son’s shake, Baloo’s stomach rumbled, but he said, “Uh...water an’ leave the pitcher.”

Louie stared at the big bear in amazement for a second. He cleaned out his right ear with his index finger. “Did I hear ya right? Water - as in no artificial colors or flavors!”

“Yeah, water. W-O...however ya spell it. The stuff that comes outta the tap.”

“O...kay. The customer’s always right.” He poured a glass of ice water and set it in front of Baloo, then he poured one for himself. They clinked their glasses together. “Cheers.”

"You must be really outta it to order water, Baloo."

"It ain't that. Becky put me on this stupid diet." Baloo drained the glass in a few gulps and wiped his mouth with his palm.

"Well, there's goes half of my business," Louie laughed.

“But I am beat! Haven't got a decent night's sleep all week. I’m surprised ya can’t hear Cassie all the way out here, Louie. Man, oh, man, that little gal’s got a serious set of lungs on her!” After digging in his shirt pocket, he produced a plastic picture holder. “Wanna see some shots of my baby?” He let it unfold until it trailed, one hundred pictures at least, to the floor. “Gather ‘round, boys, don’t be shy.”

The two other pilots in the place mumbled excuses and hurried outside, their food half-finished.

Louie began backing away from the bar. “They must have some real urgent business to attend to, an’ speakin’ of urgent business, I got that...thing...in the back...real important...can’t let it go for a second longer...”

He thought he was home free until Baloo grabbed him by the arm, saying excitedly, “Ya gotta see these, cuz!”

“Aw, geez...I mean, oh, great,” Louie said with a forced smile.

Kit, slurping on his shake, made himself comfortable. This was going to take a while. Cassie had been Baloo’s favorite ‘toy’ for the past week. He wondered when the novelty was going to wear off.

Baloo proudly displayed picture after picture of Cassie, most of which were only slightly different. “Here she is nappin’. An’ ain’t this cute? She’s sleepin’. The Sandman’s visitin’ her in this one. An’ it’s beddy-bye for Cassie here. There’s the teddy bear that Kit an’ Molly got her beside her there. In this shot, she’s wearin’ the outfit I got her. It hangs off her now, but, man, she’s growin’. Gets bigger every day.”

Louie laughed, pointing to a photograph of Baloo in the hammock, Cassie on his chest. The big bear had a wide grin on his face. “Look at proud papa! Ha, ha, fuzzy! She’s got you wrapped around her little finger.”

“You better believe it. Dig this one where’s she’s snoozin’ on my lap.”

“She’s not the only one snoozin’,” Louie chuckled.

“This is one of my favs. All three kids at the hospital on Cassie’s B-day. Becky’s thinkin’ of gettin’ that one blown up an’ framed. Speakin’ of Beckers, here’s one of her an’ Cassie. Ain’t they a purdy pair?”

Thirty minutes later...

“This here’s the last one.”

Louie, chin wearily propped in his hands and a glassy look in his eyes, murmured a thankful, “Hallelujah!”

“She’s lookin’ straight at the camera. Get a load of those bee-you-ti-ful big brown eyes.” Baloo began folding the picture holder back up. “Wanna do another run-through?”

The big ape stifled a yawn behind a white towel. “Maybe some other time, cuz.”

“Since I’m here, ya might as well look at ‘em again.” Baloo opened it to the first picture.

A petrified expression appeared on Louie’s face almost as if he had been shoved into a barrel full of anchovies. “Well, ya really don’t hafta...save ‘em for some other sucker...uh, I mean lucky person.”

With a covert wink at Louie, Kit made a big production of checking his watch. “Wow! Oh, boy! Gee whiz! Look at the time, Papa Bear. We need to get home to Mom and Molly and Cassie.”

Being towed out of the nightclub by his son, Baloo threw over his shoulder, “I’ll bring ya some new pics next time, pal. I took four more rolls a coupla days ago.”

Louie smiled tightly. “Can’t wait, Baloo.” After the door swung shut, his chin slipped from his hands, landing with a ‘thump’ on the bar. “More shots? Shoot me now!”

Meanwhile
Higher for Hire

Molly, garbed as Danger Woman, scowled with all her might at Cassie in her bassinet. In the eight-year-old’s opinion, the baby was a usurper, trying to take her place and doing a wonderful job of it. “I don’t like you,” she whispered, glancing over at her mother to see if she had overheard.

Rebecca continued to rummage through the filing cabinet.

“Everybody likes you better than me. Daddy and Mommy and Kit and even Wildcat. Piggy baby! Hogging Mom and Daddy. I never get to sit on their laps anymore, ‘cause you’re always there.”

Cassie yawned and her eyelids drooped.

Molly prodded the baby none-too-gently in the chest, causing the startled infant to open her eyes. “You listen when your big sister tells you something, kid! Know what? I don’t think you’re as stupid as you look. You know what you’re doing. Just wait ‘til you get bigger. Then you won’t be so cute.”

“Having a nice chat with Cassie?” Rebecca asked as she sidled past the bassinet with an armful of folders.

“Yes, Mommy. Danger Woman’s having a nice chat with her,” Molly said in a sing-song voice, smiling innocently. As soon as Rebecca’s back was turned, she glowered at the baby. “But I’m not!”

“Want to hold her, Molly? You don’t get to hold her very much.”

Molly stuck her tongue out at the infant before replying with a resigned sigh, “If I hafta, I’ll hold her.”

“Go sit down, Pumpkin.”

As if she was going to her own execution, Molly trudged to the easy chair and sat down. Rebecca propped a pillow under Molly’s left arm and handed the baby to her.

“Oh, isn’t she cute, Molly, with her little curls?” Rebecca adjusted the violet bow in Cassie’s hair. “Aren’t they darling?”

“Yeah, yeah...” Molly muttered after her mother returned to her desk. She was beginning to hate the word ‘cute’. A trillion times a day, everyone - even total strangers - said that Cassie was cute. Cute, cute, cute. Next time someone says ‘cute’ , I’m gonna scream! “You’re not that cute. You’re loud and smelly and messy - stuff that Mom hates. How come she likes you so much?”

Hearing Molly’s low, scornful grumbling, Rebecca looked up from her paperwork. She noticed that Molly was frowning at Cassie. “What’s wrong, honey?”

“Nuthin’,” Molly spat. Sotto voce, she said, “Everything’s perfect if you’re Cassie.”

“Does she need to be changed?”

“No,” Molly said brusquely. Sorrowful tears welled up in her eyes.

“Then what’s wrong, Molly?” Rebecca crossed the room and perched on the arm of the chair. She gently brushed a hand through Molly’s golden hair. “Come on, you can tell Mommy.”

Molly opened her mouth to speak and...

“Hi-ho, everybody!” Baloo burst through the door, followed by Kit. “It’s finally stopped rainin’.”

“Dinner ready, Mom? I’m starving.” He hurried up to the bathroom.

“Almost, Kit.”

When her father approached her, Molly’s eyes lit up. Someone was going to pay attention to her after all. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Hey, Button-nose,” he said absently. Baloo scooped Cassie up in his arms. “How’s Daddy’s little cutie pie? Man, yer cute!”

Molly let out a stifled shriek and ran outside.

“Great, Baloo. Just great,” Rebecca retorted, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“What’d I do wrong now, Becky?”

Rebecca threw up her hands in exasperation. “You did everything wrong!”

“What else is new?” Baloo muttered sullenly. “Just got home an’ already she’s breathin’ down my neck. ‘Course that ain’t new either.”

She sighed. “I’m not breathing down your neck. I think Molly’s jealous of Cassie.”

“Why? Who could be jealous of this little sweetheart?” He repeatedly smooched Cassie’s round cheeks.

“Engage the brain, flyboy. How would you feel if someone took your place as the littlest?”

“Don’t think I’ve ever been this little, Beckers,” Baloo chuckled, “even when I was little.”

Rebecca peered out the window at her daughter. Molly stood on the edge of the seawall, stormily hurling stones into the harbor. “This is all my fault. I should have realized sooner...if only I had paid more attention to Molly.” She opened the window and was going to call her daughter in to have a little chat when...

Wildcat happened along, whistling. “Hey, Molly.”

“Hi,” Molly said quietly. SPLASH!

Rebecca anxiously watched and listened from the window, hoping that Wildcat could get through to Molly when she couldn’t. In his own simple way, the mechanic had a special rapport with her daughter.

“Playing torpedo, Mollycat?” Wildcat asked amiably, setting down his toolbox. He noticed her attire. “Oops, sorry, Danger Woman.”

“No.” SPLASH!

“Hey, you sunk my battleship!” laughed Wildcat, clapping his paws. “Evasive action! Abandon ship! Women and mechanics first.”

“Wildcat...” Molly said, not looking at him. SPLASH! “Do you think I’m cute?”

He rummaged around in his toolbox and pulled out a wrench. “Cute as a lollipop and twice as sweet.”

SPLASH! “Who do you like better - me or Cassie?” Molly spit out ‘Cassie’ almost as if it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“I like you both the same.”

“You’re the only one.” Molly hugged his legs, big tears welling up in her eyes. “Everyone else likes Cassie better, ‘cause she’s

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