Our Happy Hugs

Mom scooped Jasmine up into her arms, her heart feeling as full and warm as a freshly baked cookie. Jasmine, her little star, her precious Jasmine, was just the cutest thing in the whole wide world. Mom could stare at her for hours, watching the tiny fingers curl and uncurl, the little nose twitch, and those big, curious eyes taking in everything. And then there was Ariana, another cute girl Mom knew, who was also super adorable, but Jasmine, oh, Jasmine was Mom’s very own super-duper, extra-special, cuteness champion.

Lately, Jasmine had discovered a new, thrilling game. It involved anything that could be mouthed. Toys were fine, of course, but there was something undeniably fascinating about the things Mom and Dad used. Especially socks. Oh, the socks! One moment, Mom would be folding laundry, a neat pile of fluffy socks ready to be paired, and the next, Jasmine would have one firmly clamped in her mouth, wiggling with delight as if she’d just discovered the most amazing treasure on Earth. This particular afternoon, it was a bright red sock, currently halfway down Jasmine’s throat, its fluffy top peeking out like a very confused, very small creature trying to escape.

“Jasmine, honey, what are you doing?” Mom asked, a smile playing on her lips. She knew, of course, but the look on Jasmine’s face was just too funny. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks were puffed out, and the sock was making little muffled sounds. It looked like she was trying to talk, but all that came out was a soft, sock-muffled “Mmmph!”