{you're graduating. can you believe it?}

he lowers his ear to hear the baby whose growing inside the young mother, his little lips parting to reveal a toothless grin.
“mommy, i can hear her. i think she’s trying to tell me that she loves me!” the little boy says, his face a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
the mother smiles, “we don’t even know if it’s a girl or a boy yet.”
“but, mommy. i KNOW it’s a girl. it is a girl.”
“but, baby, we don’t know that yet.” she says.
“BUT she’s a girl! i know she’s a girl!.” he states. and with that he whispers to the big tummy, “i love you baby sister. and i can’t wait to meet you. and maybe i can show you how to throw a baseball. just like daddy teached me.”
~
oh, big brother. i’m going to miss you.
sometimes you get me angry.
but i love you.
and i don’t want you to go.
promise me, you have to promise me, that you’ll come back.
because, i don’t know what i’ll do if you don’t.
i love you, big, brother, bennett.
a wholeeeee lot more than you know.