Daughters and Mothers

I’m on the BART heading into San Francisco. There’s a little girl, groaning while she stretches out over two seats, feet dangling off the edge and into the aisle. Her mother sits on the inside seat while her daughter’s head rests in her lap.

The mother coos, “Do you want to go back?” She’s rubbing her daughter’s stomach in broad strokes, as if she were petting a cat.

“No, no, no no no,” groans the kitten.

“Are you sure? We can go back. We’re not too far,” Mom says.

“No no no. I wanna go.” The little girl winces and the train suddenly develops a muted howl. We’re in a tunnel.

“Okay then, pumpkin.” Mom rubs her little girl’s stomach in broad strokes, as if she were painting her soon-to-be baby daughter’s room cornflower blue on a stepstool when she’s 6 months pregnant.

“I want to see Daddy,” says baby girl, curled up and resting her head on her mother’s thighs. “And Richie.” She pauses for a few seconds before groaning again.

“Oh, we’ll definitely see them, sweet pea.” Mom looks down on her lap and sees her daughter all curled up and begins to brush her hair. She runs her hand through the curls of her curled up daughter. The howling stops and the cabin is bathed in natural light.

Out the portside window is Oakland harbor. It’s a clear day.

“Remember the horsies, baby?” Mom points with her eyes and shifts her weight in the seat as her daughter sits up and cranes her neck to see the numerous cranes lining the harbor out the window. Mom continues to stroke her girl’s hair.

“Yeah. They’re so big. I wish I… could see…. ‘em run.” The little girl looks up to her mother and then out the window again.

Her body becomes very still.

The little girl opens her mouth like an Olympic swimmer gasping for air after a photo finish, jaw hanging from the hinges, and proceeds to vomit all over her mom.

“S…Sorry mommy,” groans the little girl, strings of saliva connecting her mouth to the pile of vomit on her mother’s lap.

“FOR CHRIST’S SAKE EMILY, YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME YOU WERE GOING TO BE SICK ALL OVER ME!
SHIT!”