Saturday, February 23, 2008

One day

Before Caroline was born, I used to fantasize about this special moment I would have with my daughter one day. I always felt pretty certain I would have a girl. The fantasy went like this:

We would drive into town one Saturday. Having nothing urgent to do, we stop at a coffee shop. She's about 5, old enough to walk with me without running into traffic. We go to the counter where I order a latte and then ask her what she would like. She says, "Hot chocolate... with whipped cream." The barista asks what size, and I say, "Young lady size." Then I mouth the word "small." We sit, sipping our drinks, watching people come and go. We tell each other stories and make a game out of predicting what the next person who walks in will look like. We're in no hurry. We have all the time in the world to enjoy each other's company. She feels grown up, and I feel young and hip.

I still look forward to that day. I wonder how the fantasy will change when Baby E joins us. He/she will probably order coffee like a good Ethiopian.