Work, life and balance
You made the rule. Somewhat grudgingly, we all agreed.
“Family that eats together, stays together”, you said. And we did.
Yesterday was special. So I had cooked your favorite.
Kids too did their bit. You called up last minute.
“Honey, there’s a problem. I’ll be late. Don’t wait.”
“But, we want to stay together”, said the little one, innocent as ever.
We watched something on cable. Fell asleep on rug and couch.
Dinner lay cold on the table. Candles silently went out.
I heard the key fumbling in the lock, and pretended to be asleep.
You didn’t change, slipped right in my blanket. Then, it was too hard to keep.
“Happy birthday, sweet heart!”, I mumbled. Even your response seemed a bit jumbled.
In the morning, kids rolled on the floor, piling up on us just like before.
After ages, we woke up together. Smiling, perhaps with a mild ache.
“Happy birthday, mommy! Now, can we cut the cake?”
This is a response to the Imagà Imaginings prompt by Kathy Jacobs:
