That Connection
It seems like every third baby girl I meet these days is named Ava. This was the case with the little girl at the pool who was wearing a pink onesie and crawling the same bum-scooting way Audrey did as a baby. It's hard to hold that name against her under the circumstances.
And I had a connection to her mother, the moment our eyes met, across the pool. She was there wearing a tank top and a red skirt with large pleats. Her hair was black and long with bangs. She had some small tattoos in un-showy places, and small earrings that flashed occasionally beneath her hair. She was giving her little girl a guided tour of the water features. She smiled at me as I sat at the edge with Ambrose in my sling. Some people I smile at and can turn away from. Others I feel magnetically drawn to. Ava's mother was one of those. We didn't wind up talking much, just exchanged children's names and compliments (she said Ambrose was beautiful, and she likes chunky healthy looking babies like him). Her family left soon after. But the whole time we were both there, I kept looking over at her to find her looking at me. And we'd smile.
And I had a connection to her mother, the moment our eyes met, across the pool. She was there wearing a tank top and a red skirt with large pleats. Her hair was black and long with bangs. She had some small tattoos in un-showy places, and small earrings that flashed occasionally beneath her hair. She was giving her little girl a guided tour of the water features. She smiled at me as I sat at the edge with Ambrose in my sling. Some people I smile at and can turn away from. Others I feel magnetically drawn to. Ava's mother was one of those. We didn't wind up talking much, just exchanged children's names and compliments (she said Ambrose was beautiful, and she likes chunky healthy looking babies like him). Her family left soon after. But the whole time we were both there, I kept looking over at her to find her looking at me. And we'd smile.