Calling Card

I felt a little bad last night after shutting Michael’s bedroom door, having said “Goodnight” but not “See you in the morning,” as is the custom these days.

I couldn’t rightly say it, because it would have been a lie. My plan was to head into work early in the morning, well before he got up. My wife had graciously offered to handle all kid duties and leave me utterly free to get myself ready and breeze into work to make headway on my project.

“I’ll get Michael up and dressed and going and take care of everything else so you can concentrate on getting to work early,” she told me over breakfast Sunday morning.

“Really?” I asked. I knew she would gladly do that for me, it’s just that I felt guilty for leaving her alone to deal with the weekday morning machinations surrounding the cyclone that is our son.

“Yes, it’ll be fine,” she reassured me.

I did some extra work at home on Sunday, feeling motivated by the prospect of an easy morning on Monday. I worked on my laptop there at the kitchen table while Michael sat in his spot next to me, occupied by eating lunch and/or playing with his Leapster.

This morning, after breakfast and coffee, I packed up said laptop and assorted notebooks and papers, kissed my wife and beat feet out the door. I marveled at the steadily falling snow, having never seen snow fall here so late in the winter. My thoughts returned to Michael, and how he would react to know that daddy wasn’t there to make his waffles or take him to Ms K’s. I felt a pang of regret, messing up our routine.

Once in the office, I got my laptop out of the case and set it into the docking station.

I was immediately rewarded by a stabbing pain in my left hand.

I looked to see what it was that had poked my palm, and saw a toothpick broken off in the laptop’s headphone jack.

Michael. He must have shoved the toothpick in there when my laptop was sitting on the table next to him.

I almost got angry… but that was quickly washed away, knowing it was Michael’s little calling card.

Even though he couldn’t tell me in person, Michael had found a way to say “I love you, daddy!”