“This will be the first time you’re a great-grandmother,” I say. “I didn’t realize it until you just said it. How does that feel?”
Nonna turns to face me. “It feels pretty fantastic.” Her face is beaming. “And you’ll be Aunt Sophia for the first time!”
“Aunt Sophia sounds too formal. She can just call me Sophie.”
“I had an Aunt Judy growing up and we all called her Aunt Ju-Ju. So maybe you can be something cute like Aunt So-So!”
Sounds kind of silly but it makes me smile thinking of a chunky little baby looking up at me with arms outstretched asking for Aunt So-So to pick her up.
My phone dings and I jump in my seat.
I swipe open the message. “It’s a girl!” I squeal.
Nonna clasps her hands together and I can see tears in her eyes. “A girl! How wonderful!”
“Mom says the baby was rushed to the neonatal unit, so she’ll send a pic as soon as she gets one.”
“Does she have a name yet?” Nonna asks. I text the question to Mom.
Those bubbles jump around and then her reply comes.
I’m so choked up I can barely get the words out. “Anna Sophia.”
I’m gutted. That sweet baby has my name and I don’t even know what she looks like.
“What size are you looking for?” the saleswoman asks me. Olivia and I are at a small baby store downtown. Thankfully most of the people shopping on Christmas Eve are not shopping here. Well, good for us, I guess.
“She was born today, but she’s small. Barely five pounds.”
The woman’s eyes get big. “Follow me over here. We have a preemie section that will have something in the size you need.”
Olivia and I hold up tiny little gowns. “I could seriously take the clothes off some of my old dolls at home and they would probably fit her.”
“I know,” I say. “These little bloomers barely cover the palm of my hand.”
Then she gets distracted by a stand of breast-feeding products. “Think Margot will need some of this nipple cream?” she asks with a laugh.
“That’s something she’ll have to buy on her own. And seriously, after all this, it will be a miracle if I ever decide to have a baby.”
“Well, it will be a miracle if Jake ever finds anyone willing to marry him, so you may have to share Anna and let me be her aunt, too. It might be my only chance.”
I look at Olivia. “I can definitely share her with you.”
We’re close enough that she throws her arm around me and squeezes me close. “We’ll be the best aunts ever. Not like Aunt Patrice.”
I lean my head against hers. “Or Aunt Maggie Mae.”
She laughs. “Definitely not like her.”
In the end, we pick out three soft gowns that have an elastic opening at the bottom and a super-soft pink blanket.
“Want me to wrap these?” the saleswoman asks.
“Yes, please,” I answer.
While we wait, Olivia picks up a miniature LSU cheerleader outfit. “I forgot to ask how things went with the college guy last night,” she says, and wags her eyebrows.
“That party was amazing!”
