Finally, Friday had come and it was a holiday weekend. I was on my way to pick up Jayden from day car and traffic was crazy! I was already running late, and I was getting more and more stressed with each brake light that I saw in front of me. I finally pulled my Lexus into the center’s parking lot and screeched to a stop, right out front and practically ran inside to get my son.

 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Davies.”

 

“Hey, Mrs. Wilcox, is Jayden ready? I’m kind of in a hurry.” I spoke quickly with the older woman in charge of the center, and she mobilized my tone when she turned her back and went to help Jayden get his things.

 

“Mommy!” Jayden’s small form came running down the hallway towards me, with his arms spread and his bag hanging from his forearm. As he approached me I bent down on my knees and embraced him, lifting him into the air as I stood back up.

 

“Hey honey, how was your day?”

 

“It was awesome! We played trucks in the sandbox and had cookies at snack time and during naptime, Krystal, found a bug and then …” Jayden continued to give me the play by play of his day as I walked us outside and placed him in the car. About halfway home, his stories were finally almost through and he sat in his seat, quieting; looking in my rearview mirror, I saw his eyes fluttering as he was falling asleep.

 

We arrived home and I picked Jayden out of his car seat, not trying to wake him. With his little body over my shoulder, I walked up the steps into the house.

 

“Hey Ash!” Spencer called to me from the kitchen but I heard her footsteps walking towards us.

“Hey Jay – oh! Oops, sorry!”  Spencer lowered her voice when she noticed Jayden asleep on my shoulder. I laughed a little at her concern and guilt.

 

“Don’t worry, Spence, I don’t think he even heard you. Just let me put him into bed, ok? I’ll be right back.” I smiled at her and took Jayden up to bed; after a few minutes of getting him changed and ready for bed, I walked back downstairs to Spencer.

 

I walked over to her in the living room and wrapped my arms securely around her waist, “Now, where was I?” I asked smiling coyly.

 

“Well, ‘hey Ash’, was where I left off.”  Spencer replied playfully.

 

“Oh, that’s right … hey baby.” I smiled into her as I reached a hand around her neck, pulling her close to me and kissing her strongly. When we parted I moved a strand of hair that had gone astray back behind her ear and continued to look into her eyes.

 

“You’re so beautiful.” I was still staring, getting lost in her eyes and Spencer was now staring back up at me, her gaze soft. As her eyes twinkled, I felt a shiver go up my spine and I instinctively wrapped my arms tighter around her waist, pulling her body even closer into mine. I kissed her forehead and held her, letting time pass. It wasn’t until I felt her breathe that I realized I hadn’t been. So, I took a deep breath and released her from my arms, as to return her to the world. When I did, she just looked at me smiling.

 

“Wow, what was that for, Ash?”

 

“Nothing in particular, just a reminder.”

 

“A reminder of what?”

 

“Of how amazing it feels to hold you to myself.”