The PestLab devices arrived the next afternoon.
I plugged one in each child's bedroom immediately.
One near each bed.
One in the living room where they play.
One in the playroom.
"What are those, Mommy?" my son asked.
"They're going to keep the bugs away from you," I said, praying I was right.
"Will they really work?"
"Yes, baby. You're going to be safe now."
I needed to believe that as much as he did.
That night, I barely slept.
I kept going into their rooms, checking on them.
Watching them sleep.
Praying the devices would work.
Praying I could finally protect them.
The next morning:
I woke my daughter first.
Checked her arms. Her legs. Her neck.
No new bites.
I nearly sobbed with relief.
Then my son.
No new bites on him either.
"Did the bugs bite you last night?" I asked, holding my breath.
"No!" he said, surprised. "The bug protectors worked!"
Day 2: Still no new bites.
I checked them obsessively throughout the day.
Nothing.
Day 3: My daughter came running to me in the morning.
"Mommy! Look! No new ouchies!"
She was smiling. Actually smiling about bedtime for the first time in months.
Day 5: My son asked if he could have a friend sleep over.
He hadn't wanted anyone in our house for two months.
"The bugs are gone, right?" he asked. "So it's safe now?"
"Yes, baby. It's safe now."
Week 2: Not a single new bite on either child.
The old bites were fading.
Their skin was healing.
But more importantly they were healing.
No more nightmares.
No more fear of bedtime.
No more tears.
I'd protected them.
Finally, finally, I'd kept my children safe.
That was five months ago.
Neither of my children has had a single bite since Day 2.
Not one.