She giggles. “My tummy isn’t smart. My tummy is a bad tummy.”
“No way,” I scoff as I reach over to turn off the water. “Your tummy is very smart. It knowswhatit feels exactlywhenit feels it. Not much smarter than that. But now your tummy knows you’re going to be okay, and it can relax while you have fun playing in the bath.”
“Yay, I love the bath!” she cheers.
As I help her in, I ask, “Which duckie is your favorite?”
“Mr. Flower Face,” she says without a beat of hesitation. “But I like the dolls to come into the bath, too. Can you get the dolls?”
“Sure, where are they?”
“Under the sink,” Ava says, skidding into the bathroom breathless, panting a little as she holds up striped leggings and a pink sweatshirt with a giant glitter taco on the front with matching taco socks.
“Wow! This outfit is amazing, girlfriend,” I say, meaning it. “Look at that taco sparkle! It looks like a disco ball with extra lettuce and tomato!”
Bella giggles, and Ava grins, “We both love tacos. Tacos always make us happy.”
“Ex-specially when it’s happy tacos in my belly on Tuesdays! I can’t wait for tomorrow,” Bella cheers, clearly feeling much better if she’s excited about tacos. “Daddy makes yummy tacos.”
Ava leans in, dipping a hand into the water. “Oh, that feels good. That’s the kind I like, when it’s good and hot.”
“But not too hot, right?” I ask, testing it again.
“No, it’s perfect,” Ava says, already stripping down.
I laugh, deciding to roll with Ava’s latest impulsive decision. “Looks like it’s double trouble sister bathtime, huh?”
Ava grins and points to the sink. “Yes, but we need our dolls. We have to play with the mermaids every time we get in the bath. It’s the rules.”
“Sounds like a smart rule,” I say, fetching a tub of deranged-looking Barbie dolls of all sizes, shapes, and colors from under the basin.
When I have the girls settled and their clothes on the countertop, a safe distance from the splashing, I ask Ava, “Does your Daddy ever leave you two alone in the bath, Ava? Even for a few minutes? I didn’t think to ask him that this morning before he left.”
Ava nods, barely looking up from where she’s passing all the pink mermaids to Bella, “Yeah, all the time. I’m a big girl. I’m four, almost five.”
“I’m three, almost four!” Bella pipes up. “I’m big, too.”
Ava gives an indulgent, elder-sister eye roll. “Yes, but I’m still the biggest. And I know how to play safe in the bath.”
“Me, too,” Bella adds. “I never go under or stand up unless Daddy or Grammy are here to make sure I don’t get hurted.”
“Perfect, brilliant, and amazing,” I tell them as I back toward the door. “You two clearly have this on lock. So, I’m going to run downstairs really fast, get the sick all cleaned up, and be right back. That way, we can start playing with toys and having fun as soon as you guys are done with your bath.”
“Okay, but don’t run,” Ava says. “You might fall on the stairs. Like I falled when I was little. And you could get an owie. You have to go slow with your stick to be safe.”
I hesitate, grip tightening on my cane as my chest starts to ache again. “You’re so right. Thank you for reminding me to besafe, Ava. That’s very sweet of you. And this is my cane, not a stick. It helps me get around while my leg is healing.”
Ava glances down before her gaze slides back to my face. “What happened to your leg? How did it get hurted?”
“It was broken in an accident,” I say, deciding to leave the “car” part out of the equation, not wanting to give the girls anything else to be stressed about. “But it’s getting better now.”
“Does it hurt?” she asks.
“A little bit sometimes,” I admit. “But not today. I’m having a good day today.”
Ava beams. “I’m having a good day, too. I like having a bath in the morning instead of at night. It’s fun.”
“I like a bath any time of day,” I agree. “Baths are always fun.”
