Dad sleeps in. It will be my turn tomorrow.
All awake, we decide to take a drive. Get some lunch at our favorite diner.
Hope getting out of the house will help him calm down, still whining after 4 hours.
Just a 10 minute wait, but it is too long. Whines have turned to cries and we can't subject anyone else - or ourselves - to that through a meal. We return to the car.
Put the kids in the stroller. Decide on an impromptu sidewalk cafe lunch. 2 sandwiches for the adults. 2 frozen yogurts for the kids. And a muffin to share.
One yogurt remains untouched by its intended consumer. Good thing I brought crackers. Crying subsides, though occasional whimpers remain. Able to relax for a moment, however brief.
Walking down the sidewalk, a woman and her son. He's maybe 4. She's adorably pregnant. The boy peppers her with questions. An image of what might of been.
A few minutes later, another mother and son. This time a young man, maybe 15? He's a quarter block ahead of his mom. As he approaches, I can tell. Autism. Possibly Tourette's. An image of what might come to be.
We pack up and head back to the car. Exhausted. Spent. But hanging on. An image of what is.
