The baby laughs because there are sunny yellow moons, but also because behind the moons there is another face—a sister face—and when the blanket comes up, the face goes away, and when the blanket goes down, the face comes back. Up and down, up and down. It is funny, and the baby wants to play, but it is hard to stick anything besides baby arms through the slats of the crib. Still, there is another way. It is possible for the baby to stay where he is and, instead, to put one foot on the bottom rail of the crib, both hands on top, and push and pull and pull and push, and land with a thud beside the gurgling, happy baby.

Then it is simple. Moons and faces, faces and moons. The blanket is raised in front of the baby’s face. And then lowered. And then raised. And then lowered. It covers and uncovers, faster and faster, until the baby is laughing and giggling and making so much noise that the other sound, the sound from outside, is barely heard, but it is, and it is not the sound of work boots. It is the sound of pointy heels on slick wood.

The blanket is dropped.

The heels are at the prison bedroom where the door has been left opened. Soon, there is sure to be foot tapping and arm crossing and demands to come out from under the bed or within the closet, and after there have been threats and closet doors opened, there is sure to be a long-drawn-out calling of first-middle-last name and then the opening of the baby’s door.

But there is not. The pointy heels say something about the half hour not being over yet, and they continue down the hallway. The heels get closer, and the baby pulls at the blanket and giggles. Soon the giggles will turn into laughs which will turn into shrieks which will bring the pointy heels.

A decision must be made, and the baby is tugging on the blanket.

Sh.

The baby giggles.

Sh.

The baby laughs.

Sh, and the pointy heels are at the bathroom. They will clip-clip their way into the baby’s room, and even though the baby is happy, there will be consequences. Parties might become off limits and desserts taken away.

The blanket is snatched away.