Shortly after we read one chapter of a book - all piled into the big, comfy hotel bed with many more pillows than we needed; Bella's head resting on my shoulder, Jack's head on the other side against my chest, and Juliette in-between (desperately trying to find the picture in the book) - it was time for bed... and that's when the statements began.
Jack (4): "You still have a mom - even when she's in heaven, you know."
Bella (7): "My mom says in heaven you can eat marshmallows all day and never get sick."
Jack: "Even when you're a hundred, you still have a mom."
Bella: "Maybe you could have a dog that never pooped or peed so you wouldn't have to clean it up."
And after a short while, Bella remarked sleepily... "Nobody really knows what heaven looks like, right?" (Right, I answered.) And she sighed, "I bet it looks a lot like earth."
About 20 minutes after that, Juliette - the toddler - was in her crib "brushing the hair" on her plastic yellow duckies while Bella & Jack softly snored into dreamland. I sat in a chair across the room reading my book and quietly letting sleep find her as well. She stood up and looked over the edge of the crib at me, waved, and asked simply "Who are you?" (I'm Rachel, I answered.) That was good enough, as she smiled "Oh, okay. My love you." And laid her nest of curls on the pillow without another peep.
That is the cutest story. Ever.
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