short-short # 1: eye contact

When I arrived home, my son was riding on my wife's back.  We made eye contact, he gave me a smile, and I returned it.  There was a moment, as I took him in my arms, that our mutual joy at reuniting after a long day crested like a wave.  Then I looked at him, he looked at me, and maybe it was just my imagination, but in his eyes I read something like, "ok Dad, basking in the joy of togetherness is great and everything, but let's go find something to do."  I lifted him up, savoring the still-present smile on his lips, then sat down with him on the couch to read a book.