“Great day, Mommy” Sophie called as Ray whisked her out the door early this morning. It’s Monday, my day to take the girls to school, but Sophie wasn’t going to school. She was going for a heart check up.

This is the money shot appointment, the one that comes with an eccocardiogram. I sent Ray off with a list of questions for the cardiologist, and the admonition that he let us know this time, if something’s wrong. The last ecco Sophie had at a routine appointment was in June 2007, and the doctor didn’t bother to tell us about the leak for another two months.

Not that it made a difference with regard to her health — these doctors are very good, the best in town, they knew she could go on for a while with no fix – but I can’t deal with what that did to my head, not knowing all summer that Sophie’s heart had gone bad again.

I put some Cheeto’s in her lunch as a treat. “My fingers get all cheesy!” Sophie announced, grinning, when I told her. I gave her an extra long hug, cupping my hand over the bump on her chest.

I just got an email from Ray entitled, “Hi Mommy,” with a picture snapped in the exam room. Now I just have to wait for his call.