Leah, drawn from her work by the sounds of David's tumble, peered into the living room. Seeing all was well, she smiled, and carried another armful of dishes and tableware to the kitchen counter.
'Looks like our men are busy,' she said.
Mother nodded as she spooned leftovers into containers for the refrigerator.
'It's always good to relax after dinner,' she said. 'When we're done here, we'll join them. Then, in a little while, I'll bathe David and put him down. You will take your bath, and then you, Daddy and I will have our meeting.'
'Daddy did say something about a meeting when I came in from the yard,' Leah said. 'What's up?'
'Let's just wait and see,' Mother smiled mysteriously as they loaded the dishwasher. *** Finished with her work, Leah skipped along the hallway that connected her room to the living room. Little brother was down for the night. Leah, bathed, hair washed, blow-dried and brushed, was squeaky clean in her red nightgown.
She squeezed a space for herself on the couch between Mother and Daddy and they eased aside to make room. Daddy put his newspaper aside and Mother placed a card in her book to mark her place.
Glancing up at one, then the other, Leah put on her serious business face.
'Meeting time?'
'Meeting time,' Daddy said.