Just Life

We had our first official family picture. "Take it fast," we told the photographer, "our children are going to fall apart."

"Have more faith in me," she said. That won my heart, quiet honestly, the sweet, determined, naive thing.

Niko went absolutely haywire. She got one shot, I kid you not. One shot. Then Luke scooped him up and carried him outside to console him. Thankfully, it was a pretty decent shot. Luke, Nina, and I were looking equal parts happy and wry. Niko was tearfully chewing on his fingers.

"We'll take it," I said.

The photographer eyed it. "I can ask them to take the tears out."

"Keep them," I said, and smiled at her. "This is him. This is us. This is just life."