It probably shouldn't be news, but it is. Iain wanted a bath; the water was still running. Lucy slept in the bouncy seat. Lewis had gone to collect Thomas from school. And I had that strange sense--intuition?--that it was too quiet.
As I neared the bottom of the staircase, I saw the door standing open. I took the last few stairs too fast (I'm still very stiff and sore from my failed sprint), without thinking about it. Ouch! I headed for the door as quickly as I could, and started calling Anna's name as soon as I crossed the threshold. I called down the back of the terrace and up toward the road. I hoped Lucy was still sleeping. I called out toward the woods, and hoped Iain was all right in the tub. And as I called down the colliery road, knowing I would have to give up in a minute and check on Iain and Lucy, I heard her voice.
She answered. She actually answered. Not only that, she came back, carrying the paper sword and shield she'd made on a field trip that day. It would have made a great photo, Anna hurrying toward me down the road, sword in hand, shield on her arm. But I hadn't stopped to get the camera (or even my phone) on the way out the door. I scolded her for going, but praised her more for coming back. It was a first, and her timing couldn't have been better.
The bathtub didn't even overflow.
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