Because of her speech delays, Samantha uses choppy phrases to convey her thoughts. Tina and I have become quite used to them. For example, when Samantha experiences any change of emotion...be it fear, joy, pain, surprise, or sadness...she will simply ask, "What happen Pantha?" What she is actually asking is, "What is wrong with Samantha"...why am I feeling this way?"

Tina had been experiencing some health problems and, after som delay, finally decided she should consult a doctor. Samantha and I accompanied her.

On the way to the medical mall, Tina told Sam that she was going to see the doctor. Samantha, having had her own share of visits to the doctor, was actually pretty calm about the whole idea. We had stopped, along the way, and bought her some cheese puffs - to add a little "flavor" to the whole experience.

As we sat in the waiting room, Samantha ate the last of her chips, and announced, rather causually, that she needed to go "pee". As we stepped into the men's room, she sauntered over to the nearest stall, opened the door, motioned for me to wait, and closed the door behind her.

We returned from our little adventure, just in time to hear a voice, from behind the counter, call out Tina's name. Tina stood, and began walking toward the door that was being held ajar for her. Samantha, sensing that something was not quite as it should be, suddenly jumped up, and began moving toward the door. She reached it, only to find it closed, and her mommy on the other side, out of her sight.

Samantha became hysterical...to the point I had to take her outside. I tried everything I could think of, to calm her down.

I finally took her to my truck...a familiar place...a plance she knows...and began to explain to her that mommy was sick, and that the doctor was going to look at mommy's eyes, ears, and throat, and that he would probably give mommy a shot to make her better.

Samantha, by this time, was sobbing freely...all the while, asking, "What happen Pantha?" Once again, I repeated my explanation of all the doctor would be doing to make mommy feel better.

It was then that Samantha made the attempt to get a grip on her emotions...almost...as if she had reasoned the whole process out in her mind, and had come to the point of accepting the situation of having to be apart from mommy, for just a little while. She stopped sobbing, wiped her eyes, and said, "Pantha take shot!"

No one is ever prepared to accept love in its purest form. It can sneak up on a person and take them to their knees...in an instant.

I looked at the innocent, tear-stained face, of my little angel, and realized what she was trying to tell me...that the pain of a needle was simply a window of opportunity for her to get to the one she loved.

The next question out of Samantha's mouth was..."What happen Daddy?"

With the tears, now flowing freely down my cheeks, I could only say, "Daddy loves Samantha!"