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Me and Miss Emily<br />
Episode 1: A Rough Start<br />
By Mike Calore<br />
It’s been 9 months since I met Emily, my girlfriend’s big-cheeked,<br />
blue-eyed daughter. I’d never seriously dated anyone with a<br />
child; I was never really crazy about kids anyway. Most I’d ever<br />
come across were more full of awkwardness than personality.<br />
But Emily’s uniqueness has and continues to change my world.<br />
Before Emily, the only time I’d ever watched a child was the day<br />
when my brother’s army-roommate: Skrapka’s child was handed to me<br />
like a chore by his estranged wife. I was staying in Mark’s room over<br />
Christmas 2002; I’d just gotten to Fort Riley, and had no real amenities<br />
to speak of, so my brother kindly offered his barracks room while he<br />
was on leave. Skrapka hadn’t gone on leave over Christmas, but seldom<br />
stayed in the room.<br />
This particularly quiet night was interrupted by a strong knock<br />
at the door. Because I wasn’t technically supposed to be in the room<br />
anyway, I was already nervous, but this became confusion when I saw<br />
a woman holding a child at the doorway. She became irritated at my<br />
puzzled look when she asked for Tony.<br />
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