Bonded

My girls have forged a bond that is undeniable.

I first peed on a stick during my pregnancy with Olivia on a Sunday. It was the day my period was due and I thought, "What the heck."

And it was negative.

That afternoon, while in the bathtub, three year old Alyssa asked, "Are you going to have a baby?"


I think she sensed her sister even then.

I went on to test the following Wednesday while at work because I was officially late by then. And the second line was almost instantaneous.

From the beginning, Alyssa insisted she was having a little sister. I was never one of those women who could sense the gender of her fetus. I just never had any feelings at all one way or the other.

Of course once we got the ultrasound confirmation that a baby sister was, indeed on the way, Alyssa perversely changed her tune and insisted she wanted a little brother.

From the start, though, she was a protective big sister, watching over her baby with cautious eyes, holding her hand and rubbing her head gently.


These days, Olivia returns that protectiveness. Whenever Tom or I tease Alyssa as she dawdles over her shoe strings or wanders around the house as the rest of us are putting on coats that we're going to leave without her, Olivia will plant herself in front of the door, telling us sternly, "No. We are not leaving without Lyssie."

And we never do.

On Saturday evening, my mom called and invited Alyssa to her house for the night. Olivia was too sick to join in the fun.

By 8:00 the next morning Olivia was begging me to get us both dressed so that we could go to Gram's and get her sister. She missed her. She doesn't like being separated from her more than necessary.

I love that.

I love that they have each other, to tease, to protect, to love and even to annoy each other. It's good for them.

My best friend posted on Facebook recently that her nine-year-old daughter informed her that she'd gladly give up her puppy if her mom would get her a little sister.

This broke my heart for by J (my friend) and R (her daughter.) I know that, had things been different, R wouldn't have been an only child and J wouldn't feel this tug of guilt over something that was so out of her own control.

As regular readers know, Alyssa really wants a dog.

When I told her that R was up for giving up her dog for a sister, Alyssa smiled and said, "We could take her dog!!"

I waited.

She then shook her head and continued, "But even if we took her dog, she can't have my sister."

That was not what I expected. But it brought tears to my eyes anyway. Tears of joy at my girls' unconditional love for each other and tears for J and R, that they even have to talk about this.

It reminded me how very, very lucky I am to have those two little girls who take up so much of my bed each night. They don't just have each other. I have them too. And I do know how blessed that makes me.