The Yawn That Took the Long Way

A tiny yawn began with the dog. It stretched his jaw, crossed the rug, and landed on Papa while he folded laundry. Papa’s yawn floated past the lamp and found Mei arranging one last row of blocks.

Mei tried to hide it behind both hands. She still had a tower to finish, a question to ask, and a sock to locate. The yawn waited while she placed the final block and set tomorrow’s question on a note.

It followed her through toothbrushing, pajamas, and a slow drink of water. By the time Mei reached bed, the yawn had grown wide enough to carry her shoulders down from her ears.

The house did not become silent. Pipes clicked and the dog turned twice. But every sound seemed to have more space around it. The long-way yawn settled beside Mei and stayed until morning.