"Mom, can I have two girlfriends?"
"No."
"I can't?"
"No."
"But what if I want to have two girlfriends?"
"Then you'll hurt their feelings."
That stopped my six-year-old Lothario short. I looked at him in the rear view mirror while he pondered what I'd just said.
"Well then I'll just have Bella as my girlfriend," he said.
"Does Kate know?"
"Does she have to?" he asked, looking pained.
"Yes! You have to end it with Kate before you start it up with Bella."
"I have to?"
"Yes! How do you think Kate would feel if she found out Bella was your girlfriend while she thought she was still your girlfriend?"
"Bad," he said and looked out the car window.
"Maybe we need to get rid of this whole 'Girlfriend" business. You're six."
Cracky gave me two saucer-like eyes, looking as though I'd just sentenced him to life in a monastery.
"Why can't they just be your 'friends' why do they have to be your 'girlfriends?" I continued.
"Can they be my 'friend-girlfriends?'"
I sighed.
"Bella rested her head on my shoulder while we watched a movie," he smiled a little smile to himself.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. It felt really good, actually." He repeated the pleased little smile.
He's six.
Six!
Six and he's staring out the car window, smiling to himself while he dreams of Bella with her blond head resting on his shoulder.
