The young couple across the street.
The husband showed up on our doorstep about a month ago with the misdelivered birthday box addressed to us of Hawaiian-grown chocolate. It was clear what was inside. We both had a good laugh as I thanked him for being willing to give it up.
A Pod storage unit showed up in their driveway two days ago.
Yesterday evening, I saw her briefly across the street in silhouette: she was!
This morning there was a truck.
I spent too long diving through stash, looking for that perfect skein in my head, sure it must be there, and finally thought, C’mon. Speed. Speed is what matters. Hurry. The undyed (and thankfully already-wound) Rios won, even though my brain was in anything-but-white mode after two months without colors on the needles, and I cast on. It’s more formal anyway, they could use it for more places and to match anything.
The truck with the Soft Air Pac writing (?) left, a different one arrived. Box trucks, both of them, big ones.
I took a break only because my hands demanded it and fed Richard the fastest microwaved lunch I could think of. (Sorry, dear.) I got back to work. It surprised me how long this was taking me. Go go go. You don’t have time to stop. Go.
The mover guy opened it with question marks all over his face: who are you and why are you here now of all times?
But she saw me from across the room and her face lit up as she quickly took his place at the door.
Me, stammering: I saw yesterday–pregnant? Are you–? holding out the bag.
Her: Yes! Thirty weeks. It’s a girl!
Me: I didn’t know your tastes, so, y’know, frog? puppy? lace?, so I just made it plain, but I’ve been knitting like crazy since I saw you.
She laughed with so much joy in her face. So much happy anticipation: towards the next two years abroad, towards her daughter, life, everything, made all the sweeter as she looked at that hat all squished up in a ziplock. It wouldn’t take up much room.
She declared it perfect. She said Oh thank you! when I assured her it was superwash wool, so that while it would fuzz out in the laundry, it wouldn’t shrink, even in the dryer. She saw I knew and still remembered what it’s like with a new baby.
She was so glad to see me to say goodbye before they leave on that temporary assignment and the hat just topped it off.
I didn’t keep her but a minute. I knew she had a ton to do.
The moving van pulled away a half hour later.