H-O-M-E

The phone rang at 3:00 this morning stirring me out of a deep, cavernous REM sleep.  When the phone rings in the dead of night, quickly foggy disorientation turns to palpable fear.  T. Bone's quivering, still so small for being so big voice came traveling through the phone lines crystal clear.   I could see him trying to stifle tears and shrug it off nonetheless.  He said apologetically, defeatedly, "Mom, I can't sleep.  I'm homesick."  A few more words, none harsh, were shared between us before I ascertained that my longing for home son had the whole longing for sleep W. family wide awake at such an unGodly hour.  I threw on some clothes and made it driveway to driveway in a 7 minute record without speeding.  (Mind you there was no traffic.)   I was surprisingly calm and a little tiny bit glad that my son would rather be tucked in his own cozy bed in his own safe house surrounded by his loving family.

I never much liked sleepovers as a kid.  As an adult, 9.99 times out of 10 I'd much rather sleep in my very own bed.  So I get it.  T. Bone came home relieved I wasn't angry he woke me to come fetch him when I should have been fast asleep, and also so happy to see his own humble bed.  He slept until noon today soundly.

He had an invitation to spend the afternoon with friends, but he declined.  He just wanted to stay H-O-M-E.