Shades of Brown and Blue

ME

Does my dad seem sad to you?

HIM

(slight pause before a thoughtful)

Maybe.

Fast forward time through bath and bedtime.  Clean children, dressed in pajamas.

ME

(putting our arms together)

Connie Mac, look!

You're brown, like me.

CONNNOR

Mummy, you're right!  I am brown!  I was white.  Now I'm brown.

(holds up three fingers)

There are three people who are brown.

(points to closed bedroom door and holds up four fingers this time)

Dadu's brown.  There are four brown people in this house.

CMC

(calling from his room)

Dadu is dark brown.

CONNOR

(pause as he thinks)

You know who else is brown?  Mama is brown.

Mamima is white, like Daddy.

ME

You're like a chameleon.  You change from white to brown

CMC

(walks out of his room to the landing where three bedroom doors meet.  two are open, one is closed.  he points to each of the three bedrooms)

There used to be six people here.  Two here, two here, and two here.  Now there are five.

(points to the three doors again)

Two here, two here, and one here.

(this time he points to the closed door without looking at it)

There used to be two people here.  Before the caaaancer.

My son's eyes meet mine in shared silence.  We're all just a bunch of chameleons; only we change from brown to blue against our will.