I woke up fuzzily in the middle of the night. It's far past my bedtime, but I couldn't manage to fall asleep again. Listening quietly, I could hear the murmur of the TV out in the living room, meaning Mom was still awake. Hoping she wouldn't get mad at me, I decided to get out of bed. Carrying my favorite stuffed animal with me, I opened my bedroom door and, after a moment to psych myself upon seeing how dark the house was in the middle of the night — despite the nightlights dotted around — made my way down the hallway towards the living room, where the television flashed quietly, illuminating Mom's form sitting on the couch, slightly covered with a blanket.

Before I could say anything, she noticed me, and beckoned me over. "You know you're supposed to be asleep, right, sweetie?" Her voice, warm and comforting, washed over me. I felt like I could tell her almost anything. I shrugged and said, "I dunno, I just...couldn't sleep."

Far from being mad at me, Mom chuckled and said she also had difficulty sleeping. After a moment, she asked, "Want to watch a bit of TV with Mommy before I tuck you back in?" I nervously nodded. My mom, as sweet as she is, rarely allowed me to stay up late. She pulled her blanket up a bit and patted the couch next to her. "Come on, sweetie, come snuggle with Mommy."

I climbed up onto the couch and sat next to Mom, the comfort of the couch outweighed by the comfort of being next to Mom. Pulling the blanket over the two of us, she pulled me against her side, wrapping her arm around my back and waist, cuddling me to her. The TV played some bit of late night programming, the contents almost less important than the time spent with Mom. I curled up against her, feeling cozy from the blanket and the comfort close by as we both watched the TV. On next was