“Annie!” I squealed, running and scooping her up before she
had the chance to escape. I rained kisses all over her face. She was clearly
confused, but she seemed to like it. The evidence? She dropped her doll and
squeezed my neck.
Erica stared at me through narrowed eyes. “No one, including
me, likes my children that much. What is going on?”
Annie giggled on cue, like she understood her mother’s
words. I laughed outright.
“Your momma’s silly, isn’t she? Isn’t she?” I asked, poking
Annie’s sides.
“Oh my God, who are you?” Erica demanded. “Where’s my BFF
who promised me she’d never have children so I could live vicariously through
her? I swear to God if you’re pregnant…”
“Calm down,” I said over the top of Annie’s head. She
twisted in my arms signaling she was over my show of affection. I placed her on
the floor beside her discarded doll. “How would I even be pregnant?”
“Sex. It’s called sex,” Erica replied. She finished folding
the last of Little Noah’s shirts, then tossed it in the laundry basket.
“Don’t say s-e-x in front of the baby!” I chided.
“B, she doesn’t know what sex is.”
“She’ll repeat it.”
“Who cares?”
“Oh, so you want to be the mother with the kid who knows the
bad words?” I asked.
“Bad word?” Erica asked, laughing.
“You know what I mean,” I said. “You want to be the mother
who all the other mothers gossip about? Like about how bad your parenting
skills are?”
Erica placed her hand on her hip. “Yeah, I do. Fuck ‘em.
Fuck all those mothers. Fuck their playdates and mommy groups and fucking
Melissa and Doug puzzles. Fuck their running strollers and baby couture and
breastfeeding advice. Fuck their—”
“ERICA!”
“What?”
I looked down at the floor, but Annie was gone. She’d walked away
somewhere, no doubt the kitchen since that seemed to be her favorite place to
play.