The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 13 - Reasons to Celebrate

            Greg and Susan arrived at Richard and Marion's beach house within a few minutes of leaving Dr. Daniels office, on the last Friday morning in July. They were both feeling encouraged by the doctor's good news, but they'd also decided they weren't ready to tell anyone about Susan's pregnancy quite yet.

            "I want to pass the ten week mark first," she told her husband.

            "I think that is a very reasonable approach," Greg agreed. "So maybe by the middle of August?"

            "Maybe," Susan said. "I haven't heard from Marion since I went by last week. I hope everything's okay."

            "I'm sure they would have called if there was a problem," Greg assured her. "It's hard to believe the twins are more than a month old already."

            "I bet they can," Susan told him as they pulled up in front of the beach house and parked.

            They stood together as they rang the bell, then waited for the longest time for someone to answer.

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            "Sorry," Richard said as he came to the door with a towel in his hand. "You caught us at bathtime, but come on in. Everyone's awake. Charlie is even smiling."

            "He is?" Susan commented as they stepped inside. "Already?"

            "Marion keeps trying to tell me it's gas, but I don't think so," Richard said as they followed him into the kitchen where a freshly bathed Charlie was strapped to a baby bouncer on the counter while his sister had a turn.

            "Hi Charlie," Susan said as she stood in front of him.

            Charlie girgled and smiled at her.

            "Well look at you!" Susan praised. "You learned how to smile!"

            "Don't you think it's too early for that to be a real smile?" Marion asked as she had her hands in the water holding a slippery baby while she was bathing her.

            "I don't think so, Marion. They're five and a half weeks old. This is just about the time babies begin to smile, isn't it Charlie?" Susan asked the infant and he wriggled and smiled at her some more. "Yes, it is. Your mommy and daddy would be ready to throw you out with the bath water pretty soon if they didn't get some positive reinforcement," Susan told him.

            Marion smiled and Charlie responded to her too.

            "You see?" Susan said. "That's not gas Marion. He's reacting to you."

            "You see your brother, Melissa? See? He can do it, come on try," Marion said in her most persuasive tone.

            "I thought we decided we weren't going to put pressure on them to keep up with one another," Richard reminded her.

            "Oh I know, but his smiles are so nice and I bet hers will be too," Marion said as she finished bathing Melissa and wrapped her in a towel to dry her, and began to get her dressed while Richard got rid of the bath water.

            "So how are the four of you doing?" Greg asked.

            "We're doing well," Richard told him. "Thanks for coming by to visit us so often. I think we're all becoming spoiled by seeing you so regularly."

            "It's no problem," Susan assured them. "I seem to be in the area more or less regularly these days."

            "Which supports the question I've been asking Greg. How are you?" Richard asked sincerely as with the babies dressed they moved to the living room to visit.