Natural Light

We stood in the kitchen and the realtor said, “Isn’t this gorgeous? There’s so much natural light.” It was, and it is, if gorgeous is sunlight streaming through smudged-fingerprint windows onto floorboards covered with something sticky and crumbs no matter how many times we sweep. What I pictured then: you and me sipping coffee while the children play and we can talk. What it is: you and me telling the children “let her have a turn” while our coffee gets cold. How many times will we catch each other’s eye thinking, this is what they say we’ll miss? But smiling half a second later because we know it’s true. Even as I go to clean the windows my heart skips a beat, for the way their handprints will never be this small again, as soon as tomorrow, and that there will come a day when they won’t run to the window to watch the rain fall, telling us to come look, and we do, but at them, our daughters, too good to be true. Isn’t it gorgeous? Just look at their natural light.