Some of you know how it feels to come back from a mind-numbing day at work, and your 14-month-old baby boy who is just learning to talk, greets you with a big smile that covers half his chubby face and a big shout of "Pa!".
It is precious, because you know his vocabulary is limited and yet, he chooses to call you. Linguists will tell you that the "ma", "da" and "pa" sounds come earliest for baby speech development, which is why they are the first words. But this information does not change the fact that my son recognises me and calls me by that sound, and it is a sweet sweet sound.
Exciting as it is to be greeted by your baby son, your eyes scan the living room for your firstborn, the special one, who is sitting quietly on the sofa between her Grandpa and Grandma, playing with a plastic bag.
Faith has not learned to say "Pa" or "Ma" yet. In fact, she has not learned to speak at all. Still, Grandma declares proudly that today, your autistic three-year-old daughter pulled Grandma's arm towards a book, to indicate that she wanted Grandma to read that book to her.
You smile because this is not the first time she has tapped an arm to ask for a book to be read. She did it for the first time a few days ago and the whole family got all excited about it. And it delights you to hear that she did it again today.
Then Grandma goes one up.
"Show papa how clever you are! Come show papa," she says.
I smile as Faith looks at the book Grandma has placed on her lap. I expect Faith to flip the page or do something simple.
Reaching from behind her, Grandma helps Faith to flip her book to a page with apples drawn all over it.
"Where are the apples, Faith? Where are the apples?"
Faith stares silently at the book, then taps that apple page with one hand.
"The apples are here," her hands said. "The apples are here."
She then puts her book down, wiggles out of the couch, and runs on tiptoe towards her astonished father for her usual evening hug and tickle.
She may not know how to call me yet, unlike her younger brother, but you know what?
It can wait.
