I’m traveling for business this weekend, and Briggs spiked a fever Thursday night.

I kept him out of school yesterday.  He watched TV.  And drank Gatorade.  Napped.  Then we took a trip to visit Pup and take a bath (our house only has a big shower, which actually works for us, except when one of us has a sudden need to lay all the way down in water).

After Briggs was washed over and dried off, and had his fill of apple juice and Oreos, we headed back home.  At a stop light, I got lost in the rearview.

It was just too much.  This beautiful clean boy, strapped in the backseat with one of his trusty “silks” draped over him.  Silk stopped taking car rides awhile back, but B was sick, and truth: I grabbed it without him even asking.

I smiled – wide – and said, “Oh, Bubba, I’m going to miss you this weekend.”

“I’ll miss you too, Mumma.  But don’t worry, Dad will be here to take care of me.  Someone always will.”

So far, my best Mom moments have come amidst my mess.  Amidst sickness, and stress, and deadlines, and distractions.  They’ve arrived under the most unlikely and unceremonious of circumstances…like the back of a Subaru littered with extra tee-ball uniforms, mostly empty water bottles, and stale abandoned gummy bears.

Our son is certain that he is loved.  That he is love.

All is well.