he was the first to know she was a girl
during our ultrasound the tech asked if we wanted to know
yes, but tell the boy first
the tech whispered in his ear
the answer
he kept a poker face
'Well?' we prodded.
'Oh no-I'm not giving up this knowledge that easily.'
it didn't take much to get it out of him
but, still for that brief time,
the tech and the boy were the only ones who knew
and forever he will be the first of us to know
and perhaps that is why he is so bonded to his baby sister
and maybe it is why she responds to him with the most ease
and calls him, my Henny
and he corrects me when he thinks I haven't fulfilled her needs thoroughly
and admonishes me for letting her out of my sight
and snatches her up to point out the things she loves
an airplane in the sky
a lawnmower
a robin
and he doesn't think it is a chore to look after her
if he could give up school to be her guardian
he would
because he can count on her to make him smile
and she doesn't even have to try
she is a billion rays of light
and he is her hero
