Recently, Miles’s babysitter Lisa adopted a puppy. Knowing Miles is a dog lover, she and her husband Daniel brought the puppy over to the house on Sunday. As usual, Miles talked a big game but was nervous to actually approach the animal, maintaining a distance of about two feet while pointing and happily exclaiming, “It’s a DOG!”
In the days since, Miles has brought up Lisa more than he ever has before. Regular readers will know that Miles has always demonstrated conflicted feelings about his babysitter, expressing disdain for her one moment only to completely forget Jaclyn and I exist the next. When I picked him up from daycare today, though, he was very excited to hear Lisa was coming over.
“Issa!” he said.
“Yes! Lisa is coming to see you.”
“Doggie!”
“…well, no, she probably isn’t bringing the doggie…”
“Daniel.” (This was spoken in a manner I can only describe as vaguely adult-like.)
“Well, no, Daniel definitely isn’t coming.”
When Lisa pulled up, Miles still peered around her in the vain hopes of seeing her puppy. But even though the dog wasn’t there, Miles was perfectly content with Lisa herself. And that, I think, is progress.
The Perils (& Pride) of Paternity 