Four heart-melting moments in the span of four minutes

Heading out the door this morning, I asked Dean for a kiss. He quickly obliged.

Then I asked Cary for one.

"No," he said. "I'm building a...." His voice trailed off. So engrossed in his Lego project, he could not even bother to finish his sentence, to explain why he would not be leaving the floor to kiss his poor old mother.

I dropped my head, poked out my lip and pretended to sniffle.

Cary ignored me. Dean put his hand on my arm and said, "Mommy? You sad?"

"Yes," I said, continuing to sniffle.

Dean turned and looked at Cary, with a disapproving face that made my heart melt. (Moment No. 1)

"TARRY!" he bellowed.

Cary looked up from the Legos.

"Mommy, what wrong?" he asked.

"I'm sad because I want you to give me a kiss, please," I said.

Dean continued to give Cary the stink-eye.

"Otay," said Cary, coming over and raising his face, with a little puckered mouth.

I leaned down and kissed him and then turned on my happy face. He smiled up at me.

"Don't be sad," Cary said. (Moment No. 2) He went back to his Legos. Dean stayed at the door.
 
"Mommy?" Dean said. "Don't be sad." (Moment No. 3)

I leaned down and gave my sweet, youngest boy another kiss. He stood at the door and watched me get in the car and drive away.

I waved to him from the moving car and from behind the glass screen I could see -- but not hear -- him say, "Good-bye, Mommy."

And it was that heart-melting moment (No. 4, if you're counting) that turned my pretend sniffles to real ones.