The summer sun casts its golden gaze through our eastern windows, reddening the thermometer at this early hour. Bodhi kicks and talks from his horizontal vantage, a motley colored play mat. He smiles up at me, a sun dappled face glowing like King Midas eager for gold. His lips part and the sound "mmmm" escapes, followed by a long gutteral aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. My narcissitic maternal ear imagines this to be his first word, an eager communication with the world beginning from a central point, "mom". His assuring smile is followed by a parade of consonant vowel combinations. Each vowel drawn out by a primal growl deep in his throat, akin to a yell but deeper in resonance. His smile lands like a butterfly across his face and the call, "mmmmmmaaaaaaahhhhh", takes flight. He stares at me, brows furrowing quickly into a scowl, arms outstreched, "MAAAAAAHHHH". The room clouds over and a thunderous cry replaces the sunny calm. I bend, hands rea...