Sara rolled her eyes and turned to the other moms, ignoring her son’s pleas. “He pulls his shoes and socks off every time I put them on him. I can’t tell you how many sneakers and socks are now missing a partner because he throws them away. It’s easier just to let him go barefoot y’know?”
Joy nodded. “I know, my little Danny’s the same way. He just loves having his toesies all free. Funny how little kids just hate shoes.”
“If it’s just shoes they hate you’re getting off easy,” Amanda told them. “My little ones hate wearing clothes altogether.”
The mothers shared a round of laughter at their struggles while Brian continued to plead. “But Rachel has shoes!”
“Well Rachel is becoming a young lady and she knows how to keep her shoes on like a big girl,” Sara retorted.
Brian was crestfallen but could see this was a losing battle. Megan was being led by the hand to the car in her bare feet as well but she wasn’t complaining. She was just happy she’d been given something to cover her pull-ups. Of course the restaurant wouldn’t care that they were barefoot, Brian admitted, because little toddlers didn’t count as real people. So he gave up and padded out the front door after his mom, wincing as he trod over sharp pebbles and hot tarmac to the car. He just kept thinking about how he would get the book back soon and then somehow he’d end this nightmare.