This happened

Lately, the babies in the grocery store have been noticing me. It used to be I'd see them in strollers, passed out, head slumped to the side, suckling on a rubber pacifier, spearheading the charge for the worn out mom or dad following behind, pushing and steering, parent as both navigator and motor. Those babies never noticed me. But lately, the babies I've run across at the grocery store are alert and riding high in the grocery cart.

Last week, I was walking past the lunch meat cooler. And a baby was resting atop the cart in one of those portable baby bed buckets looking around. Mom was gone elsewhere. When the baby saw me look at him, he made a face. So I made a face back at him. The baby made another face. So I made another face. This went on for a short while. It was fun. I kept back a respectful distance, but eventually, I heard a throat clearing noise behind me. It was mom. I turned, surprised that I'd gotten side-tracked from my own shopping, stammered to the mom that "He started it," and turned and walked away.