SHARDS

Elizabeth Milligan
Writing Assignment for April 7, 2008
Voice

SHARDS


Am I her friend? Look, I flew to her wedding in Pittsburgh for God’s sake. Now, she has a kid. She and her husband and their daughter are in the City for the week-end – staying at her old apartment a few blocks away on 21st and 3rd - and I have invited them here for dinner on Saturday. I pray that the kid will sleep all the time. I know what messes those little terrors can make from visits with my brothers and their families.

My apartment here is decorated just the way I want it to be – all white, chrome, and glass with original art everywhere. And you know what, I am going to defy the baby-proofing gods and set the table with my Limoges, Baccarat, and Jensen. I always entertain with them. And damn it, I am NOT going to change anything for a kid. I’ll just tell Emma that her daughter can sleep on my bed. Emma will understand.

Thank God I asked some other friends over too. I would die if all we talked about was baby bowel movements and diaper services. I don’t think Emma would ever do that, but you never can tell … Marriage and babies do real jobs on people.


……………………


So the kid actually did sleep through dinner. And we all took our drinks a few feet to the living room. After a few minutes, Emma said she heard her daughter and that as lovely as the dinner and conversation had been, they would have to start getting ready to leave. Truth be told, as much as I loved Emma, I was ready for some peace and quiet. Emma whispered something to her husband and walked away to my room to get her daughter and their coats.

Her husband carefully lifted the coffee table over the carpet and away from the couch so that there would be room to spread the kid’s snowsuit on the floor and stuff her into it. I had to laugh – she looked so funny, like a scarecrow on a post. As soon as the kid was all zipped in, he held her in his arms, started to stand up, and turned to look at Emma.

At that moment, one of the kid’s stiff bundled arms knocked over the partially filled wine glass that her father had put down on the coffee table. It shattered against the glass table top and the wine spread and dripped on the carpet. Thank God he had chosen the white wine!

Emma was so upset and apologized all over the place. It was embarrassing. She wanted to replace the glass. I told her it had been part of a set, not to give it a second thought, and waved them out the door. After closing the door, I braced myself against the glass dining room table top. I knew who I wasn’t going to ask to my wedding!