Earache

Naomi woke up Monday night with a screaming earache.

The shock of acute pain. The fog in my brain left over from the pillow. Hot tears. McKibbin and I around bumbling around the medicine cabinet. The cold air. The unwelcome sting of bright lights.

Once the Motrin kicked in Naomi crashed back to sleep with the same ferocity with which she had awakened. Her parents were not so lucky. I don’t know how long we laid in bed, staring at the ceiling.

McK and I have an anniversary this week. Nine years. So I’ve been feeling maudlin generally. While this screaming earache episode was far from a celebration of us, I can't remember the last time I drifted off to sleep quite so grateful for his company.