A Kiss Goodbye

“Bye baby. I love you!”

It was my usual as I said goodbye to him for the day. Only this day was a little different. I cleared my throat and shifted my mask a tad.

“Bye baby! Your mommy loves you!!” He did not turn back.

“Nasy?” Still. Nothing.

“HELLLLOOOO. . .Elliott?” Whenever he does not answer, I begin down the list of all of the names that I call him. He refused to acknowledge me, however. He was so engulfed with his two year old friend that mommy’s goodbyes were of no significance to my blossoming toddler. Five months prior to that moment, no one would have ever been able to tell me that my child would be brushing me off as I leaned in for a kiss, asserted my affection with an “I love you” or simply said “bye.” My little baby who fought the daycare provider off on day one was now treating me as insignificant? I expected this to happen at some point… just not at 17 months old. I was thinking maybe seventeen years. They say boys love you forever but I was absolutely not feeling the love, to say the least.