I awoke with a start. Something was shaking the bed vigorously. "Levi, what is it buddy?" I whispered into the darkness, searching for the outline of my faithful golden retriever. Suddenly, a small blond head popped up from the foot of the bed.
"Mommy, I had a bad dream." My youngest child signed. I was grateful that he was so aware that I couldn't read his lips in the dim light.
"Come on, you can sleep with me." I pulled him up to lie down next to me. He wiggled into the covers.
"I love you mommy." He signed again. I smiled at the simple sign, one of the first he had learned.
"I love you too." I signed back. He closed his eyes, and as he drifted off to sleep, I thought about his father. His hair was almost black, it was so dark, and his eyes were a pale shade of brown. In his kind attitude toward people, the way he was determined not to be swayed by others (which was often a bad thing for a six year old), he was exactly like his father. I felt my eyes begin to sting as I thought of him.
"Mommy, I can't sleep. Can I sleep with you?"The dark eyes of my eight year old girl locked with mine as she tried to get my attention.
"Of course sweetie." I said, making room for her on the other side of me. She let out a small squeal of delight as she jumped into bed. She was the most like me of my children. She looked more like her father, with her dark hair and eyes. But everyday, she amazed me with her kindness, her unwavering faith, and her general goodwill toward everyone, even people no one else would be kind to.
"What's going on in here?" My oldest daughter signed as she came into the room, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She was the perfect mixture of my husband and I. She had dark brown hair and blue eyes, and a helping, loving attitude we had both instilled in her.
"It's a party." I whispered, trying not to disturb my sleeping son. "Come on in." I said, patting the space next to my son.
As I sat between my three darling children, I smiled with happiness. They were my whole world. Michelle, Shayla, and little Liam. My two girls leaned over to kiss me, one on each cheek, and signed I love you in unison. They smiled and slipped under the covers. As I thought through my life, this was the happiest moment of it all. I had tears in my eyes as I marveled of the miracle of my wonderful children. And the only thing that could make it better would be if the love of my life, my husband, Jack Hudson could be there to share it with us.
Unfortunately, he's been gone for nearly six years.