Friday, February 1, 2013

Sleepy Scene

Scene:  interior - messy adult bedroom - 10:30 p.m.

Parents are  watching television. Toddler bumps sleepily into their room with wild, sleep-tossed hair. She stops on her mama's side of the bed. Daddy freezes in the manner of a bunny trying to go unnoticed by a predator - perhaps he is even caught with a potato chip halfway to his mouth.

Lily Ruth: Hi, Mama. Can you open this for me?

Toddler thrusts a closed sippy-cup toward her mother with surprising speed and force. Mother bumblingly catches it.

Mama: Sure, Boo. Is everything o.k.?

Mother opens the cup lid and hands it back to the toddler.

LR: Sure. Yeah.

Toddler spins 180 degrees on a wobbly axis and returns to her room. Parents stare at each other in quiet shock and awe. Daddy resumes potato chip consumption.

Mama: Did she really just leave? Is she going back to bed - her bed - all on her own?

Daddy: Um, maybe...

Parents wait 10 - 20 minutes before creeping in to check on toddler. Child is deeply asleep in her own bed with arms flung wide and legs akimbo. Parents stare at each other in utter confusion - this has never happened before - are they truly free to carry on with their evening? Only time will tell...