Three

There are no real words for it – the way she scream so hard she pukes because…what?  Because her flashlight isn’t shining bright enough.  And then after, the way she asks me to clean her up and to please turn off the flashlight anyway.

This is three.

This is all the joy and all the frustrations.  This is us taking deep breaths together because we both need to be calmed down.  This is the way she holds my hand when I finally bring her into bed with me.  The way she buries her face in my shoulder.  The way, finally, she sleeps.