Today Girl is leaving for my parents’ house for four whole days. She has been talking about this trip for months, telling everybody who’ll listen that she is going to Nana’s with her cousin and they are going to make a scratch cake.

She has been making a list of all the things they are going to do during their four whole days. Calling me is not on her list, but she promises to do so. Also she promises to give me four hugs before she goes, one for each day she’ll be gone.

I snuggled her before work this morning, squeezing back the words, “But I don’t want you to go.” The house will be so quiet without her. She fills it with her constant talking, screaming and singing. She looked so happy, contemplating her four whole days, that I didn’t tell her my thoughts.

If she’s not feeling separation anxiety, I don’t want to burden her with mine.