Q & A #27
by Colleen Hillerup
It was nearly sundown when Meredith climbed up on her father's bed. "Hi, Daddy," she said. "Wake up."
He rubbed his eyes and stretched. "Hey, sweetie. Where's your mom?"
"Making dinner. Spaghetti. Again." She smiled. "I like spaghetti."
"I know you do. Give Daddy a mo, and I'll be right down." He sat up, running his fingers through his curly brown hair. He reached for the t-shirt he'd dropped on the floor.
"Daddy, do you want me to be happy?"
He paused, the shirt partially over his head. "Now that's a loaded question, pet." He pulled it on. "Happy in what way?"
"If I had a little brother I would be very happy." She looked up at him, with her sweet, artificially innocent smile.
"That again." He stood up, adjusting the waist band on his track pants. "How about a baby sister?"
"Okay." She was surprised how easy it had been.
"No, love. Don't mean you're getting one. I ..." He sat on the edge of the bed. "My dearest darling, we would love to give you a brother or sister. But you're our little miracle, and I don't fancy it's going to happen twice."
She screwed her forehead in concentration, trying to understand. "Why don't you want me to be happy? Don't you like me?"
He swept her into his arms. "Like you? I love you. You're sunshine and roses, and the light of my soul. You're the most precious gift your mom could ever give me. You're my sweet girl."
She nestled her head against his chest. "Then why can't I have a baby brother?"
"You know what, pet?" He stood up and threw her over his shoulder, as she convulsed with giggles. He carried her down the stairs that way. "I thought your mother was stubborn. But you win the prize."
"And for my prize, I want ..."
"A baby brother. I know." He placed her on the floor at the foot of the stairs.
"Okay. Thank you. I was going to say a puppy." She ran in the kitchen. "Mommy, Daddy says I can have a baby brother."
Buffy came out of the kitchen, her hands on her hips, glaring at Spike.
"I didn't," he said, throwing up his hands. "Maybe it's time we thought about that puppy."
by Colleen Hillerup
It was nearly sundown when Meredith climbed up on her father's bed. "Hi, Daddy," she said. "Wake up."
He rubbed his eyes and stretched. "Hey, sweetie. Where's your mom?"
"Making dinner. Spaghetti. Again." She smiled. "I like spaghetti."
"I know you do. Give Daddy a mo, and I'll be right down." He sat up, running his fingers through his curly brown hair. He reached for the t-shirt he'd dropped on the floor.
"Daddy, do you want me to be happy?"
He paused, the shirt partially over his head. "Now that's a loaded question, pet." He pulled it on. "Happy in what way?"
"If I had a little brother I would be very happy." She looked up at him, with her sweet, artificially innocent smile.
"That again." He stood up, adjusting the waist band on his track pants. "How about a baby sister?"
"Okay." She was surprised how easy it had been.
"No, love. Don't mean you're getting one. I ..." He sat on the edge of the bed. "My dearest darling, we would love to give you a brother or sister. But you're our little miracle, and I don't fancy it's going to happen twice."
She screwed her forehead in concentration, trying to understand. "Why don't you want me to be happy? Don't you like me?"
He swept her into his arms. "Like you? I love you. You're sunshine and roses, and the light of my soul. You're the most precious gift your mom could ever give me. You're my sweet girl."
She nestled her head against his chest. "Then why can't I have a baby brother?"
"You know what, pet?" He stood up and threw her over his shoulder, as she convulsed with giggles. He carried her down the stairs that way. "I thought your mother was stubborn. But you win the prize."
"And for my prize, I want ..."
"A baby brother. I know." He placed her on the floor at the foot of the stairs.
"Okay. Thank you. I was going to say a puppy." She ran in the kitchen. "Mommy, Daddy says I can have a baby brother."
Buffy came out of the kitchen, her hands on her hips, glaring at Spike.
"I didn't," he said, throwing up his hands. "Maybe it's time we thought about that puppy."