Wednesday, October 6, 2010

That Girl

We sat at the table, after dinner, me and my girl. Baroy and N were watching a movie in the other room; neither of us really wanted to see it.

That girl's goal kick is wicked.
Em was telling me about the meeting, that afternoon, of her middle school's environmental club. We were giggling, then straight-out laughing, then gasping for breath, tears streaming down our faces. (You had to be there.)

Later, Em talked about walking home afterward with her friend M. "Because it was so cold," she said, "we decided to stop at Starbucks on the way, get something warm to drink. It was so much nicer once we were walking with hot coffee* in our hands."

I smiled, seeing it, knowing that feeling. Then stopped. Everything stopped. Even my heart, for just a second.

"Oh my god," I said, more to myself than to her. "I can't believe you're there already. That you're that girl. That 'decided to stop for some coffee on the way home' girl. And I can't believe that it feels totally OK to me. If I don't think about it too much."

She grinned. "I was thinking almost the same thing," she said. "I sorta can't believe I'm that girl either."


And then she kissed me as she left to study for her history test, saying, "I really love having these talks with you."


That girl. Oh, that girl.



*Because my mother reads here, and because I can already hear her, let me say this: Decaf. On the same block as the school. Still light out. Let her father know she'd be a few minutes late. It's all good.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I absolutely LOVE the postscript to your mother! And you and your girl? Awesome.

Meg said...

It is hard to believe how grownup 13 is! My son and his friends go into "town" now by themselves. Loved the breakup letter too.

pixiemama said...

Wow. I'm gasping over the coffee, the giggles, the postscript. All of it. Wow.

Niksmom said...

Oh.my. I think there's a dust speck in my eye. *sigh*

They grow up so fast. Revel in those moments, those talks.

MOM said...

Thank you, dear daughter. You answered every question I would have asked!

I just can't believe she is old enough to walk home from school (alone)......drink coffee (decaf or not)......AWESOME!

HUGS!

AB said...

AND to think I was not allowed to drink coffee until I went off to college and then realized I really didn't like it that much. LOL I use to beg and beg and would get a teaspoon full in my milk...

Now, I drink DD decaf iced each day... that is my treat to me... I still like it light!

She is growing up too darn fast!

Patois42 said...

I've got That Girl now, too, and feel the same flash of shock when she shows herself.