Bedtime story

We are in bed, the three of us. Armand is on his belly, reading something on his laptop facing the foot of the bed. I am seated leaning against the headrest busy with my own laptop. Matthew is pacing back and forth in between us. He is very chatty, talking to himself. Narrating, I realize.

“What are you doing?” I ask him.

“I’m putting coins in Daddy,” he explains.

“Why? Is Daddy like Oinky?” I ask, referring to his piggy bank.

“Daddy is a whale.”

“A whale?” I am perplexed. “Like in the mall? Or in the ocean?”

“Like in the ocean. I ride it.”

“But if you put coins in a whale in the ocean, he will…” Die? “…cough,” I lamely finish.

Matthew didn’t seem to accept my statement and continues to put “coins” in Daddy.

Then he says, “Daddy won’t cough anymore. I put medicine coins.”

Oh-kay!