Home grew small behind us as we marched toward the great wide open.
We walked and we trudged. We skipped and we skedaddled. We saw many wonderful and sunshiny things.
But we were on the hunt for one thing in particular. One very special thing.
We asked a goose to love us and she was happy to oblige.
We sat between the wings on her back and flew, skimming over the pond and soaring under the clouds, and she honked with joy. Honk, honk. Honk, honk.
We nestled close beside her and brushed our cheeks against her soft feathers. She spread her wings and tucked us in.
But when she leaned down to kiss us, her kisses were pinchy.
The goose said, “I love you, my dears. I love you so much I can’t let you be mine.” And she gave us a feather to remember her by, and one last pinchy kiss on top of our heads.
And then we kept on and kept on.
We asked a bear to love us and she was happy to oblige.
We held on to her fur and loved her bigness and warmness as she took us to her favorite forest pond and showed us the salmon.
She carried us to her lovely cave and curled close beside us. She licked us clean over, like a soothing, sticky bath.
But when she reached down to pat our little shoulders, her claws were scratchy.
The bear said, “I love you, my dears. I love you so much I can’t let you be mine.” And she gave us a crown of leaves to remember her by, and one last scratchy pat on top of our shoulders.
And then we kept on and kept on.
We asked a cat to love us and she was happy to oblige.
We creeped and crawled beside her, through the gardens and along high tree branches. And when the way got too narrow, she let us hold tight to her lovely tail.
She looked at us with her bright and beautiful eyes, and made us feel like we had our own two stars in the darkness, looking down on us and keeping us safe.
But when she crawled close to purr her “Good night,” her nuzzles were tickly.
The cat said, “I love you, my dears. I love you so much I can’t let you be mine.” And she gave us a bouquet of flowers to remember her by, and one last tickly nuzzle on our cheeks.
And then we kept on and kept on.
Until we came back to the place we started.
We asked Mommy to love us. And she was happy.
We sat at her feet, then we sat on her lap, then we rocked in her arms, then we climbed onto her shoulders. And it seemed right.
We crouched under her arm and she ran her fingers through our hair. She opened a book and read us a story with beautiful pictures.
And when she laid us down and bent low to kiss us, her breath was soft and her kisses came gently.
And Mommy said, “I love you, my dears. I love you so much and you’ll always be mine.” And she gave us her love to carry us into sweet dreams, and one last soft breath and one last gentle kiss.
“I love you,” said Mommy. “From now until forever.”
And we smiled and slept and dreamed because we knew we were all the way loved.
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