"Naturally," I said, mentally shredding my previous sentence. "We would feel so honored to have Hi-nin—"
"Do not think of putting yourself out. We do not have a helicopter, of course, but Hi-nin and I can so easily walk."
I was rapidly becoming unable to think of anything at all because Gail was trying to use me for a merry-go-round and I kept switching her from hand to hand and I could hear her beginning to build up the ba-bas.
"My car pool," I said, "would be terribly sad to think of Hi-nin walking."
"You would?"
"Terribly."
"In such a case—if it will give you pleasure for me to accept?"
"It would," I said fervently, holding Gail under one arm as she was beginning to kick.
And on the way home all the second thoughts began.
I would be glad to have Hi-nin in the car pool. Four of the other mamas were like me, amazed that anyone was willing to put up with her child all the way to and from Playplace. I could count on them to cooperate. But Gail's mama.... I'd gone to Western State Preparation for Living with Regina Raymond Crowley.