What's left of my stomach's finally surrendered after another epic late night battle with what's left of my intestines and I'm now sipping coffee, listening to "Chuck Prophet" music through earbuds by candlelight.
I also have a buzz going.
Lainey, our Dalmatian, has her head resting in my lap.
"Da," I hear out of the corner of my eye.
Che stumbles into the flickering light and falls in my lap, filling the room with a loving glow.
"Why don't you have your Grinch pajamas on?" her muffled voice asks from my lap.
Before going to sleep, our 5 yr old asks Sarah and I wear the matching pajamas we had worn on Christmas morning.
"I forgot," I confess.
"Is Mom wearing hers?"
"I don't know," I lie.
The golden glow of the candle dances in Che's pillow mussed hair still laying on one leg while Lainey's head remains on the other.
"I wanna be with you Da," she says crawling on the sofa beside me.
This is her now, letting me know, in no uncertain terms, how loved I am.
It's Christmas morning all over again at our house.
