In good times and difficult times, you can always count on a mother’s love to fix whatever is broke.

Lovely Suburban Housewife was expecting Child Two.

She planned ahead.

Prepared ahead.

Checked this item off her list.

That item off her list.

Check.

Check.

Check.

Checked with Dad.

Could he please get the broken heater on the family car fixed?

Days were getting cooler.

Soon, cool would turn to cold.

They’d need to bring Child Two home in a warm car.

Dad said he would.

Dad got busy.

Didn’t.

Time and babies wait for no one.

Lovely Suburban Housewife checked into the hospital.

Child Two checked into the world.

Cold spell arrived along with Child Two.

Uh, Dad, is the heater fixed?

Uh, no.

Been busy.

Makin’ a livin.’

Plan B.

Lovely Suburban Housewife and Child Two would ride home with one of her brothers, whose car had a working heater.

Dad would load all of the congratulatory flowers into the family car for the ride home.

The cold air in Dad’s car would keep the flowers fresh as a daisy.

Must think positive.

Cool flowers.

Warm baby.

On to home sweet home.

Into the familiar warm bed.

Uh-oh.

During the night before it was time to go get Mom and Child Two at the hospital, Child One had crawled into bed with Dad.

And – how should I put this? – Child One did Number One.

So the sheets were cold. And wet.

Dad had forgotten to fix that, too.

Been busy.

Dad finally found time to fix the car heater.

Trouble was, when the heater was turned on, the headlights came on.

So when Lovely Suburban Housewife took daytime drives down the street, oncoming motorists would flash their lights, honk their horns and wave their arms to let her know her headlights were on.

Which, back in that day, made her maybe the first to have burning headlights during the day as an auto safety feature.

No matter. She was warm, as were her passengers – Child One and Child Two.

Mothers, spreaders of warmth, even in – and especially in — those times, those circumstances that invariable come along which thrust them into chilly darkness.

For their’s is a Mother’s love, so it is more than love.

Please click HERE to find a children’s short story by Roger Summers, The Kite That Touched Heaven, on Amazon.