Down and up again

To set the scene: there is peace in the kingdom. The dog is upstairs; the kid is playing with a toy. I’m sitting in a chair alternately reading and having a conversation in repeated monosyllables while exercising my peripheral vision. Then it gets too quiet for a moment and the crying starts. Baby down. After a quick hug and happy murmurs from mama, he wants back on the ground so he can explore again. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I’m the one who is here to say, “I bet that hurt. Want to try again?”