My little girl

She sat in the armchair by the sliding glass doors 

watching and waiting. A look of concern darkening 

her usually happy face.

Bryan and his girlfriend had arrived that evening 

and Alexis had received a phone call about her 

grandfather - he was likely to die at any time. 

Alexis' eyes had teared up and she left out the sliding 

glass door no doubt for some alone time to collect 

herself and have a smoke away where the children 

wouldn't see her.

Dolly waited.

When she came back Dolly gave her one of her 

signature tree frog hugs - legs wrapped around her 

waist and arms thrown tightly around her neck.

Saturday Bryan and Alexis stayed behind while we 

shopped in downtown Disney. The Twinkies free 

birthday passes also came with $63 Disney Dollars 

a piece. Gapetto and the Bunny went one direction 

and the Dolly and I headed off for jewelry.

We looked and looked and added up different things, 

then we looked some more. I thought perhaps she 

just couldn't get over the hump of actually spending 

any of it so I was talking to her about how much 

I knew she REALLY wanted the charm bracelet. 

She quietly led me off in another direction.

Finally we added up her things: one charm bracelet 

and four additional charms, one pink Disney watch 

and a light green necklace with a big 'crystal' jem 

on it - exactly $63. [I threw in the tax money.]

I put the charms on her bracelet and hooked it on 

her wrist, I pulled out the watch and did the same. 

She began to close up the box and put it away.

'Dolly don't you want to wear your pretty necklace?'

She shook her head no.

'It's for Alexis.'

How I love that little girl.