Taking the Night Shift

We waltz slowly in the dark.
Head on my shoulders, your
Soft breaths gently whisper secrets.
I listen,
Finding meaning in their meter.
My hips ebb and flow
With your melodic exhales,
The two finding syncopation.
It is effortless,
Neither of us knowing which first set the tempo,
Or if you do, you don't say.

We could whirl this way for hours
Alone with silent thoughts
Eyelids lulled by the window fans,
The white noise stilling the humid air.

Tiny fingers curled at my shirt sleeve,
You sniff sharply at my neck,
Stirring, only for a moment,
Then settle in once more.
I murmur sweet nothings
In hushed tones.
Tomorrow, neither of us will remember the words.
Like dance steps, they blur together
The moment they are uttered.

Cracking open one bleary eye,
The clock confirms
Tomorrow arrived long ago,
During the first of our countless promenades,
never announcing its coming.
The sun will do that soon enough.

Thoughts drifting into dream's courtyard,
And with no toes on which to tread,
My shuffling footsteps fade,
Hips slow to a halt,
Cocked comfortably to one side.
Certain you have long since stopped noticing such things.
Again, you prove me wrong,
Registering your discontent with a sigh.
The swaying resumes,
But as always
You are too precious for a junior high 2-step,
Wriggling your protest into my palm.

I wince,
Check the clock again,
And reach out one arm gingerly
To run the warm water,
Cradling your back deftly with the other.
The bottle will not be warm soon enough.

Shushing into your tiny ear,
I worry you will wake your mother.
Shaking off the weight of slumber,
I regain posture,
Raising poised arms,
Hoping that this time, Baby Girl,
You'll let me lead.
One, two, three
One, two, three...