Friday 8 pm
She's still sleeping.
I'm almost afraid of waking her.
But she said two hours.
Two hours it is.
Two hours that I've spent pacing in the kitchen
The Dojo
Even outside.
So I wouldn't disturb her.
My sweet Emma.
I make another pot of tea.
I don't know what to make for her dinner
So I'll wait on that.
I knock lightly on the door to her room.
My heart stops briefly.
She doesn't answer.
I open the door slowly so it doesn't squeak.
In the dim light I watch her sleep,
Peacefully sleeping.
"Emma?" I softly call.
A smile creeps across her face
And she rolls up on her side.
"Emma?" I say a little louder.
Her bright blues snap open at my voice.
She pats the bed beside her and moves over.
"Hey!"
"Hey" I say back, suddenly shy.
I hand her the tea.
She perches on the side of the bed and sips the tea.
Blue eyes twinkling over the rim of the cup.
I wait for her.
"So?" she says slowly.
My stomach rumbles.
She laughs.
"Alright, Shal. What's for supper?"
"Whatever you want."
"You didn't eat yet?"
"No, I waited for you."
She shakes her head at some memory.
"What if I'm not hungry?
What would you do then."
This was her serious tone.
I look down, feeling hopeless
And discouraged.
"Shal?
Look at me, Shal."
I look into those blue eyes, full of twinkles again.
I don't hear what she's saying to me.
I'm drowning in blue twinkling eyes.
I shake my head to clear the cobwebs those blue twinkling eyes have put into my head.
She giggles.
She tells me to go fix something, enough for the two of us to share,
But not too much because she isn't really all that hungry.
Just crackers and tea.
She kisses my nose and tells me to go.
She wants to sleep some more until my supper is ready.
She yawns.
I tuck her in and leave her to sleep again,
My sweet, darling Emma.