My daughter turned 12 recently (Happy Birthday, Vivien) which, as any concerned … conscientious … 20th century parent knows, means an annual trip to the pediatrician’s office. I still can’t believe I actually managed to take care of her well visit during her birth month. I don’t think I’ve done that since I used to carry her into the office in my arms. But I promised myself we wouldn’t be racing against the clock to see the doctor, the dentist, the orthodontist, the barber, the shoe salesman, etc. all in the month of August this year. So far I’ve knocked out, well, one … so don’t be too impressed.

Fortunately, all went well and we didn’t need any shots. So it was like Christmas. Or at least Labor Day. But … we still had to wait a while in the waiting room. In the very quiet waiting room. In the very quiet waiting room filled with lots of people we don’t know.

Have I mentioned that Vivien is a normal 12-year-old who dies of embarrassment with just about anything I say loud enough for a stranger to hear? (In her defense, I’ve been known to sing show tunes at full volume while walking through the grocery store. Oh, if only I were kidding.)

So there we sat, side by side in the bolted-to-the-floor, germ-unfriendly hardback chairs next to the oversized aquarium, passing on the Highlights Magazines in favor of our electronics. I was “busy” playing on social media when my phone vibrated with a text from the adorable 12-year-old girl sitting next to me who was tired of waiting her turn to do something she didn’t even want to do.

She’s a funny little monkey so we always have entertaining text correspondence. Even when she’s so close I can reach out and hug her.

This post was created in response to MamaKat’s writing prompt asking for “a recent text exchange that made you laugh.”