Good morning, Peanut.
He's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, wide-awake and ready to roll. Coffee is on a tray in front of him. Two cups. I smell Baileys. Also on the tray are two of the cinnamon rolls I made a couple of days ago. I thought they were all gone.
They are, I hid these ones beforehand.
You've been planning breakfast in bed?
I don't know. I've been doing something though. While you've been slinging mud, half-asleep.
I'm sorry, Locket.
If I don't give you something that helps you sleep you won't sleep at all and then it's like you're a tennis ball, bouncing all over the place, smacking into the hard walls all around you and you wind up bruised and demoralized and I'm just trying to stop that beforehard. Trying to get you better from this stupid infection that I practically gave you myself taking you to a place you never should have be-
Ping-pong ball.
How's that?
The description is always a ping-pong ball.
Right. Does it matter, Bridge?
No.
Eat. He points at my plate. You could use something decent.
My own baking?
Better than what PJ said you were eating yesterday while you were out in the yard.
I was just feeling lazy. He's making it into a big deal.
You sitting in the dark barely interacting with life or even the basics is a big deal and you know it.
I'm okay.
I'd like you to be more than that. He smiles.
Then move this tray.
His smile went away and then came back bigger than ever as he understood what I meant.
He's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, wide-awake and ready to roll. Coffee is on a tray in front of him. Two cups. I smell Baileys. Also on the tray are two of the cinnamon rolls I made a couple of days ago. I thought they were all gone.
They are, I hid these ones beforehand.
You've been planning breakfast in bed?
I don't know. I've been doing something though. While you've been slinging mud, half-asleep.
I'm sorry, Locket.
If I don't give you something that helps you sleep you won't sleep at all and then it's like you're a tennis ball, bouncing all over the place, smacking into the hard walls all around you and you wind up bruised and demoralized and I'm just trying to stop that beforehard. Trying to get you better from this stupid infection that I practically gave you myself taking you to a place you never should have be-
Ping-pong ball.
How's that?
The description is always a ping-pong ball.
Right. Does it matter, Bridge?
No.
Eat. He points at my plate. You could use something decent.
My own baking?
Better than what PJ said you were eating yesterday while you were out in the yard.
I was just feeling lazy. He's making it into a big deal.
You sitting in the dark barely interacting with life or even the basics is a big deal and you know it.
I'm okay.
I'd like you to be more than that. He smiles.
Then move this tray.
His smile went away and then came back bigger than ever as he understood what I meant.