First Shoes

Is there anything more precious?

Today we went to the children's shoe shop in Bruntsfield and got her first proper pair of shoes. The lovely woman who measured her feet reached for a bright pink pair from the GIRLS shelf - "Oh no," I said. "Not pink." She has some pink clothes, yes, but not many - I don't really think of her as an especially pink sort of person. I know that sounds silly, but I feel like I know her, I feel like she's a bit of a tomboy, I feel like she wouldn't choose the pink shoes. I'm totally projecting, I know, but it's harmless right?

"Oh, look at those ones!" They were on the BOYS shelf, but they had bright red space rockets on and shiny buckles. She's size 3G. She tried them on and I held her hands while we walked around the busy shop, dodging children and toy food in baskets and piles of miniature crocs and wellies, and she laughed and laughed.

She wore them home, kicking her feet back and forth on the bus.

Audrey's first shoes.