Q & A #9
"That's great news. Next week? What about ..."
Meredith tugged on her father's shirt. "Who is it?"
"Hold on a sec." He covered the phone mouthpiece. "It's Uncle Giles, pet. All the way from England. Now let me talk." He tried to restart the conversation. "So when do you get in?"
"Daddy," she said loudly. "What's England?"
"Hold on, Rupe." He was firmer this time. "It's where Uncle Giles lives. Now please, pet. Go play with your toys. Daddy wants to talk."
"Okay." She wandered off.
"Sorry about that. Meredith's a tad tired. Should be puttin' her down soon. So, is Anya coming?" Suddenly there was a blast from the stereo.
"I wanna be sedated ...."
"Honey, turn that down." The music cranked up louder. "Meredith, stop it." No response. "Sorry, Rupe, could you hold on?" he shouted into the mouthpiece. He ran over to the stereo and shut off the CD. "Meredith, what's got into you? Come here." He pulled her back to the phone, holding tightly to her arm. "Sorry. I can't talk. Can you email the details to Dawn? Thanks."
"Daddy, I want to talk to Uncle Giles."
"Sure, luv." She was beaming up at him. "Rupe, Meredith wants to say something." He held the receiver to her ear. She continued to smile. "Meredith, say goodnight to Uncle Giles." She giggled, but she didn't talk. "Bloody hell. Sorry. She's still acting up. I'll tell Buffy you're coming. Right. She's usually not like this. She's just tired." She was pulling on his shirt tail again. "Night."
He picked his daughter up. "That was very rude, Meredith. You shouldn't interrupt when grownups are trying to talk."
"Play with me?" She rubbed her eyes with her fists.
"No. Bed time." He carried her up the stairs. "And no stories tonight for the naughty girl."
"I'm not a naughty girl," she mumbled. "You don't love me."
"You know full well daddy loves you. Daddy's disappointed in you. But daddy loves you. Maybe one story. Just a short one. Tiny, really."
She snuggled against him as he took her to her room. "Okay."
"That's great news. Next week? What about ..."
Meredith tugged on her father's shirt. "Who is it?"
"Hold on a sec." He covered the phone mouthpiece. "It's Uncle Giles, pet. All the way from England. Now let me talk." He tried to restart the conversation. "So when do you get in?"
"Daddy," she said loudly. "What's England?"
"Hold on, Rupe." He was firmer this time. "It's where Uncle Giles lives. Now please, pet. Go play with your toys. Daddy wants to talk."
"Okay." She wandered off.
"Sorry about that. Meredith's a tad tired. Should be puttin' her down soon. So, is Anya coming?" Suddenly there was a blast from the stereo.
"I wanna be sedated ...."
"Honey, turn that down." The music cranked up louder. "Meredith, stop it." No response. "Sorry, Rupe, could you hold on?" he shouted into the mouthpiece. He ran over to the stereo and shut off the CD. "Meredith, what's got into you? Come here." He pulled her back to the phone, holding tightly to her arm. "Sorry. I can't talk. Can you email the details to Dawn? Thanks."
"Daddy, I want to talk to Uncle Giles."
"Sure, luv." She was beaming up at him. "Rupe, Meredith wants to say something." He held the receiver to her ear. She continued to smile. "Meredith, say goodnight to Uncle Giles." She giggled, but she didn't talk. "Bloody hell. Sorry. She's still acting up. I'll tell Buffy you're coming. Right. She's usually not like this. She's just tired." She was pulling on his shirt tail again. "Night."
He picked his daughter up. "That was very rude, Meredith. You shouldn't interrupt when grownups are trying to talk."
"Play with me?" She rubbed her eyes with her fists.
"No. Bed time." He carried her up the stairs. "And no stories tonight for the naughty girl."
"I'm not a naughty girl," she mumbled. "You don't love me."
"You know full well daddy loves you. Daddy's disappointed in you. But daddy loves you. Maybe one story. Just a short one. Tiny, really."
She snuggled against him as he took her to her room. "Okay."