Mommy...?

This morning, my son was helping me make breakfast. After globing 3 heart-attacks worth of butter on a slice of diet bread, he turned to me and said:

"Mommy....?"

"Yes hun?"

"I love you...and I love Daddy...we're a family!"

"I love you too sweetheart"

"I love Tessa, and you love Tessa, and Daddy loves Tessa!"

"Yes, we do"

"Daddy loves me, Daddy loves Tessa, and Daddy loves you!"

"And Tessa loves all of us too..."

Alex got down from his stool, and with the light of the refrigerator reflecting in his newly grown in hair, said:

"Mommy...?"

"Yes hun?"

"I don't love my cancer"

"I don't love it either"

"You know what we say to cancer?"

"What hun?"

"Go away cancer, go away...we don't want you here!"

"That's right honey - go away cancer, go away"

...as I try to wipe away the tears before Alex sees them, I whisper..."please?"