15 minutes

"Did you hear that?" I asked, I sat up and nudged my husband who was snuggled into the blankets, eye mask over his eyes, the dog on the pillow above his head just stares at me. "NO!" he says. "Of course you didn't" as he pretends to snore. I pick up my phone and look at the time. " 2 am" seriously.!" Every morning something wakes me up at exactly 2am. The cat puking, the dog barking a single bark, my bladder, car alarm outside. You name it, it has woken me up at 2 am. I have to get up to pee anyway, so I thought I would do a once over around the house. I open the bedroom door and the dogs immediately jump off the bed to go downstairs. Hubbs is snoring away "Useless" I mutter. I go down the stairs and turn off the alarm, might as well let them out. I open the back door and the gate on the deck that keeps my daughters dog from the basement downstairs from coming up on the deck, her dog has been eating the siding off our house along with every lawn ornament, flower bush and anything that she feels she needs to destroy but that is a story for another day. Anyway, I leave the door cracked and go check on the laundry, the washer flashes UE, of course… So I open the washer and pull the blanket and towels up and out, shaking them out to make them lie even in the washer. I close the lid and push the start button wiping my hands on the front of my robe, the lights flicker in the kitchen. the canlight in the ceiling, I think to myself. the one that was pouring water when our daughter had forgotten to pull the shower curtain liner inside the tub. I looked up as I walked into the kitchen, I froze. I couldn't breathe or move. There was a white misty shadow of a person moving around the kitchen, floating from the table to the sink in front of the coffee pot. another shadow was already standing by the sink. The dogs were outside looking inside where I had cracked the back door looking as surprised as me. I just stood there watching, They both stopped and looked into the living room as the clock chimed at 215 am. They floated into the living room and where I was standing in the hallway by the basement door I could see 2 more misty shadow people in the living room, the two joined them. They floated over to the digital photo frame that I have on the liquor cabinet and seemed like they were watching the photos change. As they watched the show of pictures, I noticed facial features start to develop, I breathed in slowly and silently, the dogs were still outside frozen looking in the back door at me, they were fine, just seemed freaked out. I looked back up at these visitors, and I recognized my grandfather, my grandmother, my mom… my dad. I could feel the sting of tears behind my eyes. The tears start falling down my face. I see the image of my dad float over to the picture of me holding my 2 granddaughters, I could see the love in his eyes and his smile from where I was like it was actually him. My mom pointed to the picture of my daughter and her husband Stefan and my dad shook his head. They must know that one of the babies is Julia's baby. My Grandmother pointed to the picture of my grandson holding my other grand daughter and my dad shook his head, and pointed to the picture of Michael and Sarah, my son and daughter in law, the parents. Then my dad pointed to the picture of my youngest son and his new wife. They looked at each other and my dad hugged my mom with one arm around her shoulders. I looked at my mom and she was holding a baby. My youngest son and his wife are expecting a baby, this must be the baby! I am not as freaked out as I was as I watch them float around the living room looking at pictures, I cant help but choke a sniffle, it was an impulse and they stopped and looked at me. I froze. We started at each other for a second. they disappeared. I ran into the living room, "NO!" Please come back!" I cried, Looking around frantically, where did they go? The dogs started barking, it felt like time had started again. I was sobbing as I walked over to the back door to let them in. The clock chimed 230 am. I didn't even know how to process what I just saw! Was I dreaming? I ran up the stairs, crying hysterically, my husband sat straight up in bed, eye mask flying off his face I turned on the light, "HUN!" you are never going to believe what I just saw!" I said crying. I told him the story and he listened and looked at me like I was crazy, of course. He picked up his phone, "lets see what the cameras picked up? Cameras should be able to pick up spirit activity." I sat next to him and watched as he scrolled through the video between 2am and 215. It was not positioned to take video of where the picture frame was, but it did capture me running into the living room from the kitchen, then up the stairs with the dogs chasing behind me. "I believe you." He said. "It is freaky, Im not surprised if they visit, lets try to go back to bed, well talk about it tomorrow." I lay there trying to go back to sleep. How could I? I missed my family so much my heart hurt. If that was them, why would they disappear when they saw me? Why wouldn't they stay? I finally fell back to sleep. around 6am, my husbands alarm went off, he was getting in the shower and I rolled over to go back to bed. It was that time of day between night and dawn, not light but you could see. I looked at the end of the bed and my dad stood there, plain as if he was a solid person. I looked at him and rolled over on my side, "Dad!" I exclaimed, he put his finger up to his lips as to shush me." I heard him say, Don't forget how much we love you." Death is not the end of the love we have for you, just like it is not the end of the love you have for us, I am always with you, a penny, a feather, a song. He lifted his hand up and waved, I saw the propeller tattoo on the back of his right hand, "Live a good life," I love you."