She's quietly sitting on the floor in the darkened room. Mommy almost has Asher to sleep for his nap. This is the critical time. Any noise could wake him. This is the time that Mommy prays that the UPS man doesn't come to the door, or a neighbor who needs a beer, after all, who comes for sugar anymore. This is the time when Mommy needs Tahlia to stay sitting quietly on the floor.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mommy catches the movement of a small girl beginning to sit up.
Before it progresses to some type of sound that will most likely be an attempt at a quiet voice but ring out like four dogs barking on the playground, Mommy tries to intervene.
Through complicated signs and subtle whispers Mommy communicates to Tahlia. "I'm almost done. I'm going to put Asher in his crib." The words are accurate. Drawn out so that the listener will be able to understand, but punctuated enough to show intensity. It is the type of whisper you hear when one character on a movie is attempting to have another character understand that there is a deadly snake slithering up his pants. "There . . . is . . . a . . . snake . . . on . . . your . . . leg." In addition, you must envision the pointing and head jerking to demonstrate the direction and location of the moving baby.
Tahlia, in all honesty, whispers back, "Mommy, what are you talking about?" There is no ploy of not understanding, only genuine confusion.
Silence is critical, and, therefore, Mommy tries again. The head jerk occurs. The point to the crib. The whispering about Asher in bed.
And, even though it is as clear as the hand gestures of the third base coach to a player on another team, Tahlia in her best whisper, repeats, "Mommy, what are you talking about?"
There can be no anger. She is trying so hard to understand what Mommy is saying. Maybe, since Mommy was able to successfully place Asher in bed, she does understand on some level what Mommy needs.
They both leave quietly, and Asher sleeps on.
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