Mister G is a handsome chap with gappy teeth and an easy smile. He loves balls (get yer mind out of the gutter), in fact it was the most repeated word when he was just starting language. “Baw!” he’d say, pointing at anything round. “BAW!!!”
When he was born, in the usual unique and personal and terrifying and exhilarating way that is childbirth (mine was a rather rushed ventouse assisted birth after induction, 9 days past due date), I was overcome by oxytocin. I stayed awake, staring in wonder at my beautiful lumpy headed child. To my surprise, he stared at me, fixing my gaze. His eyes were cloudy and newborn, so no idea how much he could actually see. But I fancied there was an awareness there.
I realized that I was now guardian of this new being, and would do anything, anything for him. Yes the biological post-natal mammalian bonding, pretty good at promoting survival of the species.