“The Happy Place”

     Momma forced milk into my mouth; I knew she was trying to get me to go to sleep.

     I struggled. Sleep wasn’t fun nor exciting.

     Momma huffed at me; why was she mad? I wanted to play, not sleep. Quickly Momma started to get me to calm down from the sound of her soft voice.

     Momma sang to me and told me stories of my Dada.

     I liked the songs and stories. Momma would sometimes cry when she told me stories of Dada. I never met him, but Momma showed me pictures of him. She told me Dada loved me, and that he was gone at a happy place. I wish I could visit him at the happy place Momma talks of.

     Momma started to tell my favorite story of Dada. It was about when Momma told him of me in her belly.

     Dada was so excited, and he loved me even before I was born.

     Why’d Dada leave? Was the happy place better than me? Momma said it wasn’t his choice; she says he had to leave. She says he misses both of us.

     Sometimes I wonder what the happy place is like…

     I fell asleep.