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‘Mama!’ came Roland’s tiny, little voice one day while she was cooking dinner. Robin wasn’t home yet; he was doing a 12 hours long shift today. So she knew he’d be exhausted when he finally got home. That’s why she was preparing their dinner already, she wanted to do this for him. He worked so hard. Among other thing that’s why she loves him so much. So so much.
‘Yes, sweetheart?’ she answered sweetly.
‘Mama, why do You and Papa sleep the way you do?’ he asked innocently.
‘What do you mean Roland? How do Papa and I sleep like?’ she replied back stunned.
‘The way you do Mama! You know like, when Papa is behind you. Very close. And he has his arm around your belly and his head is in your neck and you Mama, your hand is on Papa’s hand on your belly. And you both smile while sleeping. Why do you do that? I don’t understand. And Mama sometimes your head is on Papa’s chest and you smile again. And it’s so pretty.’
Came his detailed answer. She was taken aback by his words, least to say. How did he know about how they sleep? Of course she was aware that most times than not her baby ended up between them during the early hours of dawn. It was sweet how his little voice would whisper her name sweetly. Then his tiny hands would tug at her blanket until she was awake and was taking him in between them, snuggling him close.
‘Mama?’ Roland saying her name made her come back from memory lane.
‘Yes, yes! Uhmm, you know Roland when two people like, your Papa and I, love each other so much. So so much words can’t express it, they usually have to be close together. Anytime they can. And when night comes they can be close while sleeping. It’s important to them. They hug in their sleep, they breath each other in, this way they feel their love even stronger. So I guess that’s why we sleep like the way we do. Do you understand what I just said baby?’ she asked after her little monologue ended.
She was now crouching in front of him, being on the same eye level. His big brown Bambi eyes were staring at her wide and she couldn’t really figure out what she saw in those beautiful eyes.
‘But Mama when I come into your bed then you and Papa don’t love each other anymore. Do I break your love? I don’t want to do that Mama! I really don’t!’ Roland was at the verge of crying. Her heart was swelling with happiness and love towards her little boy. He was so sensitive and caring despite being only 4 and a half years old. And yes the half was a very important addition to his age.
‘Oh baby look at me.’ she took his face in her hands. ‘You can never ever can break our love. You are the one who made our love fuller, Roland. You never forget that. When we found out about you that was the happiest day of our life. The day we went to see you for the first time your Papa was smiling the whole day. He was touching my belly every chance he got. He was singing to you all the time. So Roland, no, you can’t break our love.’
She assured her little boy.
‘Okay mama but I’ll try not to climb between Papa and you anymore I promise.’
‘Roland, honey you can climb in whenever you want. We sleep the best when you are between us. I told you that so many times before. You remember when we told you not to come in right?’
‘Yes Mama I remember. Papa said that I can’t come in without knocking when the door is closed. But Mama I really don’t know why you sometimes close the door. If you love me there with Papa, why you close the door sometimes? It’s scary. You are not afraid when the door is closed? Because sometimes I am.’ Roland pouted just like his Papa used to do.
‘Oh my little monkey, you are a wonder, aren’t you! No I am not afraid; I have Papa with me he protects me just like he protects you. And as for why we close the door, you know Mamas and Papas need time when they are alone. They give each other special hugs and kisses. You don’t like seeing Papa kissing me, do you? I remember you complaining about it just the other day, am I right?’ she said trying to hide her smile and failing miserably.
‘Ewww Mama no! Papa kisses you aaaaaall the time. He loves doing it. I love when you kiss me but you don’t give Papa the same ones. Why?’ another question surfaced from his little mouth.
‘Well I love giving you kisses baby, but why I have different kisses with Papa is for another day, alright? We have to have dinner ready when Papa comes home. He’ll be tired so how about you come and help me add the cheese into this big bowl here?’ she directs their adorable conversation to another direction.
But not before giving her gorgeous little boy some kisses and hugs that are just for him, and only him.
And when night comes and their door is open for the night and Robin snuggles her close he asks her with a grin on his face what kind of special hugs does Mama have with Papa. She just laughs at that, pecks his lips and replies the same as she did to Roland. That is for another day because right now she can’t wait till their baby boy comes to their room and snuggles close to his parents. And it does only take a few hours to hear the patter patter of tiny little feet coming through the corridor down to their room. And when the well-known whisper of Mama is being spoken oh so sweetly, she turns from her husband's arms and reaches for her baby boy. And that’s the best sleep they have every night.