Four Words I Never Want to Hear

It's been a rough few days. My girl left her blankie at the gym...the blankie she is never without...the blankie that she has loved to pieces (literally)...the blankie that I have to sneak in while she is sleeping to wash...that blankie.

I told her not to bring it in the gym.  Knowing that it's like a valued seventh member of our family, I warned her to leave it in the car. This has happened before. She's left that thing in grocery carts, at other people's houses, at the park. But she has always remembered before we strayed too far, so she has never had a night without it.

Until now.

We left the gym on monday night. We got everyone out of the child care room, past the throngs of sweaty people, past the hustle and bustle of the parking lot, and safely locked everyone into their car seats (that in and of itself is a work out). We made our way through heavier than usual traffic due to some new construction zones, and just as we were about to turn home, I hear the four dreaded words.

Where. Is. My. Blankie.

I won't bore you with the details of the rest of the night. Suffice it to say, there were tears, whining, pouting, boohoo-ing. My favorite had to be the blaming. "Mommy, it was your responsibility to get my blankie." Hmmph. She went to bed with tears glistening on her cheeks, but with the promise that tomorrow we would get her blankie.

But it rained and rained and rained. Then we had her brother's after school activities. Music lessons. Library. Dinner. Bed. Another night without her blankie. Another night with her accusing eyes staring me down while these words rang in my head. "You promised."

Monday night, it was her fault for leaving the blankie. Tuesday night, it was my fault for making a promise I didn't keep.

So Wednesday morning, we drove to the gym. Didn't matter that I was going there later in the day. I could no longer take her puppy dog eyes, her sighs, her continual restating of those four words. Where. Is. My. Blankie.

This was the reunion. This is her breathing in the scent of her blankie.

Welcome home blankie. Welcome home.