Questions and answers

This morning at breakfast, for seemingly no reason, Cooper finally asked what kind of sickness Daddy has.

We gave him simple answers. We told him that Steve has brain cancer. That the tumor in his brain stem, which is deep in the brain, is made up of bad cells and that the doctors are working to get rid of the cells. That the tumor is what causes Steve to feel tired, to not be able to walk well, to not be able to see well.

He asked if the tumor would cause Daddy to not be able to learn new things. We told him that we were thankful that this kind of tumor doesn't affect his ability to think or learn. As Steve was talking, he was crying a little. Cooper held his hand while Katie hurried from the table to get him a tissue. (Katie is particular about tears. They must be wiped away quickly.)

The conversation was brief. Cooper remembered that Jogging Club (an early morning school activity) was about to begin, so he excused himself from the table and ran to his room to get ready. He's in excellent spirits this afternoon.