A Brief Stay

It is satisfying to have an adult child's suitcase in my home and see them wake up blurry eyed and hungry several hours after the rest of the city has finished breakfast. It doesn't really matter if they stay up late watching movies or spend most of their time with friends. If the suitcase is under my roof, it feels like I am part of their life. For a short time, I can feel their presence, know their dreams, hear their conversations. Then in what seems like an instant, they travel back to a grown up life leaving me with a warm memory of the brief stay as I stand here laundering the guest room sheets.