To Whom Falls in Love with My Daughter By Kate Bailey To whom falls in love with my daughter, I couldn’t stop thinking about you today while I laid down next to April for a nap. A small baby - only 21 months old - just a fresh, new thing on this planet. It was a cloudy day, but somehow the little bit of sunlight there filtered its way through my curtains and danced across her face. Her eyelashes, long and thick — beautiful. Her chubby, toddler cheeks, so irresistible I almost kissed her right awake again. She took a while to get to sleep today, but I just laid beside her and pretended I was asleep, too. That seemed to do the trick. She needed to know we weren’t all having fun without her. For only an instant, as I looked at her perfect, round face, I felt like I could see what she might look like when she’s older. And then, somehow, I thought about you — the person who will fall in love with her. Of course you did. Who couldn’t? Even this young, I’m certain that she is one of the funniest girls I’ve ever met. She peeks around corners and looks to see if anyone is watching before she does something goofy. She laughs at herself. She wants to be held all the time, and I’m certain that means that by the time you read this, when you love her, she’ll still be affectionate and loyal. She’s the real deal, isn’t she? And then I thought about Jane, my four-year-old, faking asleep in her room across the house. Silent as a mouse for two whole hours, no doubt trying to read her books even with the curtains drawn tight. I wonder what silent conversations she’s having with her dolls and stuffed animals, how she’s probably making note of all of the things she wants to tell us when she finally emerges from her pretend nap. What a brilliant beauty that girl is. She’s intense, no doubt, and I’m certain that she encourages you relentlessly. She’s a cheerleader, a teacher, an advocate, and she cares fiercely about things being fair. And maybe you’re the one in love with her. How couldn’t you be?
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