Email from my father, subject: Leta Chiqiteta, which made my insides spontaneously combust

Hi Feather,

Sorry I haven’t checked e-mail sooner but I’ve been busy being a grandfather with my most little, most precious, most precocious granddaughter. She is doing splendidly…she has a few moments of nostalgia when she sees your picture on the stereo downstairs and points and says “Mommie.”

She is eating well, has had two small poops, avoids the stairs unless she’s in my arms, and goes to sleep at appointed times w/o any hassle. We have walked, talked, investigated the outdoors, read books, built towers, played pattie-cake, and made faces at each other…in other-words, we are doing what you do every day. She likes her medicine and her vitamins and would carry them around with her if we let her.

Your mother has called and we will take Leta and all her paraphernalia to their house today about 3pm (Friday). It has been a most rewarding experience for both [my step-mother] and I and we are doing just what we moved out here for.

(please don’t scrutinize this e-mail for spelling and grammatical errors…I’m 64 and away from college for almost 43 years).

Love you, your husband, and most especially your beautiful little daughter.

Grandpa Mike (papaw)