Contemplating my empty stomach while fasting on Ash Wednesday, I just said to Melanie, “You’re lucky that you’re pregnant. You don’t have to fast.”
She replied, “Can I slap you now?”
* * *
Yesterday, she was babysitting my nieces—Kateri, 5, and Chiara, 3,—and nephew, Joshua, 1, while my sister ran some errands. Evy left a snack for the kids with strict instructions that even if they asked for more food, they didn’t need it.
Sure enough, Kateri asked for more to eat and Melanie had to refuse. She replied, “But you keep eating.” How do you explain to a five-year-old that pregnant women need to eat many small meals?
In any case, Uncle D came to the rescue with hot chocolate made in his nifty hot chocolate machine.
