It's a girl!
Yep, I became a Mommy to a tiny 3 year old girl for a couple minutes this afternoon.
I was the only shopper on the accessories isle at The Party Store making up a last minute costume to wear with a caftan I already have used as an Alien a few years ago. This year, my idea had already morphed from repeat Alien into Butterfly, and finally settled on Hippie, when the little girl walked up holding out a toy and said, "I want this Mom." I looked behind me for her Mom. I was still alone.
She called me "Mom" again and didn't seem to realize I am not her Mom.
The third time she said it, I asked her where her Mom was. She only looked at me.
About the time I asked her, "Where's your Mommy?" I heard movement on the other side of the isle--the row opposite from where she came. A second or two later a woman appeared. I smiled thinking her Mama had been found.
The woman walked past us. I peeked around both end caps. We were alone. I asked the little girl if she were lost. Tears welled up in her eyes. I was past concerned and well on my way to irritated.
Not at the little girl--but at the absentee Mom, because a bad person could have walked out of the store with her daughter unchallenged.
I told the little girl, "Come with me to the register. We will find your Mommy." She followed, albeit a few feet behind me.
About the time we reached the register (maybe 15 feet away), her Mom realized she was missing. Saddly, here is no telling how long this child roamed the store on her own.
Mom was in line to pay--on the other side of the register--and didn't have a kind word to say to either her little girl, or her Lost-and-Found-Daughter's-2-Minute-Mom.