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It wasn’t like I’d seen hiht before Polly popped onto the scene Butif I’d eaten (code for "can I come over and will you feedwhat I was up to (code for "can I come over and will you feedthat code under wraps) And eventually, after the rocking and the rolling, he’d fall asleep and I’d fall asleep, tucked into his side or enveloped entirely, as he liked to do

He didn’t spoon He ladled

And I liked it No, what’s more than like? I adored it And what’s more than adored? That four-letter word that I was loath to use, but it was the only way to truly capture the way I felt about Leo About sleeping with Leo, I mean After years and years of insoht, wrapped up in a cocoon of Almanzonian Awesome

But now adjustments had to be made

Because now, the calls and texts were to check in and chat about the day, and always ended with, "As soon as her nanny is back in town, you can bet your sweet ass I’ll be over to fuck you and tuck you in"

But no actual fucking or tucking was happening Consequently, no sleeping was happening--I was back to averaging three hours a night Which I’d done for years and years, but I’d loved havingthe ladle

I saw Leo a few tiular delivery, and for as becorilled cheese But alone ti to the idea that Leo had a kid Ito the idea As the night of the Polly revealrevealed, we had moved into some kind of in-between territory with no map

I’d rallied when he’d brought Polly to the diner the next day, and rallied pretty well, based on her reaction to the sandwich, now proudly her favorite But still, there was soer on An uneasiness, alet five seconds before a lump forms in your throat

You’re pre-lu of the best I can do

It was Saturday night, and I twirled in the ht only one nice dress back with me this summer, and I finally had a chance to wear it A deep bloodred linen shift, it was softened by a sprinkling of pale pink flowers here and there V-neck and sleeveless, it was cool but quite elegant Eschewing ht I left my hair down and curly I’d tamed it with a bit of coconut oil, and it shone a burnished copper And though I’d applied sunscreen liberally every day, my skin was a rosy bronze, my nose and cheeks freckled

But more than that? I looked relaxed and happy The worry lines that had begun to appear between my eyes and acrossand fresh Leo was like Botox