On Saturday, I went to pick up my niece so we could take some of my photography to enter it into competition at the County Fair.

We get buckled into the car, I start to pull away and I hear this small voice being very serious.

“Aunt Dawn?”

I turn to look at her as we pull up to the stop sign.  “Yes?”

“School starts on Monday.”  She is starting kindergarten at the Spanish/English immersion school and is very excited about it.

“Yes, it does.  Are you excited?”

She nods.  She’s upset, though, and I can tell.

“What’s up?”

“Aunt Dawn?  I will be in school all day for 5 days.”  I know she means five days a week and I nod.

“When will I see you?  I want to still see you.”

My heart fills to bursting.  She has this uncanny way of touching me in places no one ever has.  She has the ability to make me love beyond all human capacity.  I’m overwhelmed by this little girl sometimes.

She’s worried that we’ll no longer have time for our Friday play dates.  They’ve become important to both of us.  It’s our time to be with one another.  What she doesn’t realize is that she will probably get too busy for me long before I’m ready to give up my time with her.

“We will find time, sweetie.  I will make sure we will find time.”

“Good.  Because I love you very, very much.”

I think my heart is going to explode.

“I love you, too.”