A Post In Which My Lies Lead to Cuteness

I often have to leave at random times on random days to go to work. Sometimes I’m gone overnight. It’s the nature of my job as a pet-sitter.

Sometimes when I have to leave more than once or twice a day for a job, my kid gets sad. Understandable and heart-wrenching but Mommy’s gotta do what Mommy’s gotta do to support The Child’s fruit snack addiction.

When I had to leave a few days ago I went to kiss Luke goodbye. He pouted, but luckily I realized I have The Season on my side. I told him Mommy had to go back to work but that afterwards I was meeting with Santa to consult with him and see what he’d collected for The Child’s hoard under the tree. Am I a big, fat, dirty liar? Yes. Am I likely to get hate mail for this? Probably. But wait, before you do, read what Luke said to me after.

He looked down at the cover of his kids’ magazine, pointed to the drawing of a clutch of children playing on a Safari-themed floor puzzle. He looked up at me with his pouty, big blue eyes.

“Tell Santa I want. Pweeease?”

That sound was your heart breaking and melting.

I promised him I’d tell Santa and thanked every lucky star I have that my aunt had *just* told me she was buying him a floor puzzle *literally* the day before.