Two kids, two lives

It may appear that I have only one child; at least it feels that way. I catch myself thinking that sometimes while I’m doing basic things: taking a shower, cleaning the house, picking up groceries. I think to myself: is this just a phase in life that everyone goes through, that it happened to me earlier than expected? It’s not like a death where she is gone from me for good, but it’s more like a moving on to a different life earlier than expected… a childhood cut short, an innocence fading--in a way, at least from my perspective. It’s boarding school, really, kids go to boarding schools or else they wouldn’t exist (...ah, boarding schools, that is, not kids). She is there at school enjoying her life of school programs, activities, girlfriends, and even dances--for which I have to buy her a new dress, but will not be there to see her in it, but she is happy from what I hear, very happy.

But it does seem like there is only one now, a boy, to take care of, to love, to dote on and offer him pie. Blueberry pie, this time, and it was good from the look in his eye and the smile on his face…good pie after his hard day at school, how simple is that: a boy’s life, his innocence, a childhood still intact.