Accessories

Shortly after Libby departed for school, Mom handed me my older sister’s Barbie case. Mom instructed me to be exceptionally careful with Libby’s prized doll and attendant wardrobe. She also beseeched me not to disclose our little arrangement to anyone.
Though I did my preschooler best, my fine-motor skills were crude. I especially couldn’t manage Barbie’s teensy accessories—her pink-plastic brush and comb set and her multicolored pumps. All the little pieces just scattered away from me, shooting across the family-room floor and vanishing under the couch. As the dog gnawed on a miniature tennis racquet, I tried frantically to gather everything back up. But it was just too hard.