that's what love is.

In the days before we lived together, sometimes Geoff and I would talk on the phone late into the night. I'd fall asleep still clutching the handset, feeling safe and happy long after the earpiece was cold.

Jacqui, curled in my lap tonight as I talked with my mom, started to get very agitated. She scratched at the phone with her little fingers, she kicked at my shins, she made the most awful noise until finally I said, "Okay! Here! Talk to your grandmother!" I pushed the button for speakerphone. Jacqui pulled the handset to herself, relaxing into the sound of her grandma's voice.

Two minutes after we finally disconnected, Jacqui was fast asleep in my arms, still hugging the telephone tight against her chest.