“Pre-Christmas” anticipation

Patricija watches me carefully as I chew a tasty bite of dinner:
“Mom,” she finally speaks, “did you chew it properly?”

The last bite in my mouth seems to pause, confused by the unexpected question, before sliding down into the depths of my belly.
“I think so…” I shrug.
“You said that the brother lives in your belly without teeth,” Pa explains, “so if you swallow big bites, it might be too hard for him to handle these pieces of cutlet…”

I lift my eyes, full of admiration, though it seems I’m still chewing that cutlet long since swallowed into my belly.

They are waiting for their brother like it’s Christmas.
Dominykas, as always, is reserved. Seeing that I intend to clean the stairs, he grabs the broom from me; noticing that I’m about to carry a heavier bag, he hurries to take it first. And in general, if he notices I’ve stopped in the wrong place or at the wrong time, he always lifts his concerned eyes with the question: is everything okay?

Pa isn’t exactly reserved. Her mind is full of questions about the future brother, which she sprinkles like peas. And if I remind her that she already asked this question yesterday, she just shrugs her tiny shoulders:
“You can ask, can’t you? Maybe something changed overnight…”

Today’s big question is:
“Mom, can’t you let the brother out of your belly sooner? While it’s still summer.”

Again, I patiently explain that he still needs to grow a little, so that when he’s born bigger, he’ll be stronger. She eyes my belly suspiciously:
“But it seems to me that he’s already pretty big…” — and rushing to hug me, she clearly shows that her arms only just barely meet around me.

I savor the “Christmas-like” anticipation of the brother filling our home.
Those four wide eyes picking out the stroller and the need for both of them to push it and personally make sure it will be very comfortable and not pinch the sides.
I watch her kneeling, checking the clothes daily and looking over the things we’ve already bought. I “sweeten” myself over the drawings for the brother and the little heart-shaped notes.

And the sentence that touches my heart the most:
“I really want to be in first grade already.”

I lift my eyes and happily praise her for wanting to learn.
Then she adds:
“I want to go to school because you said that when I start going, you’ll finally let the brother out of your belly.”

Mua,
V.