Ah…

It is very cozy having my daughter home. 

I LOVE IT!

It was after one in the morning when we finally all went to bed last night.  I was sleepy, but I didn’t want to miss anything.  You know, all the fun mom/daughter stuff like getting her set up with a plate of food and sitting on the sofa, all of us talking, watching her eat. 

There is something so comforting for me, watching my children eat.  A kick-back to when they were small, with their little bird mouths opening up, the surprised expression when they tasted something new, and then the very easy to read, expression of yes-that-was-yummy, or yech-what-the-hell-was-that?!  Too young to talk, but really, words weren’t necessary.

My daughter really is grown.  A woman now.  Talking about life, the world, teaching.  The fire dancing behind the cast iron grate, warming the room.  And me, Don and Will, gathering around Emily, an exotic bird that has flown in from far off places, and has, to our good fortune, alighted on our sofa.  Different from her worldly experiences, but familiar as well.

So, happy she’s home.

And when Don and Will return from his doctor’s appointment, we’ll all go into town and do a little tiny modicum of Christmas shopping and then meet up with one of Emily’s friends for dinner.  Then they’ll go off and we’ll come home, crawl into our beds and go to sleep.

Oh hey, and guess what else is really sweet.  With this cold weather snap, I’ve been sort of colder than usual, and Don, bless his soul, has taken it into his mind that it is important for him to protect me from the cold sheets. 

So, for the last three nights, when I come into our bedroom from brushing my teeth, there he is, lying stiff as a board, under the blankets, face, fists clenched, lying on my side of the bed, getting it warm, no squeals and shrieks like when I slide between those cold sheets.  Not a peep out of him, because he’s big and brave and taking it like a man, warming my sheets for me. 

And when I approach my side of the bed, he slides over to his side, to the cold side and tries not to let me see that he’s having to suck his breath in quick and contain his jaw so his teeth don’t clatter.

Pretty easy to see why I love him.  Who wouldn’t?

Posted by Meg Tilly on Friday, December 19, 2008 in Chewing the Fat