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It was a warm afternoon in the spring, and the house was alive with the sound of laughter and light-hearted conversation. Glenda had just finished tidying up the kitchen, her soft humming drifting through the rooms as she wiped down the counters. The sunlight streamed in through the large living room windows, casting a golden glow over the space and filling it with a sense of warmth and comfort.
Two-year-old Jess was in the living room, her little legs working hard as she toddled around, exploring the world with all the enthusiasm of a curious toddler. She was wearing a pair of brightly colored toy glasses—pink and oversized, with plastic frames that were far too big for her tiny face. But to Jess, they were just perfect. She had found them in the toy box earlier, and ever since then, she had been proudly sporting them, her small hands constantly adjusting the way they sat on her nose.
Dana and Tracey were sprawled out on the couch, relaxing after a busy day of school. At 12 and 8 years old, they were already well-accustomed to their baby sister’s antics, but today, something about Jess’s playfulness had them giggling with delight.
“Look at her!” Tracey whispered, stifling a laugh as she watched Jess tottering around the room, clutching one of Glenda’s old magazines in her hands, pretending to read. “She’s trying to be Mom!” Dana smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she leaned over to nudge Tracey. “Hush, Jess might hear you.”
Jess, oblivious to the quiet giggles had fully committed to her role as "Mama Jess." She stood in the middle of the living room, holding the magazine up to her face just like she had seen Glenda do a hundred times. The toy glasses sat crooked on her nose, one lens slipping down, but Jess didn’t seem to mind. She pushed the glasses up with a determined little hand and cleared her throat, just as she had seen her mother do when settling in to read.
"Mm-hmm," Jess muttered to herself in her tiny voice, flipping the magazine's pages with a seriousness that made Dana and Tracey burst into another round of giggles.
“Oh my gosh, she’s even making the sounds Mama makes when she’s reading,” Dana whispered, covering her mouth to muffle her laughter.
Glenda, who had just entered the room, stopped in her tracks when she saw what was happening. She leaned against the doorway, watching with a mixture of amusement and tenderness as her youngest daughter performed her little imitation. There was something so endearing, so heartwarming, about the way Jess was trying to mimic her every move.
"Well, would you look at that," Glenda said softly, her voice full of affection. "We’ve got a little mama in the house."
Jess, hearing her mother’s voice, looked up from her pretend reading. She beamed with pride when she saw Glenda watching her, her small face lighting up with excitement. "Mama!" Jess exclaimed, pointing to her glasses. "I like you! I reading!"
Glenda chuckled softly, stepping closer to her little girl. "You sure are, sweetheart," she said, kneeling down to Jess’s level. "You’re doing a wonderful job, just like me, huh?"
Jess nodded eagerly, pushing her glasses up her nose again as they slipped down. "I got 'lasses!" she declared, her tiny voice full of joy. "I reading da book!"
Glenda, still kneeling in front of Jess, smiled softly as she reached out to adjust the crooked glasses on her daughter’s tiny nose. “You know,” she said, her voice gentle, “you’re doing such a good job reading that magazine. But I think these glasses might be a little too big for you, don’t you?”
Jess shook her head firmly, clutching the magazine to her chest. “No! I need 'lasses,” she insisted, her small voice serious. “Like you.”
Glenda chuckled, her heart swelling with love for her youngest daughter. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Jess’s forehead, careful not to knock the glasses off her nose. “Alright, alright,” she said playfully. “You can keep the glasses.”
Jess beamed at her mother’s approval, her little chest puffing up with pride. She turned to Dana and Tracey, holding up the magazine triumphantly. “I reading!” she announced again, as if she wanted everyone in the room to acknowledge her accomplishment.
Dana and Tracey, still grinning from ear to ear, both gave her enthusiastic nods. “You’re doing a great job, Jess,” Dana said, her voice filled with affection. “Just like Mama.”
Jess, satisfied with their praise, toddled over to the coffee table and plopped down on the floor, her legs stretched out in front of her. She flipped through the pages of the magazine with intense concentration, occasionally mumbling to herself as she pretended to read. Every now and then, she would push her glasses up with a determined little hand, just like Glenda did when she was deep in thought.
“Oh my gosh, she’s even making the sounds Mama makes when she’s reading,” Dana whispered, covering her mouth to muffle her laughter.
Glenda, who had just entered the room, stopped in her tracks when she saw what was happening. She leaned against the doorway, watching with a mixture of amusement and tenderness as her youngest daughter performed her little imitation. There was something so endearing, so heartwarming, about the way Jess was trying to mimic her every move.
"Well, would you look at that," Glenda said softly, her voice full of affection. "We’ve got a little mama in the house."
Jess, hearing her mother’s voice, looked up from her pretend reading. She beamed with pride when she saw Glenda
watching her, her small face lighting up with excitement. "Mama!" Jess exclaimed, pointing to her glasses. "I like you! I reading!"
Glenda chuckled softly, stepping closer to her little girl. "You sure are, sweetheart," she said, kneeling down to Jess’s level. "You’re doing a wonderful job, just like me, huh?"
Jess nodded eagerly, pushing her glasses up her nose again as they slipped down. "I got 'lasses!" she declared, her tiny voice full of joy. "I reading da book!"
Dana and Tracey exchanged a glance, both of them trying not to laugh too loudly as they watched the scene unfold. It was clear that Jess was proud of herself, and the sight of her toddling around in those oversized toy glasses, trying so hard to be like their mom, was almost too much for them to handle.
“She’s so cute,” Tracey whispered, her giggles softening into an affectionate smile. “She really thinks she’s Mom.” Dana nodded, her own eyes filled with warmth. “She’s got the glasses and everything. It’s like a mini-Glenda.”
Glenda, still kneeling in front of Jess, smiled softly as she reached out to adjust the crooked glasses on her daughter’s tiny nose. “You know,” she said, her voice gentle, “you’re doing such a good job reading that magazine. But I think these glasses might be a little too big for you, don’t you?”
Jess shook her head firmly, clutching the magazine to her chest. “No! I need 'lasses,” she insisted, her small voice serious. “Like you.”
Glenda chuckled, her heart swelling with love for her youngest daughter. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Jess’s forehead, careful not to knock the glasses off her nose. “Alright, alright,” she said playfully. “You can keep the glasses.”
Jess beamed at her mother’s approval, her little chest puffing up with pride. She turned to Dana and Tracey, holding up the magazine triumphantly. “I reading!” she announced again, as if she wanted everyone in the room to acknowledge her accomplishment.
Dana and Tracey, still grinning from ear to ear, both gave her enthusiastic nods. “You’re doing a great job, Jess,” Dana said, her voice filled with affection. “Just like Mama.”
Jess, satisfied with their praise, toddled over to the coffee table and plopped down on the floor, her legs stretched out in front of her. She flipped through the pages of the magazine with intense concentration, occasionally mumbling to herself as she pretended to read.
Glenda stood up from where she had been kneeling, watching Jess with a smile that spoke volumes. It was one of those moments—a fleeting, precious moment that made her heart ache with love for her daughters. Jess was growing up so fast, imitating everything she saw, and moments like these reminded Glenda of just how much her little girl was paying attention.
