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witticaster"Here, Amelia, say hello to Papa," Beth told the little girl, holding the telephone receiver up to her ear.
"Hello, Papa!" chirruped she, and after a pause, said, "Yes, I'm fine! Today we had a picnic in the house, and Chrissifer" (for she still stumbled over her baby brother's name, two years on from his birth) "almost spilled my juice, but Mummy caught him before he did."
The conversation went on in such a fashion for the next five minutes, as Amelia updated her father on the state of her dolls and friends and nursery school. Finally, she paused, her wide hazel eyes intent as she listened, nodding her head, as she had quite forgotten that her papa was not there to bear witness to any such movement. "Yes, Papa, I will. I love you too, goodbye!"
Beth took the phone back when it was offered to her. "Christopher is napping right now, or I would have him come babble at you, too."
"I think Amelia has more than made up for his absence," James answered, his good humour evident in his voice. "Does she ever sit quietly?"
"She sleeps." Beth laughed a little. "I believe that's the closest she intends to come to quiet."
James chuckled, too. "I've told her to be a good girl and mind her mum, and not to chitter at you too mindlessly, so--" He paused for a moment, his voice suddenly muffled and indistinct. When he returned to their conversation, the joviality was replaced with contrition. "I'm needed elsewhere now, I'm sorry."
Beth answered as pleasantly as she could; in her heart of hearts, she could never quite shake the worry that grave danger might be lying in wait for her husband on occasions such as this, but it served neither of them to give voice to that fear. "It's all right. Go on, and I'll put something in the mail for you by the end of this week."
"You are far too kind to me," he murmured, and she suddenly wished he was there, that she might kiss him a proper goodbye. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Give the children an extra kiss from their father," he requested, and hung up.
"Hello, Papa!" chirruped she, and after a pause, said, "Yes, I'm fine! Today we had a picnic in the house, and Chrissifer" (for she still stumbled over her baby brother's name, two years on from his birth) "almost spilled my juice, but Mummy caught him before he did."
The conversation went on in such a fashion for the next five minutes, as Amelia updated her father on the state of her dolls and friends and nursery school. Finally, she paused, her wide hazel eyes intent as she listened, nodding her head, as she had quite forgotten that her papa was not there to bear witness to any such movement. "Yes, Papa, I will. I love you too, goodbye!"
Beth took the phone back when it was offered to her. "Christopher is napping right now, or I would have him come babble at you, too."
"I think Amelia has more than made up for his absence," James answered, his good humour evident in his voice. "Does she ever sit quietly?"
"She sleeps." Beth laughed a little. "I believe that's the closest she intends to come to quiet."
James chuckled, too. "I've told her to be a good girl and mind her mum, and not to chitter at you too mindlessly, so--" He paused for a moment, his voice suddenly muffled and indistinct. When he returned to their conversation, the joviality was replaced with contrition. "I'm needed elsewhere now, I'm sorry."
Beth answered as pleasantly as she could; in her heart of hearts, she could never quite shake the worry that grave danger might be lying in wait for her husband on occasions such as this, but it served neither of them to give voice to that fear. "It's all right. Go on, and I'll put something in the mail for you by the end of this week."
"You are far too kind to me," he murmured, and she suddenly wished he was there, that she might kiss him a proper goodbye. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Give the children an extra kiss from their father," he requested, and hung up.
