Sam never knew he could become so obsessed with numbers.
When he was younger and his dyslexia was more frustrating, numbers were nothing but lines on paper meant to chain him to the notion of failure. The only important numbers were the large red ones circled at the top of tests under the words "Come speak with me after class" and the lacking ones on his paychecks. Zero had become the only number in his life and for a time, he hated numbers.
So how surprising it was, years later, to find out that five and ten and twenty could fill his heart so completely?
Five little toes on one foot. He counted them with kisses. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
Five more on another foot. Ten toes and ten tiny fingers with twenty little nails that he loved to gloss his thumb over.
Two eyes, green like his, staring back up at him, perfect and happy.
One head of countless brown sugar curls.
One gummy smile with two new teeth, shining up at Daddy.
He never knew he could become so obsessed with numbers… and then his heart, so full of love for one, showed him that it still had room for two. And he knew, in the coming years, there would still be room for more.
Five little toes on one foot. Five on another.
Infinity in his heart.