Emeline. What a Heaven-sent little girl she is. She came to us, a woman trapped in a little baby's body, always carrying herself with confidence and determined to do things the way she saw fit. Always trying to please the people around her, and now with this new twist in her life trying even harder. I just want her to be a little girl, and to not worry about things that a little girl shouldn't have to worry about. She tries so hard to perceive my mood, and is greatly affected by it either way. She's like Eva, who randomly comes up to me and asks, "Mom, you happy?" or "Mom, you sad?". It's very important to her to know how I feel and I catch her quite often out of the corner of my eye just watching me, and trying to choose her actions based upon what she discovers. Lately she's decided that it would be helpful to start the little girls' baths for me. Although it truly is helpful, and I probably wouldn't have thought as much about it if her Dad hadn't died, I worry that the opportunity for her to be a little girl is quickly passing her by. It's not a bad thing to do kind things to help those around you. But I don't want her carrying a burden that isn't hers to carry. She's started a fun tradition with each of the three youngest girlies, and they actually look forward to her bathing them. Tonight she'd finished bathing Ane and was starting on Eli. I walked in the bathroom to hear the following conversation:
Eli: Oh, Line! You forgot to do that queen-y thing!
Line: Oh that's right. Here, you start with the soap while I add more water, and then I'll crown you Queen of the Water.
Aren't I lucky to live with Line, the ultimate Queen?
