[ WP ] You found a picture of you and your mom from childhood , and realize she 's not aged a day . You and your siblings then come to the realization that none of you have ever seen her sleep .

I remembered that picture of my mother. She had n't aged a day. Still a thin, shapely woman with a beautiful smile and winning affect. 
 
 `` Dude,'' my brother said. `` Why are you staring at that picture of mom?'' 
 
 I adjusted myself at the dining room table. `` Just going down memory lane, David. Mom has n't aged a day. Must be plenty of beautiful sleep.'' 
 
 `` Weird,'' he said while shaking his head at me. `` Let me see that.'' 
 
 David yanked the photograph from me. I raised my hand in protest,'' Dude, do n't be a dick.'' 
 
 `` You know, I do n't think I ever actually seen mom sleep,'' he said while examining the photo. I took a sip of tea. David said to me,'' Hey, Jake -- is n't this photo from the summer that you broke both of you arms? I barely remember that.'' 
 
 I spit the tea out. `` I, uh... I what?'' 
 
 `` You know,'' David said. `` When you broke both of your arms, and could n't use either of th --'' 
 
 `` Oh yeah, I remember. Hey, how's college going?'' 
 
 `` God, what was I? 10? You were like, 13? 14? Man, that must've been hard. I mean, how did you --'' 
 
 `` Ca n't we just get back to what we were talking about?'' 
 
 `` Fine,'' David said. `` I was saying, I do n't remember ever seeing mom sleep. I mean, what, was she up all night or something?'' 
 
 `` Sometimes.'' 
 
 `` What?'' 
 
 `` -- Shit. Nevermind.'' 
 
 David raised his eyebrow at me, and then gently let the photograph back on the table. `` I'm gon na go play Battlefield. Later, man.'' 
 
 `` Later,'' I said and he walked off. But he left the photograph lying bare infront of me, a picture of my svelt, loving mother smiling upward. My biceps and forearms grew stiff. She had n't aged a day. 
 

