Overheard on the sidewalk at Queen and John

Mila, in her early thirties, has long, well-cared-for blonde hair. She is wearing shorts and wedge heels that force her to take small steps. Clinging to her hand is Dylan, four years old, wearing tiny Adidas on his feet.

Dylan: I want to go to Sunnyside.

Mila: It’s hot out, right?

Dylan: I want to go to Sunnyside!

Mila: You’re going to your father’s.

Dylan: No.

Mila: Yes, you are, honey. Don’t you want to see your father?

Dylan: No!

I want to swim at Sunnyside.

Mila: Well, we can’t do that just now. I’m bringing you to your father’s house. It’s his weekend. You can watch TV in his basement with him and Tamara.

Dylan: No.

Mila: Don’t you want to see your father?

Dylan: I want to see you.

Mila: You don’t want to see your father at all?

Dylan: No.

Mila: You don’t want to go away from Mummy to the big new house in Brampton?

Dylan’s face crumples.

Dylan: No.

I want to stay with you.

Mila: Well, you should have said that to the judge, when we saw him.

Dylan begins to cry. He wrenches his hand away from his mother’s. He stops walking.

Dylan: And go to Sunnyside.

____

Aurora Stewart de Peña is half of the theatre company Birdtown & Swanville (the other half is Nika Mistruzzi). You can follow her on Twitter at @Aurorahhh.

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