I’ve been working late for the past couple of weeks, sometimes coming home long after my little Devil has gone to bed. One of the hardest things about coming home after 7:30 is not being able to ask my boy how his day was. Lately I’ve found myself standing at his doorway watching him sleep, or even sitting on his bed, wondering if he was wondering why he didn’t see me before he drifted off to dream about fast cars, buses, and trains.

Thankfully I have a wife who likes to share some of her more memorable interactions with the boy. Here are a couple:

Of course the Devil has his good days, and his not so good days. On one of his not so good days my wife had to explain to him why he couldn’t go to the library (his new favorite spot).

“Devin, you had a naughty day today in school. You weren’t listening to the teacher and you kicked your chair. So we are not going to the library today. You have to pay the consequences for your actions.”

He pondered the statement for a moment, then tears started to well up in his eyes. He blurted out “But Mommy, I don’t have any money! I don’t have a job!”

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The other day he was playing in the yard with his mother and his Nana. At some point his Nana asked him “Where’s your Dadddy?” He replied, “my Daddy is at work because he has bills to pay.”

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After a long day at work, these are the stories that make me smile.