Record

Sandra turns her head and sneaks a swipe at her tear-streaked mascara just before he rounds the corner. She opens her quivering hands to catch the boy as he high jumps up into them and plants a smooch on her lips. She forces a smile. Before her veneer of contentment vanishes, Sandra musters up a merry sounding, “It’s time to get ready for bed!” The few minutes that she has alone with her thoughts drag on. Sandra replays parts of the recent phone conversation over in her head. “Sandy, I know there’s no good time to tell you this, but I’ve found someone else.” Her husband’s words had left her momentarily paralyzed. Sandra knew that there had been turmoil in the marriage over the past few months, and Don had been spending more time at the office. But this news had genuinely caught her by surprise. “We’ve been together ten years, Don. How can you just call it quits so easily?” Her voice had become squeaky while the tone clearly implied the plea, ‘please give me another chance.’ “I’m sorry. I’ll pick up my things early next week. Tell Junior I love him.” And then Sandra had heard a click followed by a dial tone. Junior! For some reason, all she can think about is how the news will affect their son. Why did Don have to call right before Junior’s bedtime? Couldn’t he have waited until afterward? More thoughts jostle around in her mind; a pinball bouncing from bumper to flipper to spinner. How will this affect our dear boy? He's such a happy kid. Please God, protect him from self-blame and bitterness. Sandra unfurrows her brow as she hears a scrubbing sound coming down the hallway. A smile washes over her face as she watches her little boy hurriedly brush over his incisors and completely skip the molars. While he hesitantly passes the toothbrush to his mother, the four year old prepares to make a getaway. Their nightly ritual. She eventually catches up with the bolt of energy that dodged her for a good five minutes and splays the boy across her lap. Now it is her turn to do a more extensive detailing of his mouth. He feigns a struggle as if she was the actual dentist, torturing him with drills and needles; but this is just the game they play. It has come time for his second wardrobe change of the day. His pajama personas vary nightly. Superheroes play a major role in his sleep attire; Batman the victor tonight. Continuing on to a calmer activity, the twosome retires to the child’s bed to read the story of butterflies’ life cycle. Story time is interactive. Sandra praises Junior for knowing what a pupa is and encourages his curiosity about the different markings on each individual style of butterfly’s wings. As her son shares his recent sighting of a pupa at Grammy’s house with her, Sandra can’t help but make a mental memory. This is her favorite time of day; their evening traditions. How she would love to continue their nightly customs for twenty more years. Brushing battles, chasing each other, and reading adventures. But she knows that time and aging are inseparable. And she can only hope that Don’s recent news won’t age Junior any faster. When the caterpillar has finally become an adult butterfly, the lights are dimmed and hugs are exchanged. Lying next to her most precious gift, Sandra begins to caress Junior’s long fingers. “One day, these hands are going to do great things,” she prophesies. The child’s figure rises in the darkened room. “Like juggling?”