His Dogness

After supper, Sparkle Girl, Doobins and I went over to a neighbor’s house to play. When we came back, Garnet was sacked out on the couch.

The living room lights were off, so only the fading light coming through the windows lit the room.

Doobins went into his room and returned with the stuffed toy that is his favorite at the moment – a small blue rabbit with really floppy ears. He placed it on the throw pillow that Garnet’s head was on.

Garnet’s naps often end with one of the kids demanding attention in one form or another. So, in hopes of keeping Doobins from waking her up, I offered to read them a book in the other room.

“No,” he said. “I’m going to take care of Mommy.”

And then he proceeded to do just that. He went back into his bedroom and returned with two throws that he carefully placed on her so that they covered her from her feet to her chin. Then he took a seat in the orange crushed-velvet chair opposite the couch.

Are you sure you don’t want to go read a book with us, I asked.

“No,” he said. “I’m just going to sit here and watch Mommy.”

A kid can be infinitely maddening for hours on end and then do something that makes you grateful that, of all the places in the world you could be at this moment, this is where you are.

Sparkle Girl and I went in the other room and read our book while Mr. Doobins sat in the semi-darkness and watched his Mommy.