“I wish it never happened. Now my summer is ruined.” Xander said, as I carefully drew a portrait of Batman across the cast on his leg.

“It’s not ruined, it will just be different.” I urged. Truthfully, I felt like my summer was ruined too.

“I hate that I did that! I hate it!”
“You regret climbing up the tree. You do not hate it.”
“Does regret mean hate?”
“No baby, a regret is something that you wish you didn’t do. It’s something you would take back if you could.”

He lay his head gently on my chest, admiring the comic I had sketched across the cast.

“Does everyone have regrets?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.
“Everyone has regrets baby, everyone. Close your eyes now, sleep.”
“Do you have regrets, Mummy what do you regret?”
“Everyone has regrets, go to sleep. You’ll regret not sleeping.”

His breaths were sweet and shallow as I carried him to bed.
He looked beautiful and peaceful under the covers.
As I closed the door and turned out the light, I whispered to the silence,
“I regret you.”