Camila patted his head tenderly, her heart swelling with affection.

"Right now, Joe, you are a little man, but when you grow up, you'll be a big man, and one day, I might need you to protect me," Camila said, lifting her son into her lap. “Do you want to grow up?"

Without hesitation, Joe responded, “Yes.”

Camila sighed deeply, pulling him into a tighter embrace.

Childhood is a time of longing to grow up.