babytime

Amanda felt a tad awkward. Ellie's sister got them both to work. Each taking a baby to feed once they got there.

Amanda watched Ellie hoping she was holding the bottle right. The baby too. The last time she held a baby was her little brother Derrick and half the time, she'd dragged him around like a ragdoll. Now she was completely frightened. This just felt odd. Yet kind of comforting because the little one was taking the bottle and his little fist were working just as his mouth was into full contentment..and he was so warm too. She wasn't sure what this feeling was that she was getting, but she knew she didn't want one.

She heard Ellie mention something about Ben from Texas.

"You should really get to know him, you know that," Ellie told Lisa. "I think you'd like him."

"I don't think Mom would want that," Lisa shrugged. "Somebody has to be on her side. You certainly aren't."

"Lisa, this isn't about sides. Some day, maybe you'll want to know him. He wants to know you," Ellie looked as if she might be pleading. She could tell she just put up with her sister as it was. Perhaps it wasn't that way with Ben. She'd mentioned to her before they got here that she'd met her older brother over the summer, and she wasn't sure how to go about talking about him in front of her sister. "Look, Mom knows he coming. He said he'd had a long talk with her over the phone. And, she's OK."

"Have you talked to her?" Lisa looked so stern. "Anyway, I won't be here." She looked around at the boxes ready to go. The packers had just been there the day before.

"I know, you'll be in Texas. He'll be in Texas. You'll be hardly three hours from each other."

"I dunno." Lisa fretted walking around as if she were in a neither world already. "You don't know what its like having to take care of both of them. Alone." She scowled then.

"I know its hard, Ben would not make it any harder for you," Ellie laughed. "He'd help. He would. He's like that." Ellie looked at Amanda then with the baby. "You are so good at this?" Ellie told Amanda.

"No, I'm not." Amanda shook her head, no. "Babies? I had no idea what you needed me for until now, Ellie."

"You know you love it." Ellie laughed.

"I think it would be hard," Amanda nodded. "Even one would be more than plenty. They're so tiny."

Ellie kept smiling. Amanda did too. Maybe she'd get the hang of this baby stuff. She looked over at Ellie, wondering if she was thinking she might want one.