Sunrise Point

spaghetti for her girls while Maxie dished for the adults. “Warning, this could be a little messy,” Nora said. And she made Tom trade chairs so he wasn’t sitting next to one of her kids.
    It was a more than a little messy, but it seemed to entertain Maxie and Nora. When Fay got the noodles and sauce in her hair, the women nearly lost it, which made Fay giggle uncontrollably. Which made her put more food in her hair. Which made the women laugh, Fay giggle, etc.
    What he noticed most was that Nora, who was little and slim, had seconds. And what bothered him was that he liked the looks of those trim, buxom females who seemed perpetually beautiful but he didn’t like to hang out with women who wouldn’t eat. Now how can you have it both ways?
    Nora sat back from the table a little and said, “Oh, my God, please excuse me, Maxie! I ate like a pig! That was amazing!”
    “Never apologize for being happy at my table,” Maxie said. “Do you have room for pie? You helped make the crust.”
    “I’m so sorry, I can’t…”
    “Will you take some home?”
    “Yes! Absolutely! Oh, thank you! I don’t think I’ve been wined and dined like this in my lifetime!”
    I’m partial to sushi… Do you like sushi?
    “Sans wine,” Tom pointed out.
    “Someday when I’m not carting small children in the car, I promise to enjoy a glass of wine—it’s been a while. I don’t know if you noticed, I’m not that confident a driver to start with—I need a little more practice. I’m not about to complicate that with wine, especially with my kids on board.”
    “Perfectly understandable. Should we roll the ball around for a while?” Maxie asked.
    “No,” Nora said firmly. “We’re doing the dishes before Fay starts to fuss. Then I have to get the ladies home for baths and bed. I start early in the morning.”
    On cue, Fay wriggled in her booster chair, raising her arms and bowing her back, and sent up a loud whine.
    “Oh, no, she wants a bottle. It’s time… I have one ready… Save the dishes, Maxie, until I can give her a bottle. I try to hold her for it as often as I can… .”
    “I’ll do the bottle,” Tom said. And then he thought, I am going to lose my man card here. This is not what I want.
    “Are you sure?” Nora asked.
    “Sure. Be happy to,” he said.
    “All righty. Let me get her cleaned up.” And Nora went after the little tyke’s face and head and hands with a wet paper towel. She undid the safety belt on the booster chair and handed her to Tom. “Get comfortable. I’ll bring you the bottle and the blanket.”
    Not quite sure what those instructions meant, Tom carried the tot to the living room and chose Maxie’s favorite chair, a swivel rocker-recliner, which gave him a view to the kitchen. Nora was right behind him with the gear—bottle and blanket. Fay reached for them with an irritated eh eh eh eh. Then, holding her own bottle and soft blanket, she reclined into the crook of Tom’s arm and sucked away.
    He looked into the kitchen where there was much going on. Berry was standing on a step stool between Maxie and Nora, mostly splashing while they chattered like they’d known each other since birth. And wonder of wonders, Berry not only talked as much, she was loud. Nothing like on the back steps where she was shy and quiet, but loud and extremely verbal. She addressed both Maxie and her mother, turning her head and looking up at one, then the other.
    They rinsed, washed, dried and put away. Although Maxie had a dishwasher, she preferred not to use it unless the cleanup was major. She said the warm water was soothing on her arthritic hands.
    He looked down at Fay, who was gazing up at him. The drowsy-eyed contentment momentarily filled him with a deep sense of satisfaction and adoration, as if he’d done something other than volunteer for a job he didn’t know he wanted. When she caught him looking at her, she smiled around the bottle’s nipple. He smiled back, and then her eyes drifted closed. They opened, closed, opened, closed. Finally, with just a couple of ounces left, she was gonzo. And because he’d been a little insane all evening, he lowered his lips to her head and gave it a kiss.
    “I knew that would happen,” Nora said.
    He was stricken. Had he done something bad?
    “That last bottle of the day after a full tummy knocks her out. It’s a race to get the bath in before she crashes. Here, I’ll take her.”
    “You’re going to take her?” he asked.
    “Home,