Great Aunt Jan got to feed Henry
tiny bits of avocado off her salad
the other day, lunching with

Henry’s second cousin and his
grandma, his seven tiny teeth
barely grazing my finger,

which, his grandma (my sister)
tells me, is unusual, given that
he can really chomp on

finger foods. And I remembered
doing the same with his mama
as a little one, these California

babies perhaps born to the avo’s
unusual taste and texture, his
big eyes never leaving mine

as he gently tongued avocado
from my finger into his mouth,
leaving Great Aunt Jan charmed

and slimy, in that order.