Seeing Pheeb's Family

Phoebe’s car was in the shop today so I drove her to go see her sister and brother-in-law (but really, we all know it was for her nieces, shhhh). The sister and brother-in-law know me from the few years that I lived with Orson and Phoebe while they were married, but now that they’re divorced, I don’t get to see the rest of Phoebe’s family that often. It makes me a little sad since they have the kids now, but it’s a treat when I get to see them. And the girls are smart and sweet: Colette who is seven and Simona who is five.

Simona apparently has a little crush on me too which is really cute to watch. She had to sit next to me the whole time and she told me all about school and her friends and the play they saw. She told me about her favorite foods and the movie they watched in class and then she sang me her favorite song although she got too embarrassed to do the accompanying dance.

When Pheebs and I were leaving, I knelt down to give the girls hugs. Simona launched herself into my arms, kissed both scars (to make them feel better, she explained when I asked her what the French kiss-on-each-cheek was for, but she said it looking at me with an indulgence one might bestow upon an especially dim-witted puppy) and then declared that she was going to marry me when she grew up.

Of course I smiled and told her I was too old for her but I think that’s one of the sweetest compliments a child can bestow even if they forget it five minutes later. Their concept of the institution is so innocent and naive that it doesn’t mean marriage. It says that they feel safe with you, that they think you’re fun to be with, that they like talking to you and spending time with you, and that they want to be as special to you as you are to them, and they call it marriage because they don’t have the capacity to explain all the nuances of why. It’s incredibly sweet.