Diagnoses… probably a twenty-four hour bug. Test showed nothing. No mucus build up in the lungs or anything else of that nature. Maybe fatigue from spending the day out in the sun at the beach. We all were a little run down from our outing.

I pulled into the drive and turned off the car. Evan slept in Bette’s lap while Bette herself was also asleep. I ran my hand down her cheek feeling her lean into my palm.

“We’re home, babe,” I whispered.

“Hhhmmm.”

“We’re home,” I repeated.

I watched as my wife yawned and somehow stretched in the limited space of the car. Her eyes opened wide as they always did when first waking up. Her pupils dilated blinked away sleep as she focused on my face.

“Beautiful.”

“Excuse me?” I asked fully knowing what she meant but needing to hear it.

“You’re beautiful,” she repeated.

I remained quite after her words, realizing I needed to hear them. In the rush of marrying Bette and becoming an instant family with Evan, I was becoming placid in our everyday life and quickly losing myself in our family. I needed to find myself before I lost myself completely. And that one simple word sighing out of her mouth brought back the reason I fell her love with her. She made me feel like I was the breath she needed to survive.

After the silent moment, I suggested going into the house to sleep the remainder of the night away.

“I don’t think I can make it up the stairs, right now,” Bette yawned again.

“C’mon, I’ll carry you,” I smiled.

“Then who’ll carry her?” Bette asked motioning to the sleeping girl in her lap.

“I haven’t figured that part out yet,” I laughed.

We sat there a another minute in silence and then she began to speak.

“I’m sorry, Tee. I never meant to imply you’re an important part of her life. Our life. I honestly didn’t realize I was doing that.”

“I know you didn’t,” I interrupted.

“I promise not to do it again.”

“Babe, don’t promise me anything right now but your love…okay?” I asked taking her hand.

“My love forever,” she promised.

*****

I rolled over to the sun shining in my eyes and a hand slapping my face.

“*****,” I whispered from the feel of the sting.

I slowly lifted the hand off my cheek and returned it to the side of it’s owner. Evan was sandwiched between Bette and me, snoring loudly… almost drowning out her mother’s snores. I could do nothing but laugh.

“Tina, what’s so funny,” her voice slurred with sleep.

“The two of you having a snore off,” I chuckled again.

“I don’t snore,” she whined.

“Oh yes you do, babe.”

“I do not,” she said defiantly.

I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t going to argue over something some tedious.

“Bette, what time is it?” I asked just thinking about it.

“11:39,” she answered reading her watch.

“11:39,” I repeated.

“11:39!” she screamed.

“Mommy?”

“I forgot about work!” she yelled jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom.

“Bette, calm down. It’s just work. Call them and tell them that you have a family emergency,” I said sitting up.

Evan began to wake, stretching and yawning.

“Hey munchkin.”

Her eyes snapped over to me and she smiled.

“Hi, Mom.”

She climbed into my lap and snuggled into my chest.

“Feeling better, sweetie?”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded.

“Good, I’m glad.”

I hugged her close.

“Why is Mommy screaming?”

“She’s crazy, that’s why,” I laughed.

“I heard that,” Bette said walking back into the room.

Bette sat by my hip and pulled Evan against her. She held her for a long time before looking at me. I could tel that last night scared her as it had me. In a sense, we almost lost her. I reached out and caressed her face. Everything was okay.

“Anybody else hungry?” she smiled.

“Starving,” I answered.

“You’re not going to work, Mommy?”

“No, not today. Today is a Mommy and me day,” Bette declared.

“Mommies and me day,” Evan corrected.

*****