It's my first sober Valentine's day. My husband and I were going to feed the kids early and then make a fancy risotto after they were asleep.
But my 2 year old got sick so I have spent the past 24 hours either holding her or cleaning up the various things that are spewing from her. I haven't had a shower. I was up half the night so I kept nodding off this afternoon sitting on the couch under her feverish self. My 4 year old is not sick and he is bored so he watched TV all afternoon.
Adding to that I have some physical issues that are precluding much in the 'romance' department at the moment.
So my husband came home to all this chaos. Unshowered me, smells of God knows what around the place. He had flowers and chocolates and bad Chinese food. And a smile and a hug for all of us.
I sat with my son while he ate nasty frozen fish sticks (his favorite). I ate my bad Chinese. My husband assumed my position in the living room under the sick, sweaty toddler. Wrangling his own gross dinner through her little arms flung around his neck.
I don't know what it says about my life so far that this whole tableau makes me cry with joy and relief. For all the reality and love that's there. I'm HERE. Not 5 drinks in (special occasion!!). Probably even more because I was trapped at home all day.
I'm actually here, with my family.
Some Valentine's Day indeed
