#Chapter 45: Crawling Back

It has been a very, very long first week of work. By the time 6pm rolls around, I’m ready crawl into a hot bath with a glass of red wine and a good book, and forget about life for a while. But, as a mom, that desire gets placed on hold, because the first thing I both need and want to do is visit my daughters. After gathering my things and leaving the office, I drive to the house and walk through the door. Iris and Violet are both sitting on the bottom stair, facing the door. When they see me, they bounce to their feet and come running. “Mommy!” I open my arms wide and we embrace in a three-person hug. Two pieces that have been missing from my heart immediately slot back into place. “What would you like to do today?” I ask. “Do you want to play a board game?” “How long are you going to stay?” Iris asks. “As long as you want me to stay,” I tell her. Violet hugs me tighter. “Stay forever.” Just like that, my newly reshaped heart cracks right down the middle. I gently p