Kintropy In Action

"I sure came in handy." 

Gabriel, half-speaking to himself, wandered back toward a bathroom stall.

"What do you mean, bud?" I asked.

We had been at Red Robin for about thirty minutes.  Janette and I had alternated feeding Hannah and ourselves; Gabriel had pecked at his chicken tenders.  Hannah, rather predicatably, had lost patience about five minutes into sitting still.  She thrashed and wailed.  Janette and I tried to distract her, but ended up giving her time-outs.  Nothing had worked well.

"I'm Hannah's Happy Toy." Gabriel explained.  "When I sing to Hannah and play with her, she gets happy!"

As Gabriel finished up, I smiled.  He had tried his best to help Hannah during our meal.  At one point, Gabriel got up from his seat and serenaded her with a song or two.  He also hugged her and played with her hair (not usually a good strategy, but it seemed to give her the attention she craved at that moment). 

Together, Gabriel and I washed up.  "Thanks for your help, Gabriel."

"No problem."

"You're a good brother."

"Thanks."

We headed out to rejoin the girls, already on their way to the nearby Starbucks in the drizzle, ready to complete our weekend rounds.

-- Dad