Gaze Quote by Renee Carlino
““She cupped my face. “Wilbur, you are so sexy when you’re not pretending to be an eighties butt-rocker.” “You know what’s not sexy?” “What?” she said on a breath between laying kisses on my cheek. “June pooping on the floor.” Mia jumped off my lap and darted over to the kitchen, screeching in her highest voice. “No, no, no, Juney.” She caught our little puppy mid-poop and picked her up, held her arms out and screamed, “What do I do?” There was no way Mia would be able to get June outside without leaving a trail of poop in her wake. “Put her over the toilet!” I followed her as she ran down the hallway and into our tiny bathroom at the end. She held the squirming puppy over the toilet until the doggie business was complete. Setting June on the ground, she glanced up at me, frowned, and then mumbled, “I’m gonna be a terrible mother.” I helped her up and then stood behind her at the sink as she washed her hands. “No, you’re going to be perfect.” I smirked when she looked at me in the mirror. “You did exactly the right thing. First you screamed and charged at her with your arms flailing around, and then you basically held her by the neck while you ran around in a circle yelling. That is exactly what you will probably do if the same situation happens to play out with one of our babies.” “Thanks a lot.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Unspecified contemporary fiction, 2020s
A partner comforts a nervous new mother by normalizing her panic and affirming her competence despite a chaotic pet incident.
In simple terms: Support reassures a new mother during a stressful moment.
Offer calm reassurance and humor in crisis.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- new mother dealing with baby care
- pet accidents
- first-time parenting
- relationship support
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can humor help in high‑stress parenting moments?
- What other supports can new parents rely on?
The anecdote may oversimplify complex parenting challenges and ignore professional help.