Shiny Black Eyes Tell Mommy the Way it Is

Night before last I was shaken from my sleep by screams from Son1. I stumbled down the hallway and found him bawling in his doorway. I will spare you the details, but he had an intense case of stomach flu. After his bath, after the clean up in his room and his bathroom, after starting the laundry, and after my hero husband came to our rescue, we put him back to bed with one more story and prayers. He seemed uneasy about us leaving him. In the dim light I waved Hubby off to bed, and assured Son1 I would sit on the edge of his bed a few more minutes.
In the dark, a little hand reached for my mine and squeezed hard. My stomach fluttered, knowing that he felt comforted I was there. I sighed. Even though he is into being the big boy and being the big brother he still needs his mommy. Soon his hand relaxed. I tried to make his face out in the dark to see if he had drifted off to sleep. I smiled to myself when all I could see were his shiny black eyes, like black glass marbles. His eyes are particularly black and bright. When he was a newborn I remember rocking and rocking him in the dark, opening and shutting my own eyes, willing those teeny bright black eyes to close and go to sleep. And that night, sitting on his bed, they were wide awake.
I sat a little straighter, and whispered that I loved him SO much. He sprang up, threw his arms around me and told me he loved me SO much. Then he went on to say, "Mommy, you need to go to your bed! It's ok. Go to sleep!" Wow. I didn't know whether to giggle or be offended. I slid off the bed, shook my head, and found my way to back to bed.