Nature's Good Timing

Just about the time that caring for a newborn really begins to wear you down, nature throws a curveball.

Newborns take and take, and give nothing back. Deep-seated instinct makes us want to protect and nuture these little bundles, but over the course of weeks and weeks that instinct gets blunted by sleep deprivation and the sacrifice of every free adult moment. Eventually you begin to hear the first, faint voice inside wondering whether it wouldn't be better to put this creature up for auction at eBay and get on with your real life.

And then she smiles.

It comes out of nowhere. She's responding to the same nonsensical words and sounds you've been making since the day she was born. The same words and sounds that garnered zero response. For weeks. And then she smiles.

It's fleeting. It comes and goes too quickly to photograph. But it's a smile. It's not a spasm, an infantile random event, or even the sweet strain of pooping. Nope, it's an honest-to-god smile.

And just like that, the voice inside is gone. Besides, you don't have time for voices anymore. You're too busy making an ass of yourself, trying to earn another one of those smiles...