The Light is Always On

Yesterday I was exhausted and I needed to go to sleep.

But I resisted.

I watched Zach conquer his video game world while Katelyn instant-messaged her computer friends and Kevin did the sudoku puzzle in the paper.

And still I waited -Listening for Aleah's car to pull up, for the front door to open and for her footsteps to echo on the tile floor as she tossed her purse on the couch and called out greetings to the family.

But that wasn't going to happen.

That morning we moved Aleah to her own apartment near her college campus at ASU.

I smiled at my mother heart that did not want to sleep until I knew my daughter was safely home as I picked up the dirty dishes on the coffee table and put them by the sink. I put away the remnants of an evening snack, returning the milk to the fridge and closing the box of graham crackers. I said my goodnights as I locked the front door.

But when I reached to turn off the porch light, like I always do, I changed my mind. I decided to leave the light on.

Just in case.