That evening, Susan McMillan walked past her living room to find her daughter Sarah curled up and fast asleep on the couch, with the TV playing episodes of that cartoon with the dogs that she likes.
Quietly, Susan picked up the remote to turn the TV off, and gently lifted Sarah so as not to disturb her sleep. The girl was still the same height as her mother, but Susan lifted her up and held her to her chest like she would any eight year-old girl, one hand on Sarah’s back, and the other secure underneath Sarah’s bottom.
The girl began to murmur, but Susan soothed her with a hush. “There, there, we’re going to get you off to bed. No need to wake up, just go back to sleep.”
The room that Susan brought Sarah to was full of bright colors and big shapes. Susan thought to herself that Sarah was beginning to grow out of this particular decor, but as she pulled the covers over Sarah’s sleeping form, she thought to herself, maybe I can hang on to my little girl just a little while longer.
