Page 82 of Someone to Remember
“Sure is.”
“What’s his name?”
“Luke.”
“What kind of doctor is he?”
“An internist.”
“Very interesting. Four kids, though. That’s a lot.”
I dodge that comment because I’m having lunch with him, not offering to raise his motherless children. “Speaking of kids, how were mine?”
“Delightful as always, even if Miss Maisy avoided bedtime for as long as she could.”
“That’s getting worse all the time. The child can function on very little sleep, which isn’t ideal for her mother, who needs a good eight hours.”
“You’ve been like that since you were a baby. You were my best sleeper.”
“I love sleep. It’s my favorite thing.”
“Remember when you were a teen and I used to wake you up at one o’clock on the days you could sleep in and you were always groggy, even at that hour?”
“Ah, the good old days of sleeping the day away. That’s ancient history now.”
“I’d better get home before Dad comes looking for me.”
“How’s he feeling?” He’s had a terrible cold for more than a week.
“Much better. Not as congested as he was yesterday. He’s eager to get back to being with the kids.”
“They’ve missed him at school pickup.”
“He misses it, too. He’ll be back soon.”
I hug her at the door. “Thank you so much for everything. All the time. Every day. I couldn’t do this without you guys.”
“We love every minute with you and the kids.”
“Just so you know how thankful I am. Not everyone has the kind of support I have, and I never take it for granted. The way you guys uprooted your lives and moved here to help me…”
“Of course we did, sweetheart. It was the best thing we ever did.”
“Thank you.”
She hugs me one more time. “Love you. Love your kids. Loved your Rory. And I love that you have a date with Luke.”
“Don’t tell anyone, okay? I don’t want everyone asking me about it.”
“I won’t say a word. I promise.” With a side-eyed glance, she adds, “As long as you tell me everything.”
“Haha, good night, Mother.”
“Good night, daughter.”
After she drives off, I lock up, shut off the lights and go upstairs to check on my sleeping babies.
I love to run my fingers through their soft hair while they sleep and to kiss their sweet faces. They’re always on the move when they’re awake, so snuggling with Mommy isn’t high on their to-do list.
