Slipping away

overnight it seems

Wet kisses on cheeks and afternoon snuggles framed by an overabundance of hugs

evaporate.

And I wonder…

What did I miss?

How did I not see the subtle shift

the end

of childhood –

abrupt, unanticipated, awkward.

She slips into a chair

book in hand and phone

ready to connect

with others.

Do I demand? Inisist?

No.

I wait.

I yield.

Much like the gentle rain gives way to the sea to the heavens and back again

I trust that time will return all we’ve shared fresh and new and full.

And I treasure

the unexpected glimpses of

a child long gone,

but very much still here.