"How come I never get to play with other kids?"

​

      "You will when you start school."

​

      "But it's my birthday!" Aaron scrunched his face into a pout. "You said that when I turned six, I could play with other kids. There's the boy, he lives across the street, and I see him from my window and he looks nice and, and . . ."

​

      His mother knelt down and wiped the corner of his eye with her thumb, "Sweetie, we talked about this. Today is your birthday and tomorrow is the first day of school. There will be plenty of other kids there, I promise. You just have to wait a little longer."

​

      "But I don't want to wait," Aaron murmured, stifling tears.

​

      Kara shouldn't have been surprised. For the past few weeks it was all he could talk about. It was around the right time for him to want to be around other children. Completely normal.

​

      "Why don't you go play. I still have to get ready for your big birthday surprise."

​

      Aaron nodded, "Can I help?"

​

      "Not this time, monkey. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if you helped, would it?"

​

      "I guess."

​

      Aaron wandered off to the game room and started busying himself with his building blocks. His tower dominated the center of the room and was growing more intricate every day. Each day he would disassemble part of it and add-on to a different part, like a puzzle he was constantly solving. It started as a jumbled mess of pieces, haphazardly slapped together with no order, typical of any other preschooler's abilities. But day by day, he refined it. Now it looked much like a fancy skyscraper with all clean lines and edges.  

​

      "They grow so fast," Kara muttered to herself. It sounded like something her mother might say.

She walked upstairs and pulled down the attic stairs from the hallway ceiling. Next to the red and green totes of Christmas decorations was another pair of thick plastic bins. From one she grabbed a small black pouch, a tool kit. She brought the bins downstairs, huffing a bit too much for her liking.

​

      She heard the garage door open. Jeff was home. 

​

      She set the bins just outside the game room and peaked inside at Aaron. He was occupied with building the spire on his tower. He was standing on a chair.

​

      "Be careful, monkey," she said.

​

      "I am, Mom."

​

      She didn't have to tell him but she'd feel neglectful if she hadn't. He had excellent balance. He never fell. She'd never seen him so much as trip. 

​

      Jeff came in.

​

      "Hey, honey," he said, pecking her cheek. "How's my little guy?"

​

      Aaron ran out and hugged him, "Dad!"

​

      Jeff hugged back and started tickling Aaron almost immediately, sending him into convulsive laughter. Aaron squealed, pushed, and rolled away, still laughing.

​

      "Dad, you’ve got to see it! I'm almost done!"

​

      "Done what?" Jeff said, feigning ignorance.

​

      "My tower!" Aaron grabbed his hand and pulled him into the game room. Kara couldn't help but smile, Jeff was such a wonderful father.

​

      "Wow, it's really huge!" Jeff exclaimed.

​

      Aaron climbed up on the chair again, holding a building block piece. Even on the chair he couldn't quite reach the top.

​

      "Need help there, champ?"

​

      "This is the last piece. I can't reach."

​

      Jeff picked up Aaron and held him up. Aaron deftly snapped the last piece in place, like putting the star on a Christmas tree.

​

      "Done!" he yelled, extending his arms in triumph.

​

      "Aaron, this is by far the coolest thing you've built yet. It's perfect."

​

      "Thanks, Dad."

​

      "Should we take a picture?"

​

      "Yeah!"

​

      Jeff set him down and snapped a couple pictures with his mobile. He smiled again, "So cool."

​

      Kara tapped her husband on the shoulder, "It's time."

​

      Jeff's expression soured, "Oh, c'mon. Give it a few more hours."

​

      "We won't have much time after, you know."

​

      Jeff sighed, "Alright, alright." Then turning back to Aaron, "Hey, bud. It's your birthday today, right?"

​

      Aaron laughed and nodded, "Dad, you know it's my birthday."

​

      "Well, before we celebrate I have to check your neck."

​

      "My neck? What's wrong with my neck?"

​

      Kara said, "It's like going to the doctor. You know, like the funny doctor on the tube?"

​

      Aaron nodded, "Oh, okay."

​

      They went into the living room and Jeff sat on the floor. He pulled Aaron into his lap. Kara opened the tool kit and set it beside him. Jeff gave Aaron a big hug from behind, "Aaron, I'm just so proud of you. You really knocked it out of orbit with that tower."

​

      "Thanks, Dad."

​

      "Just tilt your head down . . . good." He brushed away the hair covering Aaron's neck and grabbed a long silver tool from the kit. "Now stay still, this may feel funny."

​

      With practiced motion he opened the small panel on the back of Aaron's neck and thumbed the small black switch inside. 

​

      Aaron went limp in his arms.

​

      Jeff sniffled, fighting back tears, "I hate this part."

​

      Kara hugged him from behind, "Me too."

​

      Together they set Aaron's still body on the floor and went into the game room. Kara opened the bin and Jeff just stared at the tower.

​

      "I just feel like every time we do this we've lost him again." Jeff said.

​

      "I know. I hate it so much. But you know what would happen if we were caught with him."

​

      "I know. I know," Jeff said. "It just sucks."

​

      Kara put her arms around him and nuzzled into his shoulder. "It's a great tower. One of his best."

​

      "Yeah."

​

      Together, they started disassembling it. 

​

      They filled the first bin and then the second in quick succession. When they were done, the tower had disappeared into the two bins, broken down completely.

​

      Jeff sat next to Aaron with the open tool kit and began to work at the panel.

​

      Kara got out the ribbon and wrapped both bins in big elaborate bows.

​

      When Jeff was done, he sat Aaron up, propping him against the sofa.

​

      "Ready, honey?"

​

      Kara sat next to him, "Yes."

​

      Jeff reached behind Aaron's head and thumbed the switch again, snapping closed the panel as he did. A few seconds went by and Aaron slowly lifted his head.

​

      "Mommy? Daddy?"

​

      "Hey there, monkey," Kara said.

​

      "You okay, champ?"

​

      "My head feels funny."

​

      "That'll get better," Jeff said, helping him stand up. "Hey, do you know what day it is?"

​

      "No, what?"

​

      "It's your birthday." Jeff said smiling.

​

      "It is?"

​

      "You almost slept through your own birthday, monkey." Kara reached out and tickled him, pulling a giggle from his groggy voice.

​

      "Hey, do want to open your presents?" Jeff asked.

​

      Aaron nodded.

​

      Kara dragged the two bins to him. His eyes lit up after he pulled off the ribbons and saw what was inside. "Blocks! There's so many!"

​

      "Just like you wanted," Kara said.

​

      "Now son," Jeff said, "You're five years old now and these are big kid's building blocks. Think you can handle them?"

​

      Aaron nodded, his smile wide.

​

      "Good," he said pulling a handful of pieces from the bin. "Now, what do you want to build?"