You Are the Person I Didn’t Know I Needed

I rolled over to turn off the fan that was blowing wisps of hair across your face. When I returned to my previous position, your arm popped out of the covers and wrapped around my neck. Your leg soon followed and landed on my stomach before you let out a sigh and rolled again, leaving only your leg in it’s awkward position.

There’s just enough light coming through the window to illuminate your tiny nose, long eyelashes and quickly vanishing baby cheeks.

As I watch you in these morning hours, sleeping snuggled up against me like you have for the past five years, I realize that you are the person I didn’t know I needed. My unintended little sidekick that I’m not sure I could survive without.

I went into shock the day those pink lines appeared on the pregnancy test. We didn’t expect you. We hadn’t planned for you. We thought you would never come.

And yet, here you are, your long blonde hair that curls itself at that end, your closet full of princess dresses and unicorn headbands, your insistence to give morning hugs to everyone, your constant stream of “I love you” and encouragement to anyone you think might need it.

In just five short years you’ve managed to wrap all of us around your tiny fingers. Some might believe it’s because you’re the only girl among all of your siblings, or the youngest, but we know it’s because of who you are. Our endless ray of sunshine.

This morning will be like most mornings. You’ll try to scare me by sneaking down the hallway and popping out around the corner. Your hair, which almost always sticks up like you found a light socket on your way from bed to me, will give you away as you line yourself up to jump out. I’ll pretend to be scared. I’ll say, as I do every morning, “Oh!! You got me!! You got me GOOD that time!!” and you’ll smile and jump on my lap to snuggle a little while longer before you start your day full of hugs and princess dresses.

You’ll want to talk about what we’re doing today, what letter we’re learning, if we can go see the neighbors. And while we talk about it, I’ll be thinking about how you’re the person I didn’t know I needed all those years ago when two pink lines showed up.