Ode to My Oldest...

I am sitting in the Bug's room, on her quilt. My back is leaning against the headboard of her bed. Which is actually my headboard from when I was her age. (It's a beautiful yellow with the green stems and leaves of yellow flowers...maybe muted Black-Eyed Susans dancing in an understated, delicate way across the top). As I type on my laptop, I'm watching her finish her homework.
She's sitting at her desk, with her back toward the window. The sun is hidden on this rainy day creating my daughter's silhouette,dark and beautiful. Her hair swoops down around her wire rimmed glasses and she works feverishly on a diorama project. "I just loved this book, Mom. You'll have to check it out of the library," she chats. She colors a setting on the side of the giant soup can that is her diorama container. The Bug has already created the doll puppet to go inside. The puppet representing the main character of the book. Using my needle and thread, she sewed yellow yarn hair on top of a white sock. She created an apron dress from some gingham material and puffed it out with some leftover white tulle.
Although it is a Friday afternoon, she is so impassioned by this book she is practically glued to her desk. She wants to make sure her classmates can identify and also identify with the characters.
She's wearing a plaid skirt, a red shirt and white leggings. I know it's incredibly cliche, but Sweet Jesus where have the past 9 years gone? My child is a young lady. She used to fit in the palm of my husband's hand. ("What a peanut!" the obstetric nurse remarked the night she was born). The Bug's still a tiny wisp of a thing, no bigger than a minute. But occasionally when I steal glances her way, I see a young adult. My mind flashes forward and she's home from college for a weekend with art books and sketch pads and paints. Walking down the stairs in her pajamas ready for Saturday morning pancakes.
I suppose on that day, way in the future when she, too, is an adult...I suppose I'll be thinking back to this day. To this moment. When I have her all to myself, on this rainy afternoon, discussing a wonderful book...pondering if it's even possible for me to love her any more than I do right now...