A Silly Mommy Thing
(A Real Life Story using the challenge words: spaghetti, sidewalk, paper,
tears)
When my daughter still lived at home, our work schedules
often ran opposite. When I worked the night shift, she worked days. When I
worked days, she worked nights. But every once in a while we’d be home at the
same time.
Several years ago when I was still a visiting nurse I’d be out hitting the
sidewalk and driving around to see my patients all day long. My daughter, the
detective, serves, protects and detects at all hours of the day or night
especially when on a difficult case.
It was one of those rare occasions when the planets aligned, when my daughter
and I were about to occupy the same space at the same time (sort of.)
I came home after work, rather tired, my nursing bag hanging from one shoulder
and a tote bag filled with paper, pens and notes hanging from the other. As I
opened the side door I could see my darling daughter in the kitchen standing at
the stove. I dumped my stuff on the floor and went inside to greet her. She
said, “Hi Mommy!” in her daughter voice which is about an octave and a half
higher than her cop voice. I could tell she was very tired as well.
We kissed each other’s cheek and talked nonsense for a few minutes as she slowly
stirred a pot that contained her favorite childhood snack. I knew from the look
on her face that her snack was about to become her dinner. I turned to go to my
room; my only thought was to get out of my uniform and then tackle my own
dinner.
As I walked away something made me look back at my daughter quietly heating up
her Chef Boyardee Spaghetti with mini meatballs. And then it hit me, one of
those silly mommy things. The one that brings smiles and tears. The one that
swells my heart with a whole lot of pride but with a nagging touch of fear.
Because there was my first born, my little girl, heating up her can of spaghetti
while holstered to her hip was her big black glock.
-end-