Yet Kiddo thus far has led a charmed life. Sometimes I’ve noted
children on the playground who don’t quite understand his behaviors. For the
most part they’ll give him an odd look and leave him alone. However, there are
a few occasions when a child is more fascinated than put off. They’ll go to
lengths to break through and get J-man to play with them in some way. It’s nice
to see kids that age can let their hearts lead.
It helps that Kiddo has his moments when he wants to reach out to
people. He has a particular affinity for girls and women. Boy, does he have an
affinity.
I think he was three years old that one day we went to the beach to soak in the warm March sun. Kiddo loves the ocean, jumping
and splashing his heart out in the waves. This day was no different. With Hubs
and I nearby in case our fearless adventurer decided to strike out for open
water ... which is a big temptation for him ... he was soon soggy and sandy.
Spring break was in full swing. The Golden Isles of Georgia are
certainly not ground zero for wild frat boys and drunken coeds. We’ll never be
Ft. Lauderdale, thank the merciful heavens. But we do get a few Breakers in our
area, looking for a place to quietly soak in sand and surf.
It was no surprise to see a line of about half a dozen bikini-clad
coeds sauntering down the beach. Lovely young sun-bronzed goddesses, they
chattered and laughed about whatever it is young people laugh about. (I’m too
old to remember. Did we laugh in my day? Had laughter been invented yet?)
Kiddo spotted them as he wallowed in the water. His eyes lit up. I
suppose he felt rather debonair in his Go Diego trunks, because he
immediately jumped to his feet and took off running to greet the goddesses.
Zeroing in on the middle of the line, he held his arms up to be picked
up by the startled lovely. She didn’t pick up his soaked, gritty little body,
but she and her friends did cluster around him, oohing and aahing over the cute
little tike. He won hearts that day.
He’s still winning hearts, but now it’s those of a more age-appropriate
level. He’s less into snaring barely clad cougars now that he’s in the company of
girls around his general height. At our last conference, his teacher chuckled
over how Kiddo is always surrounded by the cream of the 2nd grade crop on the
playground. “The girls love him,” she said.
I used to swear up and down no woman would be
good enough for her precious son. Oh yes, I fully planned to be 'that mom', judging
my adored progeny’s potential mates. I knew I would find them all wanting.
This...
...and this.
It turns out I was wrong. When we joined Kiddo for his school’s
Thanksgiving lunch, I met the daughter-in-law of my dreams. So what if she’s
still only eight? Arranged marriages are still legal, right?
Ah, there she sat with her slab of turkey-ish meat drowning in the second or third-finest gravy from a jar, a
carton of white milk at hand. The little adorable redhead at my son’s side
watched him carefully as he pushed aside the fluorescent orange round of yam in
favor of the dinner roll. I learned Red always stuck with Kiddo for lunch and
playground. She dotes on my boy. She cares for him. She looks out for him. She
is perfect for him.
But what is this? The teacher tells me that lately there is another
little lady love giving Red some hefty competition for my son’s affections. Now
he has two of them vying to be his grade school sweetheart. Romper Room Romeo
is reeling them in, apparently. Hubby’s chest puffs out as he grins. “That’s my
boy.” When I mention the girls’ names, Kiddo just smiles and ducks his head. He’s
not talking about his conquests. “Stop it, Mommy,” I am warned.
Far from being picked on for his differences, Kiddo is somehow charming
himself a harem. It gives me real hope for his future ... no, not that he'll convert to some polygamous cult. I have hope that others will accept
him for who he is. That they’ll even like him for who he is, rather than just
tolerate him in spite of his challenges. He has a real chance for friends, allies, and
defenders.
Meanwhile, I need to discuss wedding plans with frontrunner Red’s mom.
No sense in waiting until the last moment when you have a sure thing.
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