Memories

I am propped up in an empty bed waiting on Dragon to get home from work.   He has worked yet another 16 hour day.   It brought back a memory from one of his deployments years ago.

I don't remember where he was going this time.   They just blur together.   The first night is always the hardest.   Facing the empty bed was so hard.   I curled up and faught the tears.   First my oldest crawled in bed with me carrying the cat.  Then came Pooh bear with her rather LARGE dog.  My little flower was next with her two small dogs and a long comes my son.   He looked at the already crowded bed, crawled across the animals and his sisters to lay right on top of me.

I didn't have to face an empty bed after all.   We offered eeach other some much needed comfort.   My tears came the next morning when I realized that Dragon didn't have anyone.

I didn't complain about kids in my bed after that.   I was grateful to have them.   The kids, dogs and even the crazy cat.