Don't grow

Mike flew last night.

I put the boys to bed then went to my room and got in my bed. I had been laying there about ten minutes before I hear the door knob rattle and the door open a crack. It was Ty.

"Mommy, I need to go potty."

"Come on in Ty. I'll take you." He goes potty then I swoop him up and plop down in my bed. We hug. He loves to be held. I love to hold. His head on my shoulder, my arms wrapped around this sweet skinny kid.

I whisper in his ear, "Ty don't you grow any tonight. Ya hear? I want you to stay small."

Ty whispers softly back, "I gunna grow Mommy... I gunna be a man."

I squeeze him tighter.

"Don't cry Mommy." --I wasn't crying, I might have sighed a little.

"Do you have to grow up?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Will you still hug me when you grow up."

"Yeah, I will hug you... And we will have free daddies and one mommy and one baby."

I think he assumes he will always live in our home and one day I'll have a house full of "daddies."

One day I'll break it to him --we could never afford to feed that many men.