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Description
The light shining through the open window, past the old green curtains, is enough to brighten the entire room, and then some, but still he sleeps.
Dust motes float and dance as I breathe over his skin, twirling and spinning, and they catch the light in a way that calms me, just like the heart beating steadily beneath my cheek.
Right now, Carrie and Ed are sleeping down the hall, and a small smile finds it's way to my face as I think about them.
Gently, I trail my fingers across Daniel's bare chest, over the scar on his side, and as I feel the raised flesh, my smile falls.
"Hey..." he whispers, and I jolt. I didn't know he was awake. I should have figured it out, by now, that almost every morning is the same, but I'm still getting used to it.
Lifting my head slowly, I meet his eyes, and the love I see there still scares me a little.
"'Morning," I whisper back.
"Good morning," he smiles, and reaches up to caress my cheek. "You okay?"
I don't respond, as usual, until I rest my head on his chest again. He knows the answer before I say it, but still I say it anyway. Somehow, it comforts him, and that is as important to me as I am to him. I trace the words on his skin with my finger, and continue to do so when I've spoken them.
"Better than yesterday."
And it's the truth.
Slowly but surely, my life has improved, and I have him to thank for that.
We lay silently for a few minutes before we hear the telltale creak of Ed and Carrie's bedroom door being dragged open.
"How much are you willing to bet they aren't up yet?" Daniel asks, and the chuckle he lets out as our door slowly opens reverberates through both our bodies before we feign sleep.
"'Mornin'!" a familiar pair of voices scream, and the bed dips and moves beneath the weight of the children. "Mummy, daddy, uppy!"
Daniel pretends to yawn as I drag a pillow over my head, but it disappears quickly as Ed grabs hold of it.
"Mummy!" he screams, bouncing happily. I wince a little when Carrie's knee hits my forehead as she scrambles up her father's chest, but sit up nonetheless, pulling the bundle of fun that is my baby boy into my lap.
"'Mornin', Eddie."
My chest tightens a little as I see his smile, so familiar to the brief one I saw on his Uncle's face a lifetime ago, but I'm used to it by now, and I smile in return.
Carrie bounces on Daniel's legs, causing the bed to jolt a little, and asks loudly, "Has pancakes for b'ek'ast?"
Ed's eyes light up in excitement, and Daniel smiles. "Yeah! Can we have pancakes for brekky? Please mummy?"
I chuckle a little at his obvious enthusiasm, but I nod. It's Saturday, and Saturday is pancake day.
"Yay, pancakes!" my children chorus, and as fast as they appeared, they are gone.
"Look after your sister!" Daniel calls after them. "And watch the stairs!"
We hear the telltale thump of Ed jumping down the first step to help his sister, and my eyes get a little teary eyed as I turn back to Daniel.
"Thank you," I tell him, as I do, every day.
Daniel just smiles, because he understands by now, and wipes the tears from my cheeks before pulling himself out of bed.
"Come on," he orders, handing me his favourite shirt so I have something to wear over my singlet. "It's your turn to cook."

Description
The light shining through the open window, past the old green curtains, is enough to brighten the entire room, and then some, but still he sleeps.
Dust motes float and dance as I breathe over his skin, twirling and spinning, and they catch the light in a way that calms me, just like the heart beating steadily beneath my cheek.
Right now, Carrie and Ed are sleeping down the hall, and a small smile finds it's way to my face as I think about them.
Gently, I trail my fingers across Daniel's bare chest, over the scar on his side, and as I feel the raised flesh, my smile falls.
"Hey..." he whispers, and I jolt. I didn't know he was awake. I should have figured it out, by now, that almost every morning is the same, but I'm still getting used to it.
Lifting my head slowly, I meet his eyes, and the love I see there still scares me a little.
"'Morning," I whisper back.
"Good morning," he smiles, and reaches up to caress my cheek. "You okay?"
I don't respond, as usual, until I rest my head on his chest again. He knows the answer before I say it, but still I say it anyway. Somehow, it comforts him, and that is as important to me as I am to him. I trace the words on his skin with my finger, and continue to do so when I've spoken them.
"Better than yesterday."
And it's the truth.
Slowly but surely, my life has improved, and I have him to thank for that.
We lay silently for a few minutes before we hear the telltale creak of Ed and Carrie's bedroom door being dragged open.
"How much are you willing to bet they aren't up yet?" Daniel asks, and the chuckle he lets out as our door slowly opens reverberates through both our bodies before we feign sleep.
"'Mornin'!" a familiar pair of voices scream, and the bed dips and moves beneath the weight of the children. "Mummy, daddy, uppy!"
Daniel pretends to yawn as I drag a pillow over my head, but it disappears quickly as Ed grabs hold of it.
"Mummy!" he screams, bouncing happily. I wince a little when Carrie's knee hits my forehead as she scrambles up her father's chest, but sit up nonetheless, pulling the bundle of fun that is my baby boy into my lap.
"'Mornin', Eddie."
My chest tightens a little as I see his smile, so familiar to the brief one I saw on his Uncle's face a lifetime ago, but I'm used to it by now, and I smile in return.
Carrie bounces on Daniel's legs, causing the bed to jolt a little, and asks loudly, "Has pancakes for b'ek'ast?"
Ed's eyes light up in excitement, and Daniel smiles. "Yeah! Can we have pancakes for brekky? Please mummy?"
I chuckle a little at his obvious enthusiasm, but I nod. It's Saturday, and Saturday is pancake day.
"Yay, pancakes!" my children chorus, and as fast as they appeared, they are gone.
"Look after your sister!" Daniel calls after them. "And watch the stairs!"
We hear the telltale thump of Ed jumping down the first step to help his sister, and my eyes get a little teary eyed as I turn back to Daniel.
"Thank you," I tell him, as I do, every day.
Daniel just smiles, because he understands by now, and wipes the tears from my cheeks before pulling himself out of bed.
"Come on," he orders, handing me his favourite shirt so I have something to wear over my singlet. "It's your turn to cook."