missing...

a big beautiful boy woke up
his sleep was disturbed
and he wanted his mummy . . .

. . . curling up next to him

on his new big boy bed,

she stroked his hair

and said "night night beautiful boy. it's sleepy time"

"sweet dreams" he whispered back

as he lay his head on the pillow . . .

they both closed their eyes.

she breathed in his baby smell

and wondered when that small baby,

who had smelt just like this,

had gotten so big . . .

. . . every few moments he opened his eyes,

just checking she was still there.

"mummy" he would murmur

and a hand would reach out to touch her face

he rolled . . . 

snuggling in close

so that as much of him 

was cuddled up 

to as much of her as possible . . .

. . . she lay a protective hand on his shoulder

"i love you" she whispered

and he snuggled in even closer still.

. . . she missed him . . .

those long cuddling baby hours

those empty stretches of afternoon just the two of them

she needed this . . . 

. . . and so she squeezed him in a little tighter,

gently stroked his hair

and fought back the tears . . .

sad, missing tears

and happy, loving tears too.

he laced his baby fingers into hers

and in that moment she knew

that he was enjoying this just like she was,

that he didn't want it to end just yet . . .

. . . and that there was nowhere else in the world

that either of them would rather be.