Chapter Eight:
Luis grinned over Ali's shoulder at the look on his mother's face. Pure exhaustion. She was at the end of her rope. Of course, that was to be expected after spending the entire day with the precocious four-year-old currently hugging his neck so tightly she was blocking off his air supply.
"Ali, honey," he choked, "you can let go now." He took a deep breath of air as he set his daughter on her feet and got his first REAL look at her mud- streaked face. "What have you been up to today?" he asked, wiping a smudge of dirt off her nose.
"Nothing," Ali giggled. He arched an eyebrow at her response. Causing her to giggle harder. He looked to his mother for a straight answer. "She and Jake thought it would be fun to make mud pies. You're lucky, Luis. Jake looked like he'd wallowed in a mud puddle."
He tried not to smile as he said, "I bet Gwen hit the roof." "Actually," Pilar said with a smile, "I don't have a clue. Hank took Jake home." She cringed in sympathy as she said, "Unfortunately, Jake didn't have a change of clothes here like Ali did. There's not an inch on that child's body not covered in mud, Luis. Poor Hank."
"Jake looked like a pig!" Ali squealed. "Well, AliCat, you don't look much better," Luis said as he threw his giggling daughter over his shoulder and kissed his mother's cheek. "Bye Mama. Thanks for having the patience of a saint and taking care of her for me. I love you. Ali, say goodbye." "Bye Nana," Ali waved. Upside down. "See you tomorrow."
"Bye Mija. Mijo. I love you both. Now go home. And get cleaned up. That's an order," Pilar said as she waved goodbye from the front door and watched Luis's car drive out of sight. Then closed the door behind her before collapsing in an exhausted heap on the couch. Already preparing herself for tomorrow. Another day with Ali. Who had immeasurable amounts of energy.
"Dios Mio. How will I ever make it until her teenage years?" she groaned. "That child is wearing me out. God give me--and Luis--the strength to survive," she said as she flung an arm across her eyes. "Please."
Luis grinned over Ali's shoulder at the look on his mother's face. Pure exhaustion. She was at the end of her rope. Of course, that was to be expected after spending the entire day with the precocious four-year-old currently hugging his neck so tightly she was blocking off his air supply.
"Ali, honey," he choked, "you can let go now." He took a deep breath of air as he set his daughter on her feet and got his first REAL look at her mud- streaked face. "What have you been up to today?" he asked, wiping a smudge of dirt off her nose.
"Nothing," Ali giggled. He arched an eyebrow at her response. Causing her to giggle harder. He looked to his mother for a straight answer. "She and Jake thought it would be fun to make mud pies. You're lucky, Luis. Jake looked like he'd wallowed in a mud puddle."
He tried not to smile as he said, "I bet Gwen hit the roof." "Actually," Pilar said with a smile, "I don't have a clue. Hank took Jake home." She cringed in sympathy as she said, "Unfortunately, Jake didn't have a change of clothes here like Ali did. There's not an inch on that child's body not covered in mud, Luis. Poor Hank."
"Jake looked like a pig!" Ali squealed. "Well, AliCat, you don't look much better," Luis said as he threw his giggling daughter over his shoulder and kissed his mother's cheek. "Bye Mama. Thanks for having the patience of a saint and taking care of her for me. I love you. Ali, say goodbye." "Bye Nana," Ali waved. Upside down. "See you tomorrow."
"Bye Mija. Mijo. I love you both. Now go home. And get cleaned up. That's an order," Pilar said as she waved goodbye from the front door and watched Luis's car drive out of sight. Then closed the door behind her before collapsing in an exhausted heap on the couch. Already preparing herself for tomorrow. Another day with Ali. Who had immeasurable amounts of energy.
"Dios Mio. How will I ever make it until her teenage years?" she groaned. "That child is wearing me out. God give me--and Luis--the strength to survive," she said as she flung an arm across her eyes. "Please."