It was true that Daddy did his best to occupy us. He took us to shows and on trips and even permitted us to attend his parties sometimes. If he ever invited a woman to dinner, we were all there at the table as well.
Whoever she was, she was always impressed with our manners and our polite and informed conversation. More than one of his dates said something like,
"You're raising them by yourself better than most couples raise their children."
"You simply nurture what's already in them," Daddy would tell them.
"You give it room to grow, to breathe. You have patience. It's like this wonderful wine," he would say, looking at the decanted wine.
"If you don't rush it, it will be smooth, the flavors full."
