“Your Uncle Marcus told me you went to school today. Did you have fun?” Julia asked.
Noah nodded.
“What was fun?”
He told her about what he did at school, going into much more detail than when I’d asked him how his day went.
“For doing a good job, I got to go to the Reading Corner. We have bean bag chairs and mats on the floor,” he explained.
“Ooh, I love bean bag chairs. They’re soft and squishy.”
Noah smiled, such a rare occurrence that I had to stare. The woman was a miracle worker.
“Soft and squishy,” he repeated, almost shyly.
Julia grinned at him. “Which book did you read?”
He squinted, trying to remember. “There was a cat on the front. I don’t remember the name.”
“That’s okay. Did you enjoy the story?” She was really good at drawing him out by asking questions, giving a master class on how to make someone feel seen.
“Yes. I like cats. Mommy and Daddy said I can have one when I’m older.” A flicker of sadness crossed his face, and his voice lowered. “But they...”
Panic rose inside me. I wanted to scoop him up and protect him from the painful thoughts.
“You miss them.” Julia spoke in a soft voice. She didn’t panic. She was calm.
“Yeah.” His shoulders slumped.
“That makes sense,” Julia continued gently. “When amemory of your mom and dad comes up, missing them can feel really big.”
“Yeah,” he said again, his voice lower and thicker.
A small pause.
“It’s still okay to like cats,” Julia said. “And it’s okay to miss your mom and dad.”
Noah looked up at her. “Mommy liked cats too. She had a cat when she was little, and his name was Brutus.”
“Brutus. What a cool name.”
He smiled faintly. “When I have a cat, I’m going to name him Brutus too.”
“Just like your mommy’s?”
He sat up taller. “Yeah,” he said with conviction.
“I think that’s a great idea.” Julia had somehow navigated a painful conversation with ease.
Noah looked up at me. “Can I go on the swings?”
“Sure,” I answered.
He jumped up with more energy than I’d seen in a long time and rushed over to the swings, his cape flying behind him. I watched him with a mix of sadness and relief. I was sad he had experienced loss at such a young age and wasn’t himself at the moment, but relieved that I was starting to see his personality shine through.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
She understood the question right away. “All I did was validate his pain and put a name to what he was feeling. There’s no quick fix for what he’s going through, but we can help him navigate this period. Did you read the materials I emailed you?”
