At 8:15 a.m. we were next on the list for the omicron shots.

At 8:20 a.m. we were doing the required sit-and-observe aftermath.

A dad came in holding a baby almost old enough to walk. The baby wasn’t too sure about being in this strange place at a strange hour with strange people around.

Man, it felt good to be able to offer a handknit Peruvian finger puppet just like the before times and delight the guy. The baby was pretty cool with it, too.

Then a couple with two girls of about two and four came in, and those parents approved of the unexpected distraction, too. Their little ones instantly went to town having a grand game of make believe with each other.

A few minutes in, two suddenly very shy little girls found themselves encouraged to walk ever so hesitantly to where I was sitting. They were not the least bit sure of this. Maybe I might make them give them back? What would I do? I had said Happy Birthday, but the older one knew it was not a birthday and the uncertainty was grabbing at her ankles like a monster under the bed.

“Thank you,” she said in a suddenly very small voice, both of them studying my eyes intensely, wanting to know what would happen next.

I gave them my best, biggest, grandmotherliest smile behind my required face mask (they had them on, too) and told her and her sister, “You’re very welcome!”

They RAN back to their mom and dad, joyfully this time. Yay!!

And with that our time was up and we waved goodbye, easily as grateful to them as they were to us.