Through the Glass

A sudden splash echoed nearby, and... and my ears shot straight up, twitching in terror. I pressed both hands and my nose hard against our glass wall, staring across the counter. The other little jar was having clear liquid poured inside, but the little baby perched quickly atop a floating dry scrap of paper napkin! It bobbed softly, its wide black eyes blinking through the wet glass without sinking. My shivering chest let out a tiny, breathless wheeze of relief. Turning around to the four babies tumbling around my ankles, I gathered them tightly into our warm nest of dry paper ribbons, keeping them calm while we watched the gentle ripples settle safely.