Chocolate

"Mama, play with the ball? Please?"

Carol looked up from her weekly budgeting to see Therese standing in front of her, holding a colourful beach ball and smiling hopefully. Carol couldn't help but smile at her adorable little girl. Therese was dressed in a pair of overalls and a flowered short-sleeved blouse with little puffed sleeves. Every time she moved, her plastic pants made an audible noise, and the overalls didn't quite hide the bulge of her diaper. It was a chillier day in late August, so Therese wore a pair of soft socks that had her sliding across the hardwood when she scampered too quickly; which, being little, she did frequently. She'd already fallen onto her bottom more than once, and Carol had had to tell her to slow down.

Carol put her pen down and smiled, holding open her arms for Therese. Immediately, Therese came into them, dropping her ball, snuggling into Carol for a cuddle. Carol kissed Therese's sweet-smelling hair, which Carol had fixed into two tiny half ponytails, and pulled her onto her lap.

"Darling. You know I need to finish this, otherwise we won't know what we've got for the week."

"It's boring," pouted Therese. "No more budget."

"But if I don't do it today, I'll have to do it tomorrow, and we wanted to bake brownies tomorrow," said Carol reasonably, patting Therese's bottom. "I think you're wet, sweetheart."

Therese shook her head in silent denial and slipped her thumb into her mouth. Carol wrinkled her nose. "No, no, Therese." She picked up Therese's pacifier from the table where her little one had left it after lunch and slipped it into Therese's mouth instead, but now it was Therese's turn to wrinkle her nose. She took it out distastefully and dropped it onto the table.

"Yucky."

"Oh, it is not," said Carol, nuzzling Therese's cheek and making her giggle. "You're perfectly happy to have it most of the time. You're being fussy." She tickled Therese just to hear her laugh and see her squirm, and then kissed her. "Now. Are you going to let me finish my work now that you've had a bit of attention?"

Therese, her blue-green eyes sparkling, shook her head, and Carol laughed. "Tell you what. Why don't we change your diaper and then we can do our baking today? I'll finish this tomorrow."

"Oh, really?" Therese sat straight up in Carol's arms. "I can lick the bowl?"

"If you're a good girl," teased Carol, and Therese wrinkled her nose again and made a face at Carol, who laughed. "Of course you can lick the bowl, sweetie. Come on."

Therese yawned as Carol changed her. It was just about time for her nap, but she was too excited to sleep, and squirmed impatiently while Carol finished up. Carol pouted at her sympathetically.

"I think someone is tired."

"Not tired. Don't want any nap," said Therese emphatically. Carol finished putting on Therese's plastic pants and then helped her stand up, letting Therese buckle her overalls.

"Oh, Therese. Are you going to give me a hard time?"

"I'm a good girl," said Therese, shaking her head, but then she yawned again. Carol went to wash her hands and came back, sitting on the bed beside Therese and pulling her close. Therese rested her head against Carol and Carol rocked them a little bit, soothing Therese. Therese's eyelids drooped and after a moment, she turned to Carol.

"I want to make brownies."

"And we will, immediately after you have a little nap. You're so tired, sweetheart. Look at the circles under your eyes. You're not going to enjoy baking if you don't have a little sleep. You'll be fussy and fractious and I'll say, 'Therese really ought to have had her nap today and now she's too tired, and this isn't any fun, is it . . .'" Carol trailed away as Therese closed her eyes.

Therese murmured, "Mama, I need you. I need to nurse."

"You can nurse, darling. Of course." Carol settled them on the bed and Therese fell asleep after only a few sucks. She had had a busy morning, chasing her ball all over the house, washing all the dishes from breakfast and lunch helpfully for Carol, and singing along at the top of her lungs to the radio, something she only did when she was little. Therese was not a singer, and her voice was often cheerfully off-key, but Carol, sweeping and doing her weekly tidy-up of the apartment, thought that she had never sounded more adorable.

An hour later, Therese wandered from the bedroom into the kitchen, where Carol was setting out the ingredients for the brownies. Therese was adorably rumpled, trailing the blue woolen throw from the bed behind her. When she saw Carol, she held out her arms. "Mama," she whimpered.

"Oh, dear. Someone seems a little grumpy from her nap. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Carol used her soft, sweet tone that usually perked Therese right up, but Therese just frowned and snuggled into Carol's arms.

"I got up on my side of the bed like always, Mama. That's silly. Mama, up," begged Therese, hopping a little in place. Carol obligingly lifted her, and then figured out the problem right away.

"Ah. You had a little leak." Carol kissed her baby's cheek and Therese whimpered. Carol bounced her a little in her arms. "It's not pleasant waking up wet, is it, sweetheart?"

"Cold," murmured Therese, laying her head on Carol's shoulder. Her cold little hands fastened around Carol's neck.

"It's all right, baby. Mama's here. Let's get you cleaned up and then can you guess what we're going to do?"

Therese perked up at that. "We're going to make brownies!" she said joyfully, and Carol laughed.

"Exactly."

Fifteen minutes later, Therese stood in a fresh pair of overalls, poring over the cookbook that she had brought from the old apartment, running her finger under each line of the recipe to make sure that Carol had set it out.

"Eggs?"

"Check," said Carol, holding up the eggs.

"Milk?"

"Check."

"Flour?"

"Check."

"Chocolate?" Therese reached up to the cupboard where they kept the cocoa powder and tried to reach the can, but Carol plucked it easily off the shelf and gave it to Therese. Therese giggled and answered her own question. "Check!"

"Would you like to stir the batter, sweetie?" Carol cracked an egg into the bowl and then drew back as Therese cracked the other egg rather hard, dropping some shell into the bowl, which Carol quickly fished out. "Oops."

"Silly old shell," said Therese, dumping in the flour and sugar that Carol had mixed in another bowl. "Mama, not enough sugar!"

"It's plenty of sugar, little rascal," said Carol, wiping a little bit of flour off of Therese's nose. "I read the recipe, and it only calls for one cup. And you're sweet enough," she said, tickling Therese's side and quickly taking away a spoon that Therese had used to dip into the sugar bowl. Therese licked the sugar off her lips and continued to read the recipe, stirring in the milk and eggs.

Once the batter was nice and smooth, Therese helped Carol pour it into the baking pan and then immediately began to lick the bowl, chocolate speckling her cheeks, nose, hands, and even her hair.

"Goodness, Therese, you're a little chocolate monster!" Carol began to laugh as Therese looked up from her dedicated bowl-licking, faintly surprised. She frowned and then stuck a chocolate-covered tongue out at Carol.

"Not a monster, Mama. I'm just Therese."

"You're my little angel," said Carol, and then took the bowl away. "And I think that's quite enough chocolate for now. You want to save room for the brownies, don't you?"

Therese pouted, but she allowed Carol to slip the bowl and spoons into the dishwater and then to wipe her face and hands thoroughly. The kitchen began to smell pleasantly of baking chocolate as Therese picked up her ball and then threw it to Carol. "Catch, Mama!"

"Oh, Therese. You know the rules about ball in the house. Is this a toy we play with inside?"

"It's in the kitchen, Mama. Can't hurt the kitchen!" Therese took the ball from Carol. "Catch?"

"Not too high," warned Carol, but she relented and tossed the ball gently to Therese, who beamed and tossed it back. They played like this for about half an hour, the kitchen smelling more and more delicious as the brownies baked. Soon, Therese tired of playing ball and sat down in front of the oven, watching the brownies bake.

"Are they almost ready?"

"Soon, darling." Carol consulted the oven timer. "Another ten minutes."

"Too long," grumbled Therese, but she patiently waited as Carol cleaned up the kitchen and set out two plates and two glasses. Therese looked over and smiled. "Milk, please?"

"Of course milk," Carol agreed. "Brownies need nice cold milk to go with them!"

"Yummy," said Therese, sounding excited, and then got to her feet, a little too quickly, as her socks slipped and she fell down on her bottom. Her face crumpled into a pout. "Ow."

"You're all right, baby. Come on, on your feet," Carol said, helping Therese up and patting her bottom soothingly. "I think we'd better get your slippers."

"Don't like slippers!"

"Do you like falling down?" Carol brushed a few strands of Therese's hair out of her face. Therese shook her head, but she pouted mutinously until the oven timer rang, and then all was forgotten.

"They're done! Mama, they're done, they're done!"

"They smell divine," said Carol, waving Therese back out of the way of the hot oven and taking out the steaming pan. "Mmm."

"Oh, can't I have one now? They smell so good, Mama!"

"They're a little hot, sweetie. Let them cool and then we can have them. Would you like to read a story while we wait?"

Therese had confessed, one night in bed, that she had loved when Sister Alicia had read all the children stories while they got to draw or doodle. Knowing that, Carol enjoyed reading to Therese whenever possible. Therese would snuggle against her, thumb in her mouth, completely content. Carol remembered loving being read to, and she loved being able to do it with Therese.

"Peter Rabbit?" asked Therese, starting to scamper out of the kitchen and then slowing down as Carol gave her a reproving look. Carol nodded.

"Peter it is."

Curled up on the couch, Carol read the well-loved story aloud to Therese, reflecting inwardly on how Rindy loved this story, too. These classics were so comforting. Therese sat, spellbound, until Carol finished the book, then she looked longingly towards the kitchen.

"Are they cool now?"

"They should be. Come on. Let's taste what you made!"

"You helped, too, Mama," said Therese generously, and then she leaned over Carol excitedly as Carol cut them each a generous brownie and filled their glasses of milk. Therese sat at the table obediently and dove into the warm brownie, chocolate covering her face almost immediately. Carol chose to eat her brownie with a fork, but Therese had no such qualms. In about five minutes, the brownie was all over Therese.

"My, Therese. I think you're going to need a bath after this."

"Can I have another one, Mama?"

"Maybe after supper." Carol picked up both of their empty plates and watched Therese drain her glass of milk. "I'm going to run the bath for you, I think."

Therese just nodded, and Carol quietly covered the pan of brownies and then went into the bathroom. Therese had lately had a hankering for bubble baths, so Carol added a bit of bubble bath to the water and watched the bubbles quickly cover the entire surface of the bath. Then she went to call Therese.

Therese looked up from where she was still sitting at the table, but she had a slightly guilty look on her face. Carol was confused until she saw the pan of brownies. One had been cut neatly out, and the evidence was in the crumbs littering the table and on her little one's face.

"Therese. Did you take another brownie?"

Therese wouldn't look at Carol. She looked at her hands. Carol frowned.

"Therese. Now, you know when I ask you a question, I expect an answer."

"Yes," whispered Therese. Her lower lip began to tremble. "Just wanted one more . . ."

"But what did I say about one more brownie?"

"After supper," Therese murmured. She clutched her tummy and started to whimper. "Mama, don't feel good."

"I'm not surprised," said Carol. "That was a big brownie you had, and you'd already had one. That was naughty, Therese."

Therese pouted and then started to cry. "I'm sorry, Mama." She rubbed a fist across her eyes, and a smear of chocolate decorated one cheek after she took her hand away. "They were so good . . ."

"But even good things can be too much, can't they?" Carol said sternly, but she relented when Therese let out a few more sobs and then turned into Carol, chocolate-covered face and all. Carol cuddled Therese for a few moments and then ruefully looked down at her dress, covered in splotches of chocolate.

"Well. I think we could both do with a bath, don't you?"

Therese nodded, but she looked a bit upset, still, and Carol kissed her cheek. "I'm not angry, sweetie. Next time, though, I expect you to mind."

"No time out?"

"I think you've been punished enough with that over-full tummy," replied Carol as Therese grimaced again and rubbed her belly. "Come on. Bath time, darling."

In the bath, Therese asked to nurse. "I need you, Mama."

Carol stroked Therese's wet hair. "How's your tummy feeling?"

"It will be better soon," said Therese, rubbing her finger over Carol's nipple. "Nursing makes my tummy all better."

"It does, does it?" Carol kissed Therese's forehead and smiled as her baby nodded positively.

"Mm-hm." Therese latched on and stroked Carol's left breast, like it was a special pet, and Carol laughed.

"You certainly do love to nurse," she said, and rubbed Therese's back soothingly.

After their bath, Therese said she felt a lot better. "All better, Mama."

"Next time you'll think before eating that much again, won't you? I suppose you won't want any supper, now."

At the word supper, Therese looked a little green and shook her head emphatically. "No, thank you, Mama."

Carol laughed and helped Therese into her favourite blue summer pajamas. "I think that's completely understandable."

Therese, de-chocolated and clean, turned on the television and sat on the floor in front of it, thumb in her mouth, as a children's program came on and Carol poured herself a bourbon over ice. But soon enough, Therese got up and sat with Carol, cuddling into her.

"Did you have fun today, baby?" asked Carol. Therese nodded.

"I love chocolate, Mama!"

"I know you do." Carol smiled down at Therese, who smiled back. "But I think we've had enough baking today."

"That's all right, Mama. There's always tomorrow," replied Therese, and then giggled as Carol started tickling her, squirming all over Carol's lap.

"Yes, baby. There's always tomorrow."