Chapter 12- Lather, Rinse, Repeat

February 1981

No one had ever warned Emily that her children were going to be quite this weird. She raised an eyebrow at her daughter's singing as she washed her hair.

"Who has shiny hair? Meghan that's who because of lather, rinse, repeat, lather, rinse, repeat!"

Emily sighed. In the past few months, Meghan had begun to change. She was no longer quiet, contemplative toddler, but had grown into being an outspoken small child, and not only that, but a true girly girl. Emily regretted the day Meghan had asked her what all the words on the back of the shampoo bottle said. Ever since then, she'd heard the phrase: lather, rinse, repeat and realized that it was what made her hair all shiny and smooth after a bath, she'd being saying it, singing it and in short: repeating it over and over and over again, especially while she and her sisters were in the bathtub.

"Who has shiny hair? Meghan that's who because of lather, rinse, repeat, lather…"

"Meghan, calm down sweetheart." Emily urged. She was getting a headache.

"But Mommy it makes my hair shiny and it makes me happy!"

"I know sweetheart, but you don't have to repeat everything over and over again."

"Why Mommy, I like to repeat."

"Because I understand what you're trying to say." Emily emphasized.

"Lather, rinse, wrepeat." Bridget remarked. Molly giggled.

"Emily I'm home!" Bob called from the front door.

"Hi honey! I'm in the girl's bathroom, it's bath time!" Emily called. She lifted Meghan out of the tub as she wrapped a towel around her.

"Hi Emily." Bob sighed as he came into the bathroom.

"Hi honey. I'm sorry I can't get up, we're kind of in the middle of our bath."

"It's okay honey." He said, leaning down to kiss Emily squarely on top of the head.

"Meghan honey, go get dressed, okay?" Emily asked.

"Okay Mommy. Hi Daddy, I was just singing…."

"Lather, rinse…" He guessed.

"Wrepeat!" Bridget finished.

"Yeah. Who has shiny hair? Meghan that's who because of lather, rinse, repeat…" Meghan trailed off as she walked back into the bedroom.

Bob shook his head and sighed. Sometimes he didn't understand Meghan.

"How was your day honey?" Emily asked as she started washing Bridget's hair, which caused the tiny girl to giggle.

"Okay except for Howard."

"Howard?" She questioned.

"Yeah…I can't believe that guy Emily."

"What'd he do?" Emily had only ever been mad at Howard that time he'd threatened to have her car towed.

"He made fun of me."

"Of you? For what?" She wondered what on earth he could possibly make fun of Bob for and plus…it just didn't seem like him.

"I-I just can't believe Howard's treating me this way."

"What way?"

"He's gloating, that's what he's doing."

"What's he doing?"

"He's making jabs at my masculinity because I happen to be the father of three girls and he happens to be the father of three boys…that's what Emily."

"Oh Bob."

"I mean, I don't care…but he thinks I do. I told him that didn't have anything to do with how masculine or feminine a person is…I pointed out your father to him."

"My father?"

"He had three girls too and he's the most masculine person I've ever known in my whole life Emily."

"Yeah that's true." She reasoned. Emily's agreement was cut short by someone knocking at the door.

"I'll get it honey." He said. He got up and rushed back into the living room to answer the door. "Ellen!"

He was surprised to see his sister at the door without Howard, Howie (who'd been staying with them so he could get to know his baby brothers and because of a fight with his Mom) and the twins.

"Hi Bob." She seemed overwhelmed. "I'm sorry if it's a bad time I just really needed somewhere to hide."

"To hide?" He asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he peered out into the hall behind her.

"Quick Bob she might be around shut the door!" She insisted, shutting it for him.

"This is about Mom." He smiled.

"Well yeah…Bob she's driving me crazy! I mean, I appreciate she's trying to help but…she's coming over and fawning over the boys all the time, not letting them nap, telling me I don't know what I'm doing…when Howard does…heck she's even fawning over Howie."

"She's happy to have three grandsons."

"Yeah…I guess." Ellen felt weird about this too. She knew that her mother was now ignoring her five granddaughters completely: Meghan, Bridget, Molly and the two that belonged to her other brother who lived out of state. It made her feel bad about herself, and how her Mother had always been disappointed with being a girl.

"Bob, who is it?" Emily called. She was just getting Molly out of the bath now.

"It's Ellen, she's hiding from Mom!"

"Okay, be out in a minute."

"She's been expecting this." Ellen guessed. She had too.

"Okay, I'm out." Emily said, rushing out of the nursery holding a baby wrapped in a towel.

"Oh Emily you didn't need to rush out here." Ellen began. "I just need a place to hide. So many people have been coming over."

"By that you mean Mom." Bob added.

"I just want my house back! I mean I don't mind Howie, it's his home too now really but everybody else…"

"Meaning, Mom."

"Alright fine I mean Mom." She admitted, Bob smiled.

"Oh Ellen it'll be okay." She said, sitting down on the couch and beginning to put Molly's pajamas back on. "Remember Bob…when we came home with Meghan and we kept trying to avoid everybody."

"Yeah…meaning, Mom."

April 17th, 1977

Bob and Emily exchanged smiles on the elevator ride back up to their apartment. They sure hoped there weren't going to be a bunch of friends and relatives there waiting for them or anything. They wanted very much, to welcome baby Meghan home privately: at least initially. That's why they'd told Howard, Ellen and their mothers that they were being released from the hospital four hours later than they were actually released.

Emily was exhausted, sore and elated all at once. She carried baby Meghan, swaddled in her arms while Bob, who was overwhelmed and excited in a completely different sense, carried all of their bags.

Emily looked down at Meghan who slept very soundly in her arms. Bob peered over her shoulder, deeply searching Meghan's tiny face.

"Gosh Emily, she's so tiny." Now that they were out of the hospital and in the real world the tiny girl seemed even smaller to both of them.

"I know. She's precious." Emily said, "Isn't it amazing how we keep discovering new things about her?"

"Well, it makes sense Emily, I mean we just met her."

"Well, we did make her…"

"True, but its not like we picked what she inherited and from who…oh Emily, I just love that she has your eyes."

"Oh Bob, that's so sweet!" It just was, no matter how many times she heard it.

"Well I am sweet…and she's more than perfect."

"Well, we're here."

Bob and Emily stopped at the door. Getting home felt different to them now…more…permanent somehow.

"We're home now Meghan." Emily soothed.

"You've been here before." Bob reminded.

"When you were on the inside of Mommy." Emily giggled, kissing the side of Meghan's tiny head.

"Okay, Daddy and Mommy are going to show you everything, okay?" She said.

Bob thought it was ridiculous to show the baby all around the house, but assisted Emily in doing so anyway.

"Honey, we don't really have to show her everything…do you think she needs to know where our bathroom is just yet?"

"Well yeah, she needs to know where she is Bob. And this is your room Meghan." Emily said when they at last reached the den/nursery. "Isn't it beautiful angel, huh? And it's all just for you, yeah." She soothed. She took Meghan to the window and showed her the outside view. "Look do you see that? Even Mommy and Daddy don't get that spectacular lake view, but you do, look angel, you see that?" Meghan blinked a few times and yawned. Being brand new and everything, she could only keep her interest for so long and was in the process of falling asleep again.

"Someone's getting sleepy."

"Yes, she is, isn't she Daddy?" Emily smiled, leaning back to give Bob a small kiss on the lips. "Well, let Mommy finish real quick. There's the rocking chair, where' you'll eat and snuggle with Mommy and Daddy and go to sleep…and the changing table where you'll get precious new little outfits and clean little diapers and last but not least, this is your bed honey, where you get to have little baby thoughts and little baby dreams." She giggled, kissing Meghan softly. Bob did the same.

"Wow, you're really in love aren't you?" He asked once they'd put Meghan in her crib to sleep.

"Aren't you? Of course I am."

"I am too, just the…the way you romanticized baby sleep and changing diapers back there..I just."

"I'm sorry if I got carried away. I just wanted to welcome our new baby home that's all." She smiled, kissing his cheek again. "But for now I'm going to go get my pajamas on and get in bed." She said.

"That sounds like an excellent plan sweetheart." He said. Bob and Emily froze when someone knocked on the door.

….

"Hi Meghan." He smiled, marveling over the baby girl in his arms.

This was his first time alone with his daughter and he didn't really know what he was supposed to say to her. But he sure wished he could think of something because this was getting awkward. They'd had several visitors in the last couple of hours, and Emily had only recently gotten to bed.

"How do you like life so far?" Meghan blinked, flashing her little blue eyes at him and sighing as she closed them.

He was overwhelmed. Everything she did was so sweet. He kissed her softly as he rocked her. He couldn't believe he was really her Father. She was so perfect. Bob admired Meghan's tiny fingers, noting how carefully she'd been knit together in Emily's womb: that she was Emily's flesh and blood and his flesh and blood all in one tiny brand new person who they both loved more than their own lives…he was romanticizing this whole thing too.

"Hey Meghan, did you know Daddy loves you so much? Yeah, Daddy loves you." He told her soothingly. "You're amazing, anybody ever told you that before?"

She smiled up at him.

"Hey Bob!" Howard practically yelled when he came in, slamming the door behind him. "Oh this is, is this her. This is the famous little Meghan can I see her!?"

"Howard, please be a little more quiet, Emily's sleeping and the baby's...well, you can hold Meghan. Just don't drop her. Emily will kill me if you drop her. Here Howard, there have you got her head?"

"Yeah, yeah I…do I?"

"You've got her Howard." He reassured.

"Wow she's beautiful. She looks so much like Emily, I can't believe it."

"Yeah, I know. She does." He yawned. "And you haven't even seen her eyes yet."

"Her eyes?"

"They're Emily's eyes exactly."

"Wow!"

"They're very wow."

"How are the new parents? I remember when Lois and I brought Howie home...twelve years ago now."

"We're exhausted Howard."

"Hey I'm your Uncle Howard. Hi Meghan!"

"He's the one whose been painting your Mother's toenails." Bob explained.

"And your Aunt Ellen's on the way up to see you."

"Oh great."

"What's the problem, she's just your sister."

"I know but everyone under the sun has come by to see the baby—even friends I didn't remember we had and it's just getting hard to adjust that's all."

"Oh I see…"

"Howard, I didn't mean you, you're always here anyway. Out of anybody I don't mind your being here at all. We just wanted her first few days to be calm and normal, and you're part of our normal. Besides, you've had a baby before maybe you know something I don't." He laughed at the possibility that this might be true.

"Well, I do actually."

"Like what?"

"Well, you weren't holding her right."

"How could I not be holding her right Howard? I've got her back and her little head right here in my two hands." He said.

"That's too much work. Look, it's like this." He said, carefully placing Meghan back in just one of Bob's arms. "You were being overly careful before. She's a newborn, she's tiny, cradle her…comfort her. You were too rigid before." He said.

"Thanks Howard." He said, noting how Meghan sighed and settled into his embrace once he held her this way. He couldn't believe Howard was right about something like that. He'd been kidding when he offered that maybe Howard knew something he didn't….well, partially.

February 1981

"Yeah…Howard's really great with the boys." Ellen smiled.

"He helped us so much with Meghan." Emily admitted, although Bob didn't really want to.

"Well, what about Mom?" She asked. "Was she helpful?...Or just intrusive, manipulative and accusatory."

"Wow Ellen, I've got to tell you, I sense no hostility there." Bob laughed.

"Anyway." Emily continued. "The parents did eventually start trickling in."

April 17th, 1977

"Hi honey, how are you doing with Meghan?" Emily asked, yawning as she came out of the bedroom.

Several more hours had passed since Howard had been there and the house had been quiet for most of that time. It was turning to evening now though and Bob hoped that the guests would stop coming for the day…even though he was expecting a few some ones.

"Oh we're doing just fine. I was just about to give her a bottle. What are you doing up anyway? You shouldn't be up yet."

"Oh, I just felt like getting up that's all. I'm not that tired. Besides your Mother will be here soon." Bob rolled his eyes. "Honey it's nice that she wants to help and we need the help. If you think we're tired now, I don't think you have any idea how tired we'll be in a couple of weeks."

"No I…I guess not."

"I wish you would've woken me to feed her honey, let me see her. Oh gosh she's so cute." Emily smiled, taking Meghan in her arms.

"Howard was just saying she looks just like you."

"He was here…. oh I'm so surprised," she said sarcastically, "but that's sweet."

"And Carol was here and Jerry was here and even Mr. Carlin was here."

"Awe."

"He claimed she didn't like him. She was asleep."

This made Emily laugh out loud.

"And soon my Mother will be here." Bob wasn't looking forward to this.

"Bob, she's been waiting for this for a long time. Let her enjoy the baby. And who isn't going to love Meghan, huh?"

"It's going to be one of those things Emily, where she'll come to visit and she'll wind up moving in."

"Oh no, Bob you're right. Well we'll just have to be firm. At least we don't have the den for someone to sleep in anymore. Bob…who should we give Meghan to, you know…if something happens to us?"

"That's a good question: what are your ideas? Our parents are too old."

"I was thinking Aunt Ellen…she's young, and fun, smart and responsible."

"I agree Emily, that's perfect."

Suddenly someone knocked on the door. Emily's eyes grew huge.

"Bob! I'm not ready for anybody, look at me!" She said, holding her robe shut tightly.

"How ready should you be Emily, you just had a baby."

"Oh." She whined, fluffing up her hair a little bit and moving to answer the door. "Mom, Daddy!" Emily burst, hugging them tightly. She was elated to see them and had no idea that they were even coming.

Her father hugged her so tightly he picked her up off the ground for a split second. Bob smiled, he knew they were coming: she didn't. By this time, he'd ducked back into the nursery with Meghan and put her down to sleep for a few minutes. She was tired and hungry and he figured that she deserved at least a few moments rest before four grandparents, an Aunt and soon to be an Uncle (Howard) passed her around continually and argued over who got to hold her. Bob took a second to gaze down at his tiny newborn daughter and wondered if she'd grow up to love him nearly as much as Emily loved her father: he hoped she would. He already loved her more than he thought he'd ever loved anyone, even Emily.

"Emily!" Her father, Junior, began.

"Honey, are you alright. How are you feeling?"

"I'm a little tired, but I'm just fine…oh it's so good to see you, can I get you anything?"

"Oh no, no Emily please sit down you just had a baby you shouldn't be up."

"That's funny that's what Bob said when I got up."

"Well he would know, wouldn't he, he's a doctor…" Her father remarked. Emily smiled half-heartedly at this. He always liked to make little jabs about how Bob was a psychologist rather than what he called a 'body doctor,' or sometimes even a 'real doctor.'

"Where is Bob?" Her mother, Aggie asked.

"And the baby?"

"Oh, he was just putting her down for a nap when you came. She's very tired."

"Oh that's too bad."

"Emily, can't we see her?" Her mother pled.

"And she is a girl?"

"A perfect little girl." Emily confirmed.

"Absolutely perfect. And fast asleep." Bob said, smiling at Emily as he came back into the room.

"Hi Bob."

"Oh congratulations!"

"Thanks Aggie, Junior."

"Can we see her now Emily."

"Okay, okay." Emily laughed, getting up and leading her parents into the nursery.

Meanwhile, Bob had decided to make a pot of coffee and do his best to prepare for the arrival of his parents, sister and best friend (soon or at least, eventually brother-in-law to be).

"Awe Emily, she's beautiful!" Aggie squealed.

"She'll pass for a grandson, that's for sure!"

"Daddy!" Emily questioned.

"No, I mean like you."

"Like me?" She laughed.

"She's adorable sweetheart." Emily's father said, kissing the side of her head. Personally, he couldn't barely fathom that his baby had just had a baby. Could he really be that old? He guessed he was.

"Mom, Daddy, this is Meghan."

"Meghan, I like it."

"It's an adorable name. I only wish we could hold her."

"When she wakes up…and after she has her bottle."

"Are you alright honey, I was so concerned about you with all that screaming."

"I'm just fine Mom." Emily giggled. "Look how pretty she is, wasn't she worth all that screaming? She's perfect."

"Yes, she seems worth all that screaming."

"Bob was, uh- uh with you when you had the baby?" Junior seemed uneasy about this.

"Oh for every second. I couldn't have gotten through without him. Isn't that right, Meghan Emily Hartley?"

"Emily, that's a beautiful name." Her mother commented. Emily thought it was certainly prettier than her own name: Emily Joyce. She ran her fingers through the baby's sparse dark brown hair as she slept.

"Listen," Emily yawned. "Bob will get you anything you need, please feel free to watch the baby, help yourself to anything, but I'm exhausted, I have to sleep when she's sleeping and I'm really, really sore: I need to lye down."

"Oh honey, we're sorry, we'll let you rest, okay." Emily's mother said, kissing her cheek softly. Her father pat her back and without another word she left, in the hopes of going to take a nap. The Harrisons stayed in the nursery and watched their newborn granddaughter sleep.

"Doesn't she look familiar, Junior?"

"Very." He laughed. "Just like newborn Emily."

"If you think she looks like Emily now…just wait until she opens her eyes." Bob said as he poked his head in the door.

"Her eyes?"

"They're beautiful eyes….and they're Emily's exactly. Just watch, she'll open them any moment."

Aggie and Junior stood there and watched their newborn grandchild sleep in the hope that she would wake up and they could meet her for the first time.

Meghan sighed as she began to stir and her eyes fluttered open.

"Hi beautiful." Aggie greeted.

Meghan looked up at them with her wide blue eyes.

"Wow, she does have Emily's eyes." Junior marveled.

Emily's plans of lying down were tabled by the arrival of her in-laws. It didn't matter how much pain she was in, she wanted to pay them the same courtesy she'd paid her own parents: spend some time with them, and introduce them to their new grandchild. It was just too bad that Martha Hartley didn't feel similarly about courtesy.

"Where's the precious baby?" Martha asked before Bob could even take her coat.

"She's, she's asleep Mom." Bob explained. He was nervous she'd say something about the baby being a girl, something that may hurt Emily. She was sensitive and totally in love with their baby, he didn't want anything to hurt her right then or at all.

"Oh I can't wait to see her! Even though I was expecting a little boy…"

"I don't know." Junior laughed as he and Aggie came out the of the nursery. "I think she's a perfect little girl. Martha would soon discover that this was because she looked just like his own little girl: a carbon copy.

"Junior Harrison." Martha began.

Herb Hartley just said nothing, but laughed to himself, knowing that his wife was going to make a fool out of herself any second. He wished she'd just be nice to people for a change, especially because she was really only judgmental and not a real jerk.

"Hi Martha." Aggie smiled.

"When did you get here?" Martha was insecure with that kind of thing, she had wanted to be there first.

"We've only been here a minute." Aggie emphasized, putting her purse down on the couch.

"Right." Junior finished. "And we would've brought her out, but she's half asleep."

"Yeah Mom, Dad…" Bob said.

"Come on." Emily said to her in-laws. "I'll take you to see the baby."

…..

"Well can't I stay, maybe over night or something…I know you're going to need the help…" Martha insisted as all four parents put on their coats. Emily had gone to bed about a half hour earlier. Meghan had fallen back asleep again and Aggie suggested that everyone leave and give the new family some rest, at the agreement of Junior, Bob and Herb.

"No, no Mom…" Bob began. "Meghan and Emily need their rest, but you're welcome to come back tomorrow."

"Well alright." She supposed.

"Congratulations son." Herb smiled as he took his wife's arm and walked out the door.

"Night Bob." Aggie added.

"She's beautiful." Junior followed.

"Hi everybody!" Ellen smiled; excited she was only seeing her mother in passing.

"Ellen I…" Martha began.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad." She said. Herb smiled at his daughter and continued to pull his wife down the hall.

Bob and Emily were relieved that Ellen arrived literally as soon as both sets of parents left for the evening.

"Wow." Ellen said, holding her niece for the first time. "She's incredible…and so tiny! How are you feeling Emily?"

"I'm wonderful Ellen." She said. Bob had gotten her up, again, when Ellen had arrived.

"Ellen." Bob began, "we have something we'd like to talk to you about."

"Oh."

"Now, you don't have to decide right now and you don't have to say yes if you feel it's not right for you, but well…Bob and I were talking and we want you to have our baby if something happens to us…"

"And any siblings she might have…in the future."

"Wow."

"We know it's a big step, and you don't have to accept we'll understand."

"Wow I can't believe that you'd consider me, I…"

"Aunt Ellen is young and fun and smart and most of all has a great head on her shoulders." Emily explained. Ellen smiled.

"Emily, I accept." She smiled. "Look at Meghan, who wouldn't accept her?!"

"I know." She gushed, leaning over her sister-in-law's shoulder to admire Meghan. "Mommy certainly can't think of anybody who wouldn't."

…

February 1981

"Mommy. Our hair's still wet." Meghan cried as she and Bridget ran into the room.

"Oh honey I'm sorry. Mommy will be right in to dry your hair." Emily apologized. She handed Molly to Bob and went in the other room with the girls.

"I remember when you asked me to be the girl's Godmother…and Bob I want you to know, I'd still do it." She smiled.

"I know. Because your amazing Ellen." He hugged her. "Now about you and Mom…"

"No, no Bob I'm not even going there."

"You don't even talk to her half the time."

"Have you ever talked to her?!" Ellen stopped suddenly when they heard a knock at the door.

"Bob, Emily…is Ellen over there, no one's answering the door!" Martha called.

Ellen rolled her eyes, and let her forehead fall onto her brother's shoulder.