I was thinking about my daughter
while I poured the hot water into my mug
smelled the peppermint tea

My dad drinks tea
But I never got into the habit really
until these past holidays
maybe it’s because I bought myself a lovely pink electric teapot
but I think
more likely
It’s because of my daughter
home from school
how we made tea at night
and if I was lucky
we’d sit together to watch ER

After an episode, I’d ask her
hopefully
”Are we watching another one?”
knowing it was already past her bedtime

In my mind I’d laugh
It was just the other day when
her preschool self would look at me
with her bright eyes
and long curly hair
as the end credits ran for Little House on the Prairie
and sing with the theme song,
”Another one?”

Confession time
I’d almost always let her have
another one

I sometimes tried to remind her
of all those times I let her watch
another one
she owes me a lot of episodes, I think

She’d look at me
with her bright eyes
and her long curly hair
as the end credits ran for ER
and tell me that we could watch
another one
tomorrow