Shimmery Pink

Today Lara did something for the first time yet. Dani and Paul had gone to get a couple groceries, I was getting supper ready, and I noticed her going in and out of the balcony, carrying some objects with her. Curiosity got the better of me and one of the times she was indoors I quickly peeked outside and saw a neat arrangement consisting of two bottles of nail polish, a small bowl of water, some spiffy hairclips, a brush, and two flasks of  princess cologne which had never seen the light of day.

I quickly went back in again and resumed my supper preparations as if I had seen nothing. Out she went again after a while. This time she stayed out, and I could hear her humming to herself happily.

After some minutes, she came into the kitchen with a beautiful headband on her dampened and somewhat frazzled hair, poking her fingers out stiffly in front of her, beaming proudly, eyes shining.

I caught my breath a bit, because suddenly I realised this was quite a milestone for my little girl - my girl continually immersed in a book, jumping on the trampoline, drawing and painting feverishly, and making up stories - there she was, toenails and fingernails painted a shimmery pink, and to top it off, swathed in a heady combination of two perfumes.


I exclaimed over her pretty appearance and rolled my eyes at how good she smelled, while she squirmed with pleasure and did her little "happy dance" that has become such a part of her. She begged me to let her do my toe and fingernails as well, so on this balmy evening afternoon I forgot all about supper preparations and sat down with her on the warm balcony floor. She warbled a happy tune as she painted my fingernails, brushed my hair, attached a bright turquoise flower on it, and doused me thoroughly in Cinderella cologne.

It was a priceless, precious mother and daughter moment in my day. I will always treasure it. And somehow I know she will as well, because while we were having supper later on we shared a Secret Smile and I felt my arm tightly squeezed...