Yeah, that's what Sadie said…

I lie in the tub, the cool air teases my nipples as they peek out of the water. The grey tabby sits on the edge, batting at the surface, lavender-scented drops move from paw to tongue. My daughter appears, sits next to me, softly recites poetry she wrote in class. I relax further into the tub. I am steeped in slippery warmth and closeness, and boundless gratitude for the simplicity I had craved for so very long.

These beautiful, stark moments of quiet I relish completely. Short days filled with tasks of my choosing, organized so that it is I who presides over its delegation. Long nights of documentaries and hot tea, an over-sized bed, alone but for the whiskered beasts that laze beside me – purring reminders that such decadence is necessary; ensures vitality. Occasional evenings with friends, where conversations are dwellings of understanding, where I discover who I am.

Today at least.

Morning workouts with no agenda.

Afternoon strolls along the blue water, remembering my youth.

A midnight guest, come for a moonlight swim in the crisp white sheets of my bed.

Work.

School runs.

Homework.

Dinner.

Dishes.

Reveling in the ordinary. Because I am tethered only to my own ordinary. It is mine to make.

As is everything else.