So around 3:30 this morning, I was awakened by the sound of sobs coming through the baby monitor. They sounded like they'd been going on for a while, but Jason was in deep sleep and I hadn't heard them previously with my CPAP turned on. I got up and instantly dashed to Veronica's room, where she was sitting up in bed and sadly crying. I asked her if she had a bad dream, and she nodded. I asked her what it was about; she wouldn't say. Then she finally said:

"Nemo on da boat." pause. "Daddy Nemo go after da boat." silence for a few more seconds. "Nemo's on da boat, he going 'way."

She had just gotten a Happy Meal toy Nemo earlier in the day, and now she was having a nightmare about the movie "Finding Nemo." Even more heartbreakingly cute: She pronounces his name "Wee-mo."

So I reminded her that "Daddy Nemo" finds Nemo, and they go home. "They find friends," Veronica added, and I agreed that yes, they made friends along the way and got to see them again too, so it all ended up all right. "I see Audri," she said. "Is Audri one of your friends?" I asked. "Yes." (Audri was a little girl at Debbie's house too, and they're in the same class now in preschool. They're best of friends, giving each other hugs and kisses every day and nudging out the other kids sometimes so they can play together by themselves.) I told her she'd need to go to back to sleep, that Audri was still night-night at her house and she wouldn't be at school until morning, if then. (Audri was diagnosed with bronchitis last week and missed Thursday and Friday; I don't think she was there today, at least not by the time I dropped off Veronica.) So Veronica went back to sleep, peacefully, knowing that she has a friend at school and that Nemo made it home safe n' sound. Oh, how I wish all life's troubles were so pat to solve, all nightmares so easy to get over. At least the thought of the friends you have is always comforting; age never changes that.