It ain’t easy being two.

My baby turned two last week, and what a week it was! We had a very small party the Saturday before his birthday, and his two out-of-state aunts flew in for the festivities. One didn’t quite make it in time for the party, but she made it nonetheless, and we were thrilled to see her. The day after the party, my husband had to fly to Victoria, Canada for work, which left us to our own devices for the week. My plan was to stay very busy, so busy that the three of us couldn’t dwell on how much we missed him. That worked beautifully until Friday night, or perhaps I should say Saturday morning.

All week, I had kept Smiley and Tulip running from one activity to the next–museums, play dates, whole family sleep-overs, play grounds, flying kites, ice cream, and a dozen other activities. Friday, though, we had a lazy afternoon at home, and I think that we slowed down just enough to let missing Daddy catch up to the little guy. He had as much fun as anyone with our lazy day, but around 3:30 in the morning, a tiny, sad voice woke me from a sound sleep asking tearfully, “Mama, why no Daddy?” over and over again.

So began two full hours of pouring out every worry that faces a newly two-year-old little boy and crying both of our shirts wet. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything so sad. He asked about his daddy, and when I told him that Daddy was already in a plane flying home to us, he wept that he was afraid of the plane. He worried that a noise downstairs (likely the cat jumping off the counter) was going to get us and wanted us to hide under the covers. He told me that he was afraid of dinosaurs that bite and whimpered some more. He told me his monkey helmet also “bites” him under the chin sometimes when I snap it on so that he can ride his tricycle. Between worries, he would snuggle and repeat after me that “Mommy’s got me; it’s okay” and cry himself nearly to sleep before ramping up into another topic of concern.

I had no idea he had so many worries, but clearly it’s harder to be two than I had realized. Watching him cuddled up with his daddy at night now that we’re all together again, without a care in the world, I’m just relieved that having both of us home helps to keep the worries at bay. Clearly just one parent isn’t enough to help him feel safe from dinosaurs and helmets that bite, not to mention scary noises that go bump in the night.

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