Magnolia

Formidable

Josh couldn't contain his excitement. Even Rosie got in on it. She was clapping to Josh's laughter. Maggie's smile lit up her face.

"You beautiful brilliant girl!" Josh said, kissing her again. "Papa Josh is so proud of you!"

Maggie looked at him.

"Pa!" She said and put her head on his shoulder. Josh teared up.

"She called me 'Pa'," he said. Jenna had tears in her eyes. Tyler just smiled. He knew Josh was exactly who Maggie needed in her life.

Just then the door opened and a voice called out:

"I'm home!" Debby had returned.

"Maggie! Mama Debby is home. Remember we talked about her? I showed you her picture and she talked to us on the phone? Let's go say hi,"

Josh carried Maggie to the entryway where Debby was lifting her suitcase into the house. Maggie put her head on Josh's shoulder. She was being a little shy again. Seeing Debby on the phone was one thing. Seeing her in person was something else.

"Hi there, sweet girl!" Debby said quietly to Maggie. "Remember me?"

Maggie nodded, but didn't take her head from Josh's shoulder. Her thumb went into her mouth.

"Wait until you see the breakthrough we just had, Josh said, leading Debby into the living room. She said hello to Jenna and Tyler and Rosie. Josh tried to put Maggie down again, but Debby's presence had made her shy again Josh knew she'd warm up to her in a few minutes.

The adults talked again while Maggie looked at Debby.

"KAK!" Maggie said, looking at Debby.

Josh looked down at Maggie.

"Debby," Josh said. "Debby's not a duck."

"KAK!" Maggie said again pointing at Debby. Josh looked over at Debby. She was wearing a Donald Duck t-shirt. Josh laughed. Debby looked down and laughed, too. Maggie smiled because she realized she'd made everyone laugh. She reached for Debby and looked at her shirt while Debby held her on her lap.

"KAK!" Maggie said, again.

"KAK!" Debby said back to her. Maggie smiled.

Debby hugged Maggie to her and kissed her head.

"Aren't you a smarty pants?" She smiled at the small girl.

Rosie walked over and patted Maggie's back.

"Mabby play?" She asked. Debby put Maggie on the floor and watched as she scooted over to her toys and played beside Rosie.

The adults looked on, smiling.

They decided on dinner and ordered in Chinese food. Maggie was allowed to eat anything she wanted but was also drinking pediasure drinks to supplement calories. Josh poured one into her sippy cup. He'd learned she liked chocolate best, followed by vanilla but hated strawberry and had thrown up when she tried banana flavoured, so he hadn't tried it again. But she did like actual bananas.

When dinner arrived, Josh put Maggie in her booster seat and put a bib on her. She picked up a spoon and put it in her mouth.

"Well, at least you know where that goes," Josh smiled. "Let's get some soup for you, first huh?" He put some soup in a bowl and cut up a wanton for her. "Let's let it cool down, okay?"

He moved the bowl and Maggie frowned just a little. She kicked the table.

"Hey hey, Peanut. It's a bit hot. Let's let it cool down a little."

"Umm umm umm!" She said.

"Okay," Josh said. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

He put the bowl of soup in front of her and watched as she tried to manoeuvre the spoon. She spilled soup back into the bowl but she was trying. They'd been working on using cutlery all week and it was clear Maggie wanted to learn.

Finally, she got a piece of wanton on her spoon and got it successfully into her mouth. Which is when she realized it was still hot and spit it out. She looked ready to cry.

"I told you it was hot, Peanut," Josh said, handing her her Pediasure. She drank it greedily.

"Better?" Josh asked.

Josh prepared a plate of food for Maggie while her soup cooled. Most of it was food she'd eat with her hands, noodles, vegetables, rice. She tried using her spoon for the rice and did pretty okay. The noodles she was happy to use her hands.

"Mabby!" Rosie said. Maggie looked up.

"Noodle!" Rosie said picking up a noodle.

"Noo!" Maggie replied holding up one of her own.

"Boccoli!" Rosie said picking up broccoli.

"Okko!" Maggie said, picking up her own broccoli.

"Wice!" Rosie said, picking up some rice.

"Ice!" Maggie said, picking up some of her own. Then she picked up a pea out of the rice.

"Pea!" She said. Rosie laughed.

Josh sat in stunned silence. All the adults did.

After dinner, and after the girls were all cleaned up and wiped down, the Josephs packed up and took Rosie home.

"Bye Mabby!" Rosie said as Tyler put her jacket on.

"I, Wo-we!" Maggie said.

"Okay, bath time, Peanut," Josh said, picking her up off the floor.

"Ba ba ba ba!" Maggie said.

"You're just a talkative little monkey, aren't you?" Josh smiled. Debby followed Josh and Maggie, bringing her suitcase upstairs.

He ran the water and undressed Maggie.

"Okay, Peanut. We're gonna sit on the toilet again, okay?"

Josh put her on the child seat on the toilet. Maggie sat, unsure still what was expected of her.

Then she peed. She seemed surprised while Josh was elated and laughing.

Debby poked her head in.

"Her first pee on the toilet!" Josh said. Debby laughed. Maggie clapped her hands. She knew she'd done something right.

Josh explained he was going to wipe her, and then he placed her in the lavender scented bubble bath. Maggie had come to love bath time.  Josh made it bubbly and Jim usually came in to see what was happening. Josh didn't have to sit in the bath with her after the first time. She realized bath time was for getting clean.

Debby came in and sat on the toilet seat lid and watched bath time. She talked to Josh and she talked to Maggie. Maggie splashed the water and got Josh wet. He laughed and she did, too.

Once she was all clean and her hair washed, and her face cleaned of leftover sauces, Josh wrapped her in her hooded towel and carried her into her room. He raspberried her stomach and Maggie actually laughed. It was musical.

Josh got her into her diaper and her PJs and tucked her into bed. They read the animal book again.  Maggie made all the animal noises she could. Neither of them knew what sound a bunny made.

"I love you, little Peanut," Josh said to her, kissing her head. "Sleep tight."

"Uff Uff." Maggie demanded.

"Jim," Josh said, looking at the dog. "Up."

Jim hopped up onto the bed and curled up beside Maggie. She slept well when Jim slept with her.

"Night night, Peanut," Josh said.

"Pa!" Maggie said.

"Good night sweet girl," Debby said. Maggie looked at her then said "Ma!"

They kissed her goodnight and turned out the light, made sure she had her turtle blanket and her nightlight.

They left the room.