A Typical Conversation ... Now

The (Real) Phone Rings:

Lori: Hello?
Jessie: Hi, Mom!!!
Lori: Hey baby!! How are you?
Jessie: Mom?
Lori: What?
Jessie: Where's Charlie?
Lori: She's hiding in the closet.
Jessie: ( a 'Jessie laugh' - also on my top 10 things I miss the most)
Lori: What did you do today?
Jessie: Workshop.
Lori: What did you work on?
Jessie: I did the bolts!
Lori: Did you have fun?
Jessie: Yeah, I work with Carrie Ann!
Lori: Is she your friend?
Jessie: Yeah. Mom?
Lori: What sweetie?
Jessie: Can you come get me?
Lori: No baby. That is where you live now, you are at Jessie's new home.
Jessie: Mom?
Lori: What?
Jessie: Where is daddy?
Lori: He's working.
Jessie: Mom?
Lori: What baby?
Jessie: Can I come home?
Lori: No, sweetie, that is where you live now. Do you sleep with your quilt?
Jessie: Yeah!
Lori: And your puppy?
Jessie: Yeah!
Lori: You are OK, baby, you are a big girl now. Living on your own, mommy is so proud!
Jessie: Yeah ... Mom?
Lori: What?
Jessie: Where's Charlie?
Lori: I already answered that, it's probably time for you to go. What are you going to do next?
Jessie: Have dinner.
Lori: Cool! You have a good dinner. We need to say good bye.
Jessie: Bye mom.
Lori: Bye baby, mommy loves you.

Jessie has not called me since last Friday. I saw her Sunday, so last night I realized that I had not talked to her for 3 days. She evacuated today to Brenham State School till I don't know when, so I won't get to hear her voice for at least a week. I did not realize how much I would miss our phone conversations.

I did not realize how quiet the house would get when Gary is out of town and Ryan is at work and I am more alone than I have ever been. No Disney Channel, no finger phone conversations, no playing with Charlie, no huge belly laughs.

I wander through the house and sometimes I will hear sounds, like echoes of sounds past - ghost sounds ... so I turn up my satellite radio or iPod louder. But still - with the music blaring and rattling the windows ...

I restlessly roam ... lost and wonder how it can still be so quiet?