New Day

This morning Lily burst onto the scene, fully dressed and ready to go.
6:33am.
It was a thrill.
Truly.
To not have to herd, plead, nor argue about
Outfits
Breakfast
TV.

JOY.

SUCH a gift.
And relief, considering bedtime last night was...
Unpleasant.
A downward spiral which began when I halted
Valentine
Card
Production
for bathtime and bed.
The girl was born for retail, they'd love her holiday readiness.
Grandpa genes, surely.

Even Lily seemed refreshed this morning.
And after a momentary Q & A in the bathroom about
Where
Is
Daddy?
Daddy died Pumpkin.
Did you just wake up one morning and he died?
Well, no... Actually, yes Pumpkin, yes.
But he was your age, Mama - should you die now too?
No Pumpkin, no one should ever die this young,
that is one of the reasons
it
was
so sad.
He had a very bad sick, not like what we get when we go to the doctor,
a different kind of sick...
I love you mama, she says, and I love the dinners you cook.

She hugs me.

I need to pick out my bracelets.

So much happens before morning coffee.

But it was a good morning.
Just as the salutation promises.

And she loved my interview.
New converts to The Right,
we are.
Or at least for The Book's Sake.
Lily waved to the screen and blew kisses upon sight of her dad.
And herself,
And me.

For nine minutes we were a complete family.

Oooh she said, when our photos flashed.
So sweet, that girl.
And in true "truth seeking" form, when the show host mentioned he had kids:

He doesn't have kids, Mama.

Where was she in my Actor Studio days,
on the sidelines with the
Truth Police?

He does have kids, Pumpkin.
Though I must agree, he lacked... Depth? Feeling?
Can you go back on and talk for longer?
Smile.
Not sure, Pumpkin, not sure.

But one thing I can say for sure,
Alan was with me that day on screen...
Sent me the Harry Chapin reference, off-point,
which was surely an invisible hug -
a reference he often jokingly used when shrugging off
Fatherly Shortcomings.

Never would the song have been used about him.

Never
Ever