She came, she had tea, she conquered.

I scooped her up and kissed her until she just couldn't take it anymore. Her blondness radiates, I inhaled the scent of sunshine from her neck. The new tooth is beautiful, the one next to it is now loose.

Teatime was divine. Her weaknesses are my weaknesses; fresh raspberries, cupcakes and tiny biscuits with butter and honey. And rainbow sugar, oh my, how we adore rainbow sugar. Every tea refill is an excuse to please pass the sugar. It has clicked that the sugar spoon is for the sugar only and that we use the spoon on our saucer to stir. Lily is proud, Grandma is pleased.


The ensuing burst of energy had to be taken outside. Grandpa had purposely left a mound of leaves. First a good spin around, then a sprint followed by a big dive. When I saw only the back of that blond head bobbing out of the leaf pile my eyes filled with tears, I would not let them spill over. Same yard, same man raking, same trees. Different leaves, different little blond head.

Upon her departure I scooped her up, kissed her till she squirmed, whispered I love you and see you soon, then she was gone. Our time was up. I wandered to the spots she had been without me. The dollhouse had been re-arranged, the little sisters put to bed.


Lily had sat at the little desk I got for Christmas when I was close to her age. She left me something to remember me by, as if I could forget.