangerous territory. “Josh always thinks Lizard is pretty.” Adults had rules too.
“I think they should get married.” Mia cartwheeled into a beanbag chair, ready to move on to the next topic of interest in her life. “How come they’re not married yet, Mama? They’re all gooey and stuff, just like Auntie Nat and Uncle Jamie and Auntie Lauren and Uncle Devin and even you and Dad sometimes.”
Ooooh, boy. Nell tried to take the easy road. “Maybe he hasn’t asked her yet.”
“Mama!” Said in unified tones of disgust by three very liberated girlchildren. Mia shook her head. “She could ask him. Or they could ask each other. But not asking at all is silly.”
Spoken like a child who hadn’t tangled with the twists and turns of adulthood just yet. Nell didn’t plan to talk about those overmuch. Her girls had such confidence in themselves—the gift of the preteen years. Something sacred, almost, and not to be damaged until absolutely necessary.
Life would get them there eventually, and then they would understand Lizard better. Until then, unsatisfactory mama explanations would have to suffice. “I guess they haven’t decided they’re ready yet.” She hugged three blonde heads in turn, a message of both love and warning. “And they don’t need any help deciding.”
A synchronized eye roll, mostly for form, and then the three began shifting gears. Nell watched, fascinated by how their differences lived closer to the surface these days. Mia headed straight back for the costumes, eye caught by something red and shiny in the corner. Ginia moved more slowly to the table where spangles, jewels, and glitter were still being applied liberally to the few bits and pieces left in the room, touching a droopy plant leaf as she went. And Shay sat quietly in place, thinking.
Uh, oh. Nell sat down by her silent triplet and waited. Still waters had nothing on this kid.
Shay reached out for the frothy skirt of Lizard’s costume. “She doesn’t really want us to change it, does she?”
That was one of those questions with no good answer, so Nell went with her gut. “Probably not. It’s kind of like when you roll your eyes in the morning, but you eat your eggs anyhow. You feel better if we let you protest some.” And even adults took occasional trips back to that realm—some more often than others.
Her wise childling raised a pointed eyebrow.
Okay, maybe not quite ready for eggs as a life lesson. “Sometimes we just want someone to tell us the rules again. It makes us feel better. Like our world maybe hasn’t changed too much.”
Shay cuddled in, a girl pretty content with her current world. She looked over at her two sisters, already working industriously on their chosen projects. “Is that why we like to run stuff? So we can make the rules?”
Where the heck was Daniel when she needed him? Or Auntie Nat? They were way better at the philosophical stuff than she was. “Maybe. Rules give shape to things, and the three of you like creating special things for people to look forward to.”
“Yeah.” Shay grinned, innocent and sunny child again. She
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