Friends at last

When Matthew came toddling into the living room the other day carrying Jonathan's stuffed blue rabbit, I prepared for trouble. "Rabbit" is Jonathan's favorite stuffed animal. He sleeps with him every night; he cuddles him when he doesn't feel well; he snuggles with him whenever he goes down for a nap.
But, just as I started to intervene, Matthew shoved Rabbit at his brother, smiled and said "da." Jonathan grinned and hugged Rabbit close to his body. Matthew toddled away and came back with his own stuffed animal, "Beary." The two boys carried their animal friends to the staircase, where they sat side-by-side watching the Upside Down Show.
Since then, I have seen similar scenes repeated often.
The boys routinely bring each other sippy cups, toy cars and unused diapers that they have snatched from the changing table. They laugh, they giggle and other strange, new sounds come from their throats. Often, the exchange encourages one twin to join the other twin in an action or a game.
Other signs of this new awareness have surfaced lately as well. Last week, Matthew was sitting in his rocking chair when Jonathan discovered his brother's toes. Jonathan played with Matthew's toes in a game that left them both aching with laughter.
They rarely fall asleep easily now. When I peer between the cracks in their doors long after I have kissed them goodnight, I find them standing in their cribs, grabbing each other's hands over the rails and falling back on their mattresses in giggle fits. Then, they get back up and go at it again.
Jonathan took things a little too far two days ago though when he used Matthew's head as a drum. And they still fight over the toy that looks like a telephone, but plays nursery rhyme songs. But, when I saw Matthew give Jonathan Rabbit for that first time, it wasn't just his brother he comforted.
It was me.