4 AM wake up call

I woke up at 4 AM today.

The alarm on my mobile phone went ringing that early. I did not remember setting it that early last night. When I came to my senses, I figured out that the alarm is set to repeat at 4 AM every Thursday.

Last week, it was Thursday when we laid Skye to rest. I set my alarm that early last week to attend to last minute tasks for Skye's burial.

It has been a week since we dressed up Skye in her stunning white dress and gave her our final respect. It has been a week of prayers and remembering.

I remember staying up late to watch over Skye. I would take the night shift so that Aires could take her rest. There were nights when all Skye wanted was to be rocked and cradled in my arms for hours. She did not want to be put down in her crib.

I remember Skye's bath time in the middle of the day. She would cry a bit but would relax thereafter and fall asleep on my chest. She liked the warmth and the rhythm of my breathing.

I remember attending to both Skye and Heaven at the same time. Whenever I wrapped Skye in her blanket, Heaven would ask to be wrapped in the same way. He would play pretend that he was also a baby.

I remember being afraid at first when we got Skye finally home. I also remember getting confident as the days went by, putting a feeding tube into Skye, monitoring her oxygen level and checking out her vitals.

I remember what Aires felt when she gave up her job to take care of Skye. It was one of Aires' ultimate sacrifices. It was a selfless act, one that I would never ever forget.

I woke up at 4 AM today, remembering Skye. I woke up and looked at Heaven and Aires, both still asleep, recognizing that this is the family I have, love and protect for the rest of my life.