Throngs of teenagers, young families and savvy shoppers are milling around in front of my kiosk while my co-worker and I are just standing there, staring at all of these people in utter amazement. Shopping bags full of bargains are being lugged around by the slow-moving crowd and I am feeling slightly claustrophobic as I wish that I was still in my quiet apartment. The buzz of all of these people talking, laughing and shouting is overwhelming and so Lacey and I are trying to keep ourselves occupied by talking about our latest boy issues. I give her advice that I should be following myself and we end up laughing at our foolishness - she IS a Pisces like me, so she and I can relate on so many levels in matters of love.
Then, a young couple stop in front of one of the counters and I am about to tell them not to lean on it, because that is what people have been doing all day so far. So, I walk up to them, getting my polite-yet-don't-mess-with-me bitch attitude ready that I use with the sweetest smile imaginable... and then I am confronted with the sweetest dark brown eyes you have ever seen. My heart instantly melts as I look at the young man's gorgeous little baby girl and then I remember who they are - he had stopped by during my first week and I had cooed and awed at his daughter for about half an hour if not longer and then her mother had also shown up and started chatting with me. I was not wearing my glasses when I first spotted them at my counter and so I am only able to tell that it is in fact the same small family that I met during my first week when I am close to them.
We start talking when I have realized who they are - the young man seems relieved that I remember him because he had not seemed too sure at first when I did not know who he was! But I would have recognized his beautiful daughter anywhere! He is holding her while his pretty girlfriend or wife is taking a look at our rings at the display counter; I am still smitten by the little pink bundle he is holding and so I make his fatherly pride swell once again by telling him how sweet, pretty, cute and wonderful his tiny daughter is.
He then holds her out to me, over the counter, and I happily take her into my arms, amazed that this stranger would hand over his daughter to me just like that. I cradle her little wiggling form in my arms, holding her little butt in the crook of my right arm while keeping my left hand on her small back. It feels so peaceful to be holding this beautiful baby in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Boxing Day chaos!
I take a moment and hold her out a little bit away from me so that I can see her pretty little face. She looks like a small Spanish cherub because of her chubby cheeks and curling black hair that is circling around her perfect miniature ears. Her big brown eyes that are almost black are wide and staring into mine and her tiny little lips curl easily into a smile as I make those silly baby noises that everyone makes when holding a baby. I bounce her around a little on my right hip and implore her parents to let me keep her for the rest of the day.
Finally, I decide that I should go back to pretending to be working with Lacey and I imagine that this young couple want their daughter back so that they can continue their shopping. Before handing her back, I ask them what this calm and quiet little angel's name is, and the mother responds proudly and with a smile, "Marie-Ange". And I think that there could not exist a better suited name than that one.
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