"I am what?" I ask with a laugh.
"Byubwiful yike me." She tilts her head and smiles and God help me but their smiles are so beautiful that I might cry.
"I am byubwiful?"
"No_ no, byubwiful." She repeats herself.
"That is what I said, byubwiful."
"No, is not byubwiful, is byu-bwi-ful. Say yit," She places her small hand on my jaw as she teaches me to say the word, "Say byu—"
"Byu—"
"Bwi,"
"Bwi"
"Ful."
"Ful."
"Good. Now say byubwiful!" She commands.
"Beautiful." I say the word and she nods and claps for me.
"See, mummy yis smart." Shelly also claps.
"Come here you two." I pull them both in a tight hug.
What was I even thinking… They are kids, the fact that they laugh and play with me like this means they have opened up their hearts to me. What more bond was I looking for?
This alone is filling.
…
