"Dad, can we go to the zoo today? For my birthday?" Arthur clambered up onto the chair to eat his morning breakfast of cereal without milk.
"Not a chance, old boy." Gordon said from behind his newspaper. "I don't have the time or the energy to cart you around some bloody awfully zoo to look at boring old animals. Why not go out in the garden? There are lots of animals out there."
"But I want to see polar bears, dad. There aren't polar bears in the garden." Arthur replied through spoonfuls of the dry cereal.
"No, there aren't. And don't talk with your mouth full. It's disgusting." Still, Gordon did not put down his newspaper to look at his son.
"Gordon, it might not be such a terrible idea. It's not every day that little boys turn five." Carolyn called from the hallway where she was dusting.
"And it's not every year that little boys have to repeat nursery school. I mean, he's five years old and he can't read a word. He can't even count to twenty on his own. I don't know what he would get out of a trip to the zoo, besides money out of me." Here Gordon finally put down his paper to ruffle his son's hair. "You are a stupid little boy, aren't you?"
"I guess I a-..." Arthur started to say into his cereal bowl when Carolyn came rushing back into the dining room.
"Don't you listen to your father, Arthur. Now finish your cereal." Carolyn turned on her husband. "And do you honestly think you're going to help him by telling him that?"
"Are you saying you think he's a genius?" Gordon's voice was soft with anger.
"Really mum, it's okay. I know we're just joking, dad and I." Arthur said with a small smile.
"If you think that, son, then you're stupider than I thought. And that's saying something." Gordon went back to his paper and Arthur looked up at Carolyn.
"Please don't cry mum. Really, it's alright." Arthur stood up on the stool and hugged her around her neck.
"Arthur," she whispered into his ear. He tried not to giggle, but it tickled. "I don't want to you to listen to anything your father says, alright?" She took his face in her hands and looked straight into his wide eyes. "Listen to me. You. Are. Brilliant. And one day, you're dad's going to see it. Got it?"
"Yes mum."
"Good boy. Now go play."
Arthur jumped down from the stool, started to run towards his play room, slipped on the hardwood floor because of his new socks, scrambled up again and ran out of the room, singing softly to himself.
Carolyn smiled a sad smile. He wasn't the brightest boy, but he was a sweetie, and she believed that a good heart counted for a lot more than brains.
