Q & A #36
"You look really pretty, Auntie Dawn."
Dawn smiled at her niece. "Thanks, sweetie."
"You'll be the prettiest one."
"I really think," she said, picking her jacket off the back of the chair, "that's supposed to be the bride. But I appreciate the sentiment."
"What's a bride?" Meredith lay on her stomach, resting on her elbows, her chin in her hands. Her colouring book and crayons were spread out in front of her.
"The bride is the lady getting married. In this particular instance, my friend Lori. She wears a white dress and carries flowers, and she marries the groom, which would be Brad." She knelt down and looked into the little girl's face. "That answer your question?"
"What's married?"
"I really have to go, honey." At Meredith's look of disappointment, she continued. "Guess another minute won't hurt. Married is when two people love each other, and they decide they want to stay together. So all their friends and family meet with them and the bride and groom promise to be together always. They give each other little gold rings and then they're married. Okay?"
"Okay." Dawn stood up and headed for the door. "Are Mommy and Daddy married?"
Dawn stopped. "Ah, well ... Technically?"
Buffy walked into the room and surveyed her sister. "You look great Dawn. Really. But shouldn't you be hurrying?"
"Yes," Dawn replied. "Yes, I should." She put her handle on the door and then turned, wearing a wide grin. "And I think you should talk to your daughter." She opened the door, and with a flip of her hair, was gone.
Meredith sat up. "Mommy, are you and Daddy married?"
"Oh." Buffy sat on the couch. "Come and see me, honey." Meredith hopped up beside her mother, and snuggled close.
She lay her hand on her mother's stomach. "Hi, baby."
Buffy smiled. She thought about distracting her daughter with talk about brothers or sisters, but decided an honest question deserved an honest answer. "I love you, honey. You know that. And Daddy loves you too, right?"
"Yep." Meredith lay her head on her mother's lap.
"And Mommy and Daddy love each other, very much."
"And baby?"
"And baby." She took a deep breath. "But no, Mommy and Daddy aren't married. Not exactly. Okay?"
Meredith thought a moment. "Okay."
"You look really pretty, Auntie Dawn."
Dawn smiled at her niece. "Thanks, sweetie."
"You'll be the prettiest one."
"I really think," she said, picking her jacket off the back of the chair, "that's supposed to be the bride. But I appreciate the sentiment."
"What's a bride?" Meredith lay on her stomach, resting on her elbows, her chin in her hands. Her colouring book and crayons were spread out in front of her.
"The bride is the lady getting married. In this particular instance, my friend Lori. She wears a white dress and carries flowers, and she marries the groom, which would be Brad." She knelt down and looked into the little girl's face. "That answer your question?"
"What's married?"
"I really have to go, honey." At Meredith's look of disappointment, she continued. "Guess another minute won't hurt. Married is when two people love each other, and they decide they want to stay together. So all their friends and family meet with them and the bride and groom promise to be together always. They give each other little gold rings and then they're married. Okay?"
"Okay." Dawn stood up and headed for the door. "Are Mommy and Daddy married?"
Dawn stopped. "Ah, well ... Technically?"
Buffy walked into the room and surveyed her sister. "You look great Dawn. Really. But shouldn't you be hurrying?"
"Yes," Dawn replied. "Yes, I should." She put her handle on the door and then turned, wearing a wide grin. "And I think you should talk to your daughter." She opened the door, and with a flip of her hair, was gone.
Meredith sat up. "Mommy, are you and Daddy married?"
"Oh." Buffy sat on the couch. "Come and see me, honey." Meredith hopped up beside her mother, and snuggled close.
She lay her hand on her mother's stomach. "Hi, baby."
Buffy smiled. She thought about distracting her daughter with talk about brothers or sisters, but decided an honest question deserved an honest answer. "I love you, honey. You know that. And Daddy loves you too, right?"
"Yep." Meredith lay her head on her mother's lap.
"And Mommy and Daddy love each other, very much."
"And baby?"
"And baby." She took a deep breath. "But no, Mommy and Daddy aren't married. Not exactly. Okay?"
Meredith thought a moment. "Okay."