GIVE ME STRENGTH!

I WENT BACK INTO THE HOUSE AND SAW DEE SITTING ON THE COUCH WITH HER LAPTOP, ON TOP OF HER LAP, 

AND NOTICED THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH ROOM BESIDE HER...FOR ME!

I JUMPED UP AND SETTLED IN...

OF COURSE THEN MERLIN HAD TO JUMP UP ON THE OTHER SIDE,

AND STARTED GETTING ALL THIS PETTING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MINE!

I FEEL BAD FOR DEE BECAUSE, 

WELL LOOK AT THE PICTURE AGAIN!

 SHE'S REACHING ALL THE WAY ACROSS HERSELF,

RISKING EVERYTHING FROM A TORN ROTATOR CUFF TO TENNIS ELBOW,

 TO PET HIM...

 AND I'M RIGHT HERE!

 

HER ELBOW WAS ALREADY ON MY BUTT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

ALL SHE HAD TO DO WAS LET HER HAND FALL TO THE COUCH CUSHION,

 AND ME AND HER WOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE PETTING ZOO Y'ALL!

AS SOON MERLIN REALIZED WHATEVER I WAS SITTING NEXT TO DEE FOR,

 DIDN'T INVOLVE ANY SPECIAL LITTLE TREATS,
 (LIKE THE ONES I GET SOMETIMES JUST FOR BEING CUTE),
HE JUMPED BACK DOWN.

AND NOW DEE, COULD PET ME...TO HER LITTLE HEARTS CONTENT!

YUP...JUST REACH OVER AND HAVE AT IT!

I'LL JUST SIT RIGHT HERE AND WAIT FOR IT,

LIKE A GOOD...

LITTLE...G....

WHEN I WOKE UP FROM MY LITTLE SIESTA, AN HOUR OR SO LATER,

I REMEMBERED I WANTED TO DO ANOTHER PHOTO SHOOT WITH MOLLY,

 EXCLUSIVELY FOR MY BLOG.

 I JUMPED DOWN FROM THE COUCH, GRABBED MY CAMERA,

 AND WENT TO TRACK HER DOWN.

I FOUND HER IN THE PARLOR BY THE BIG CHAIR AND DECIDED,

 THAT WAS AS GOOD A PLACE AS ANY FOR THE SHOOT.

I SAID HI TO MOLLY AND SNAPPED OFF THE FIRST PICTURE,
 BUT AT THE LAST SECOND, SHE TURNED HER HEAD AWAY!

I FIGURED, SOMETHING OUTSIDE MUST HAVE GOT HER ATTENTION,

 AND LINED UP FOR THE NEXT SHOT.

AGAIN, AT THE VERY LAST SECOND,
 SHE TURNS AWAY FROM THE CAMERA A SECOND TIME!

AND THEN AGAIN!

AND AGAIN!

AND AGAIN!

FINALLY I''M ALL LIKE..

MOLLY! MOLLY!
 STOP TURNING YOUR HEAD AWAY AND LOOK A ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!

YOU'RE TOO CLOSE...TAKE IT BACK A STEP WILL YOU?

THERE...MUCH BETTER!
NOW WILL YOU PLEASE TELL ME,
 WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM TODAY?

MOLLY:
"WELL, EVERY TIME I GET READY TO JUMP UP ON THE COUCH,
 TO SIT NEXT TO MOM FOR A LITTLE WHILE....YOU'RE ALWAYS THERE!

I LOVE HER TOO YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES IT JUST MAKES ME SAD,
 THAT I CAN'T SIT AND BE CLOSE TO HER FOR A WHILE TOO,
BECAUSE LIKE I SAID...YOU'RE ALWAYS THERE!

MERLIN WALKED OVER AND GAVE MOLLY A LITTLE CONSOLING KISS ON THE CHEEK  AND PROMISED HER THAT HE WOULD BE THERE FOR HER TO HELP HER GET THROUGH THE HEARTBREAK AND PAIN CAUSED BY MY DEVASTATING ACT SELFISHNESS!
 

"SHE'S ALL BETTER NOW." MERLIN SAID.

 FRIENDS...
YOU COULD TASTE THE DRAMA IN THE AIR!
IT WAS....BLAND!

"MOLLY" I BEGAN,
"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST JUMP UP ON THE COUCH,
AND SIT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MOM?"

"ACTUALLY" SHE REPLIED...

I NEVER THOUGHT DOING THAT!

SIGH....

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME!