Sunday Nap

Mike: Ethan, how about taking a rest this afternoon? You must be tired.

Ethan: Dad, I don't think I'm going to rest.

Mike: Ethan, we'd really like it if you slept all night long and in your own bed. I know you like to cuddle Mommy, but you need to sleep all night. And you sleep better at night if you nap during the day.

Ethan: Will Mommy cuddle with me?

A few moments later, Ethan and I are under the covers in our bed. He's got his two bunnies and Georgia (the small stuffed monkey). I've got my magazine. We chat a bit, I read a little, and then we roll over. This is how he likes to fall asleep, facing each other, holding hands, noses almost touching. He looks at me, all Hershey chocolate eyes, and says, "The thing is Mom, well, Bakugan brawlers never sleep." I smile, run my fingers through his hair, and try to remember exactly how the moment feels. I'm sure that soon enough my littlest boy won't want to cuddle and hold hands with his Mommy on a gray winter Sunday afternoon. So I have to wrap this memory up tight.