I woke with the dawn to find two little faces curiously watching mine. Katie was sitting on my stomach. Alex was perched to one side.
“Whatcha doing?” Katie asked.
“Sleeping,” I replied, closing my eyes.
Alex poked me in the side of my face with a damp and chubby hand. I half-expected him to say something, but no words accompanied the poke.
“You go ’way?” Katie asked, wriggling to get comfortable and elbowing me directly in the kidneys. “Mama’s sad.”
I gave up trying to sleep and opened my eyes.
“Big sister has to go away for a little while,” I said. “You two have to take good care of Mama while I’m gone. Okay?”
Alex nodded solemnly. Katie screwed up her face until her little baby forehead was as wrinkled as a shar-pei. “Why?”
I wasn’t sure if she was asking why I was leaving or wh
