"Mommy, what's tomorrow?" Willow Grace Schuester, age 5, looked up at her mother while walking down the canned food aisle.
"What do you mean sweetie?" April studied the cans of corn and quickly pulled the cheapest one from the shelf.
"Like, what is it?"
"I'm not following, baby." April stopped and pulled the cart backwards as she turned on her heel, holding her hand out for Willow to grab. Walking a little further, Willow grabbed a hold of the cart and stopped it. She climbed up, into the cart and sat down. April sighed and threw two plates of milk chocolate into the cart.
"Ms Craig always says 'we'll do it tomorrow, Willow' or 'Let's talk about it again tomorrow' but I never know what she means because she never does. Doesn't she know it's not nice to lie, mommy?" Willow looked down, and April's heart broke a little for her daughter. Teachers at Lima's elementary school weren't used to a child with Willow's curiosity and intelligence at such a young age.
"Tomorrow is the day after today. The day that starts when you're sleeping."
"Duh, mommy, I know that." Willow pondered a little more, as April walked quickly towards the fruit section. "But… what is it? What's special about it if we have to do everything on tomorrow?"
"You know what baby, you're right. You know what tomorrow is? Tomorrow is a promise and an expectation."
"Epxceptation?" Willow struggled with the word.
"Ex-pectation. It means that you're waiting for it. Tomorrow is kind of magical, because everything can happen. It's hopeful, it's optimistic, but you know what? You can't live your life by it, because you'll miss out on so much, so many beautiful, wonderful things. If you do everything tomorrow, then you'll never do it because there's always a tomorrow. Today there's a tomorrow, tomorrow there's another tomorrow after it. You see where I'm going with this?" Willow nodded as April smiled.
"You know what daddy told me once? He said; 'April, I promise you that I'll always love you more tomorrow.'" The memory of their wedding day made April smile. Besides a day fourteen months earlier, it had been the happiest day of her life.
"He did?"
"Yeah." April was grateful Willow didn't yet know the circumstances around her birth.
"Why?"
"Because he'll love me, and you, more and more every day. Always."
"I like that, mommy." Willow picked up April's purse and grabbed her water bottle. April muttered "me too" as she reached for a bag of frozen rolls. "So what does tomorrow mean?"
"Willow, let me tell you something. Do you remember a little while ago, daddy and I told you that you were special, so you have to be patient with your friends and your teachers?"
"Anna's special too, her mommy said so."
"Well, that's the thing, you're all special, but you're special in a different way. A very good way. It'll make your life so much better, sweetheart. Sometimes people are just different, but that doesn't make it a bad thing, it just makes it different. You wanna know another thing? I love you, no matter how you are."
"Even if I had four heads?"
"I would kiss every one of your heads goodnight. So, my superextraspecial girl, what do you want for dinner? Chicken or salmon?" April leaned over the frozen food container, looking at the selection.
"Mac and cheese?" Willow said, hopeful.
"Salmon. I'll make it with that sauce you like so much, and brussel sprouts. Cheap and healthy, which is exactly what your daddy – Mr. 'I'm-Up-For-Anything' needs." April threw a bag of frozen brussel sprouts and another of salmon filets into the cart. Willow meticulously arranged them against the sides of the cart.
"Daddy doesn't like brussel sprouts, mommy."
"Let mommy teach you a lesson, baby girl. You don't know this yet, but you will in 30 years. When your husband keeps you up all night so you have to go see meet first voice lesson client of the day looking like Luciano Pavarotti on a bad day, he gets brussel sprouts for dinner." April's voice was filled partly with frustration, partly with the joy of vengence.
"I think you always look pretty, mama."
"Thank you, baby." April leaned over and grabbed the bag of potato chips from her daughters hands before kissing her forehead.
"Why did daddy keep you up? Doesn't he know mommies need sleep too?"
"I think he does know, sweetie, but sometimes daddies need to - release energy."
"Release denergy?"
"Yep. Daddy has a lot of energy. All the time. Even when mommy is tired and wants to go to sleep." The part of April that wasn't half asleep in the aisle remembered Will's hands seducing her as she was drifting asleep, convincing her to stay awake.
"Mommy, can we tell him today?"
"Maybe. If I can find the right time, and if he hasn't seen the storage of chocolate in the bathroom already. Your aunties and uncles need to learn how to keep their traps shut. Shouldn't have done it with Aunt Rachel in the next room."
"Grandpa says they're lipped-loose."
"Loose-lipped." April chuckled. "They're very loose-lipped."
"Uncle Kurt said 'if it's a girl, you can be the next Duds.' Mommy, what's a dud?"
"I think he meant Judds. They're singers, baby."
"So are you mommy! Can we be the next Duds? Can Uncle Kurt come?"
"We'll see. Maybe tomorrow." She winked and Willow squirmed.
"I like it when you're just my mommy."
"That's my favorite thing in world to be, baby girl. Let's get home, show daddy who's boss." She placed her groceries on the register belt, chuckling at the sight of her daughter, climbing out of the cart and standing by the end of the register.
"You are, mommy." Willow said, making her mother smile and thank heavenly powers for the family her husband had given her. She rubbed her stomach tenderly, the hint of swelling forming underneath her top and she felt assured that whatever came next she would be ok, because tomorrow would always seem promising.