An End to a Day

"Milo Lorenzo Jacobs you come here now!" Emily Jacobs chased her four-year-old son around the couch in the living room, pausing only to take off her work heals and improve her speed. As she caught up with Milo she swung him up into her arms. She brought him back down on the couch as he giggled and laughed, her fingers dancing across his small stomach.

"Mommy stop! Tickles no fair," Milo cried pushing at her hands and forcing a pout onto his face. The pout didn't stay for long as he grinned wildly and leaped from the couch, dashing down the hallway toward his bedroom.

Emily sat back with a sigh and closed her eyes for a moment. She was contemplating the shareholders meeting she had in the morning when a large weight landed right in the middle of her stomach. She jerked her eyes open and looked down at Mila who was smiling mischievously. Smiling at the excellent argument he had for his mother.

"I know it's my bedtime, but you promised we would read. Tonight I want to read this story." Milo held up a book that was nearly as big as his head. "We can't go to bed until you've read the whole thing."

Emily took the book and examined it carefully before giving him a glance.

"You're sure you want to read the complete Sherlock Holmes collection vol. 1?" Milo nodded his head with a smile, hope glimmering in his eye that he had won the argument that would lead to a later bedtime. Emily opened up the book and flipped to the contents page.

"Alright, we can read this whole thing, but we're starting with my favorite story: "The Valley of Fear". Unless of course, it's too scary." She shut the book and tackled Milo swinging him up and carrying him off towards his bedroom.

"You tricked me," he cried as she plopped him down onto his bed. She tickled him in response earning a few more giggles and a smile.

"All things considered, you were trying to trick me, I just played a better game."

"Game," Milo cried standing up on his bed, "a game sounds great!" He tried to jump off, but Emily grabbed him and swung him back down on the bed.

"Games tomorrow. But right now it's time to go to bed." Milo folded his arms in a pout but was quick to nestle in next to Emily as she joined him beneath the covers grabbing his favorite book off the shelf next to his bed. She pulled him into her side and he rested his head on her chest letting a yawn escape his lips.

Emily started the story: "Once upon a time, there was a little boy, Ted. His name wasn't Theodore or Teddy, it had always been Ted." Milo helped her turn the page, then settled back down eyes half-closed, weighed down by sleep.

"Ted lived with his mother and his father, his grandma and grandpa, and the newest edition, his little sister Sandy." At this, Milo stopped her like he did every night to ask her a question.

"Mommy, will I ever get my own little sister named Sandy?"

"You might get a little sister, but she's unlikely to be named Sandy. You ask your dad about that in the morning."

Milo snuggled back in, "okay, keep reading."

"Ted had always been showered with gifts and praise, but now that little Sandy had shown up she was being showered with the love that Ted always thought would be his forever."

"Why did they shower him?"

"What do you mean sweetie?"

"You said Ted was showered. Was he dirty?"

Emily laughed, "of course not. In this case, when it says they showered him, they mean that they just kept giving him compliments and the such. If their compliments had been water, then he would have taken quite the shower. Now stop interrupting."

"One morning Ted was sitting with Grandpa who was reading a newspaper like he did every morning. "Grandpa," he asked, "why is Sandy more important than I am?" His grandpa looked up at him and smiled. "Ted, Sandy isn't more important than you. She's just a brand new baby and brand new babies need attention and love so they know people care. In fact, when your parents had you, they stopped hanging around with me and your grandma so much. They were spending all their time snuggling up with you." Ted smiled at that. So, the next day, when his mother told him that she needed to spend some time with Sandy he said okay with a happy smile and made his way to play with his grandparents instead. Soon, all he wanted to do was play with Sandy and so he did. The end." Emily scooted Milo up into her lap as she finished the story and set the book aside.

"Is this book saying that if I do get a Sandy then you and dad may spend more time with her but you don't love me any less?" Milo looked at Emily inquisitively and she smiled.

"That's exactly what the story means." Milo nodded his head as his eyelids slowly drooped down. Emily scooted Milo off of her and slid him down so his head was on the pillow.

"Mom, thank you for playing with me. I promise I'll go straight to bed tomorrow." Emily smiled and gave him a kiss on his forehead, brushing his hair back. Milo looked past her and his smile brightened, "Dad!"

Ethan Jacobs came walking into the room and wrapped his son into a hug. "I see we did the bedtime ritual without me today. I promise I'll be here tomorrow to read you a book."

"It's okay daddy, I was just telling mom that I hope you guys can get me a Sandy of my own, like in the story about Ted." Ethan smiled and laid Milo down.

"We'll have to see. In the meantime, you need to get all the sleep you can." The two parents bid their son goodnight and as they left the room they switched on his night light and switched off his bedroom light.

Ethan wrapped his arms around Emily standing outside Milo's bedroom and snickered.

"So, he wants his own Sandy?" Emily laughed and hugged Ethan tightly.

"I told him he'd have to talk to his father about that."