by Dan Dillard
*****
She colors with two crayons while we wait on our food. What can you do really with two crayons? There isn’t much conversation, but I take great joy from watching her as she carefully traces the picture of a cat wearing pirate garb. She colors it gently, almost imperceptibly on the page. A mere sixty minutes later, all thoughts of the phantom pig dude are history, our bellies are full, and I am relaxed after our nice outing. Before long, we’re home and once again, it’s time to brush teeth, all but the one that’s missing.
Once she is settled in, I wash my face and check the alarm clock.
Daddy will be home tomorrow.
I hold a little less contempt for him and I read until I doze off. I sleep restlessly. Every so often I rouse to see 10 or 15 minutes has ticked off the clock. The dog snorts and sniffs. Obviously he’s irritated that I keep changing position and I consider punting him across the room, but that would take too much energy. My eyelids grow heavy and yawns come larger and longer and finally...
