Telling my Boy

"I want to tell you something important," I said to my son last night after dinner.

"Am I in trouble?" he asked.

"No, you're not in trouble."

I'd opted to tell him alone. With big announcements I find that works best for him and me - though that is something that's slowly changing.

"I asked Chloe to marry me and she said yes. We're going to get married."

There wasn't a monent hesitation before he started smiling and laughing.

"You're getting married! Can I be in it?" he asked.

And so the conversation continued as we discussed what tolr he could have and he asked the all important question:-

"When is it going to be?"

"Well," I told him honestly. We don't know yet. Maybe Easter time."

"Does this mean Chloe is my new Mum?" he asked after a couple of minutes - a little more sombre than he had been.

I sat him on my lap.

"Nobody ever, no matter what, will take the place of your Mum. You know that, don't you?" I asked.

"Yes. But when you get married Chloe will be like another Mum, won't she?"

"Well, she'll be a bit like one, maybe. But she'll be no different than she is now."

"She's already a bit like another Mum, Dad." He told me. "But she's nicer than my friend's Mums."

"Are you ok with all this?" I asked him candidly.

"Yeah!"

He loves Chloe. He darted out from the room into the living room and sat on her lap with his arms around her.

"Dad said I can be in your wedding!"

"Of course you can! You're gonna be the star of it," she told him.

"No," he corrected, "The lady getting married is supposed to be the star I think."

I love watching them together. He certainly won't be expected to call her "Mum" any time soon. That might never, ever happen and she and I are both ok with that. But she treats him and loves him as though he was her own. And he loves her so much.

If, one day, he calls her 'Mum,' she's fine with that. If he doesn't, she's fine with that too. He's under no pressure and nature will just take its course.

I've reasons to smile this morning :)