About a week ago, we drove out to see our two-year-old grandchildren, Maddy and James.  We don’t always bring them gifts, but this time we did. 

We didn’t bring anything spectacular.  Maddy was given a little toy Minnie Mouse.  And we gave James a Hot Wheels car.

For the days that we visited, Maddy and James kept their new toys close by returning to them often and showing them to us. 

One might think that two-year-olds can’t show appreciation, but they did.  Absolutely.

James made up a game where his car talked to some of his other toy cars.  The conversation went something like this:

New Car: Hi

Older Car: Hi

New Car: I’m the new car

And then he would drive the cars around on the floor.  “Vroom, vroom.”

Like all good things, the time went too quickly, and it was soon time for us to go home.

***

We returned to see everyone again today. 

We arrived while Maddy and James were sleeping.  I went in the playroom and put some toys away, including the little toy cars, getting them ready for when the toddlers woke up.  Grandpa likes to organize the toys. (It’s nice to wake up to all one’s toys neatly arranged and ready, again, for more fun and playing.)

As I gathered the toys, I couldn’t find the new car…

I looked with the cars that were on the floor.  It wasn’t there.

I looked in the bin with the other cars.  It wasn’t there either.

I looked under the couch.  Nope.

I searched the house for all the places where a little boy might leave a toy car.

I thought it might be with his toy trains. It wasn’t.

It wasn’t behind the stuffed animals either.

The new car was nowhere to be found.

I wondered what had happened to the new car.  I feared it might be lost.

***

A short while later, James woke up.

I went up to get him.

And there, under his pillow, was the new toy car.