A baby

Betty and Allen brought Baby Jimmy home from the hospital on the first Friday in April. Nanny greeted them at the front door with a smile on her face and a martini in her hand. “Welcome home, Son Number Three!”

“Mother, would you like to hold Jimmy? He’s slobbered on my dress and I’d like to clean it up.”

“Oh, I think you can persuade a happy grandmother to hold her fourth grandson! And in just a few months I’ll have a fifth grandchild!”

Not really, Betty thought – their real grandmother is dead. Jeff came running downstairs. “Nanny, Nanny, would you read to me?”

“Jeff, I’m holding your baby brother. Come take a look at Jimmy!”

“Oh, he’s all right. But would you read to me?”

A few hours later Gary came home from the first grade. “Mommy, where’s the baby? Where’s Jimmy?”

“Upstairs in his crib, Gary. Now you be gentle. He’s sleeping.”

Two minutes later, Gary came down the stairs. He moped about the living room. “Mommy, he’s so small and so wrinkled. I wanted to take him outside and play basketball with him.”