I was off my game on April 1st. My guard was down. Normally it is a day I love and I pull a couple dozen pranks by noon.

This year I did not have a sense of humour.

Youngest has a concussion. I have decided seeing my children in pain in dark rooms for days on end is not what I am great at. It made me feel dark, seeing them vulnerable in a way I could not protect them. I am a mama bear, ready to shred anyone who might hurt my cubs. Maybe every third couple divorces, every child loses their parent at some point, everyone suffers loss of someone close to them, but like all of these things, it does not matter that concussions are daily occurrences and everyone seems to have had several, when you have someone you love get badly hurt unnecessarily and have to drop out of life indefinitely, it hits you with singular devastation.

So I just wasn’t myself.

In walks art student. I brought you a present

Angel! What is it? I love presents. Especially from little paws.

She hands me this

I made you some brownies, she says all excited.

Thank you, I love brownies. Wow they are really light. No calories?

I open them. And I still don’t get it. Although I do know whatever it means, it’s cute. Seriously, its like I have the concussion out of sympathy. I used to be quick.

All the friends she brought into the studio to watch me open it are hysterical.

She can hardly contain herself.

I told you. I made you brown EEs. And I did.

I needed this. And loved it.