"soft kisses"

"Amy what are you doing?" my niece asks. I have this thing with books. Hardcover books that are old, or new, or heck in between. I love the sound one makes when you open it, and I love the smell. Whether it has that old history smell, or the hot off the press smell. I know I am completely insane, and I got caught red handed by my five year old niece, sniffing the book.
Almost each time we visit my parents the Childcraft books come out. There is one with several short stories, and poems for their age. Every time without fail, we read "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly," this night was no exception.
I begin to read read, and Hannah looks at me all serious, and goes I can feel your breathe. First thing that comes to mind is, kids are so honest, she's going to tell me it stinks or something, but the words tumble out of her mouth and I melt. Amy, your breathe is like soft kisses on me" I said "It is?" "yes, they are like when mommy tucks me into bed at night." If you know me at all, I am putty when it comes to kids especially my nieces and nephew, so I am trying to hold back the tears. I kiss Hannah on the top of her head and we continue reading.
As the story ends, Hannah is leafing through the book for something else, and she spots a drawing of a horse, so I am given my lesson in horse breeds. Without missing a beat Hannah and I are searching the old encyclopedias for breeds of horses. Hannah starts naming them off one by one. Hannah knows her horses, and ultimately wants one. Hard for a city girl to have a pony though.
By the time we are wrapping up the lesson on horses, Rylee and Cash have noticed we are reading, Rylee wants part of the action, and Cash he wants a drink. I hand the book to Hannah and up I go to attend to the parched child.
Gone only moments I capture Hannah and Rylee on the couch with the book...Hannah sniffs the book, smooths out the page, and begins 'reading' to Rylee. Hannah in her most animated tone is reading Rylee the "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly" not wanting them to notice me, I am quietly watching. Hannah then leans forward, or more accurately to the side and kisses Rylee on the head and continues reading.
How perceptive are kids, if Hannah only knew she made my entire month by that little mockery. Its those little moments you get lost in. It never even dawned on me Hannah noticed the kiss on the head, because she never looked and me, and I never thought she would really smell the book. I am sure she has no idea why, I do that, and further more probably didn't know why she did it, but it was sweet none the less. I just hope she doesn't continue the trend and have to smell all her text books in school.