Grandbaby is cuddled up next to me in the crook of my arm. She’s practicing different sounds with me – brrrr, thhpt, wudududuh – and watching my mouth as we make sounds together. Then she slides down off the couch and heads for the door. She looks back at me when she makes it to the door, and reaches for the handle. She’s telling me she wants to go outside. When I get to the door, I look outside and see my son has come home from a day of filming. “Daddy’s home!” I say to my granddaughter.

I pick her up and take her to the end of the driveway. She sees her daddy now, and her mommy standing beside him. She starts grinning. I set her down, and she race-toddles to my son – they’re both laughing. The son gets down on his haunches to welcome her into his arms, and she settles inside his hug.

And I have a sudden memory of greeting my daddy the same way when he got home from work.

Here’s a photo Dad captured of me on one of those occasions…