me a minute to figure out what had set him off because, to me, he was Sam. I didn’t see someone who
was born in a female body at all. He was a precious little boy and I never wanted him to feel bad
about anything he liked because inanimate objects weren’t gendered, it was society that placed labels
on them.
“I agree. They’re going to feel extra silky on your skin after we give you a bath and I put some
lotion on you.” He stilled, cocking his head to the side as he looked up at me. “Yes, baby, I bought
new lotion, too. It’s still cold and dry outside, and I don’t want you to get itchy.”
I quickly grabbed our dinner and placed his in front of him. He poked at the silicone, giggling
when, no matter how he pushed at it, it wouldn’t move. The fork only lasted a few bites before he got
frustrated and slammed it down on the table. I ignored him, watching out of the corner of my eye as he
picked up the spoon. He wasn’t doing much better with that, and he wound up half using the spoon and
half pushing the food into his mouth, not stopping long enough to realize how childlike he was.
“This is sooooo good,” he mumbled around a mouthful of noodles.
“Do good boys talk with full mouths?” I scolded him.
Sammy swallowed hard. “Sorry, Daddy. I kept thinking it but didn’t want to forget to say it, but
then I kept eating.”
I reached over and scruffed his hair. “It’s okay. I know you’ll try to do better next time.”
The sun was still just above the horizon by the time we finished eating. Too early for a grown
man’s bedtime, but perfect for my boy. Besides, bath time, story time, and snuggles would certainly
take a while. I wasn’t going to rush anything with him.
I got up from the table long enough to clear our plates and grab a washcloth. As I’d anticipated,
Sammy was a disaster. Somehow, he’d even managed to get sauce behind his ear. When I wiped it
away, he giggled and ducked away from me. “Daddy, that tickles!”
“Oh, is my baby boy ticklish?” I set down the rag and started tickling his belly and sides. His
protests didn’t hold much weight through his laughter. “Yeah, I’m going to have to remember this in
case you try sleeping in when you’re supposed to be awake.”
“I won’t, I promise,” he squealed. Hearing his voice echo off the high ceilings sent warmth
through my body. I’d often felt like there was something missing to make this house a home, and now I
knew that his absence is what I’d felt. He hopped off his chair and slipped his hand into mine. “Can
we go do bath time now? I want to play with my squirty fish!”
