"Mom?"

"Hi, Baby. What're you doing?"

"Nothing. Can I ask you a question?"

"I don't know, CAN you?"

"MAY I ask you a question?"

"Sure. What's going on?"

"Well, I ...... ummm ..... I was ...... ummmm ...."

"Lindsey? Is anything wrong?"

"No, not wrong ... exactly ....."

"Did something happen at camp today?"

"No."

"Lindsey? Honey? Look at me please. Thank you. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"And you know that I won't get mad if you talk to me, right?"

"Yeah."

"So what's the matter, Baby?"

"Well, it's just ...... ummm ...... well, I thought maybe ..... "

"Lindsey!"

"Well, it's Uncle Grissom's birthday in three days and I didn't know what to get for him and I asked him and he said he didn't want anything because he has everything he wants with you, me and the baby and I was thinking that maybe, if you thought it would be OK and if you didn't think he would mind, for his present I would ask him if I could call him Pop. If you think it would be alright."

"Oh, Lindsey ......"

"It's OK, it was just an idea. I can think of something else. Maybe I could make him something for his desk at work. Maybe a frame for that picture he put on the refrigerator of you and the baby? I know he likes that picture. Or I could draw him a picture of his favorite bugs. Or ....."

"LINDSEY! Take a breath, Baby. Good. I want you to listen to me very carefully? Sweetie, that is the absolute, BEST idea I have ever heard for a present."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You don't think he'll be ........ you know ........ mad."

"No, Honey, I don't think he'll be mad at all. In fact I can tell you that there is nothing more that Gil wants than for you to feel you are just as much his daughter as your sister is. He loves you both very much and there isn't anything he wouldn't do for either of you."

"I know. And he's ... well ..... he's the best. And I ..... ummmm .... "

"You love him too?"

"Yeah."

"Lindsey, is there something else you're not telling me?"

"I was just wondering if you thought ..... ummm ... do you think that ..... if Daddy ....."

"Are you worried about how your Daddy would feel about you calling Gil, Pop?"

"Yeah. I mean I know he's not here and he's in Heaven. But if he's watching me, do you think he'll be mad at me or sad?"

"Sweetie, I KNOW he's watching over you from Heaven. Your Daddy loves you very much and I think it makes him very happy to know that there is someone in your life who loves you as much as Gil does. And that you have someone looking after you here when he can't be there for you. So, no, I don't think he'd be mad."

"OK. It's just that I felt kinda ... funny, I guess, about ...... "

"Loving Gil as much as your Daddy?"

"Yeah."

"You know what one of the really special things is about love? It's infinite in the amount a person has to give. In fact, the more a person uses love the more they have left over. Do you understand?"

"I ..... I think so."

"OK, how about this? You love me, right?"

"Mom!"

"I'll take that as a yes. You love Gil and your sister too, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Well then, does that mean you love me any less because you have two new people to love?"

"No, I love you just the same."

"Exactly, Linds. You can love me the same, even though there are more people in your life for you to love. In the same way, just because you love Gil doesn't mean you love your Daddy any less. You don't need to feel bad or guilty for loving more than just me and your Daddy. In your life you are going to love a lot of people for a lot of different reasons, but that doesn't mean you stop loving the people already in your life. Does that explain things better?"

"Yeah, I understand."

"Good. Do you feel better?"

"Yeah. Can I have some ice cream, please?"

"I don't know, CAN you?"

"MAY I have some ice cream ...... please?"

"Go on."