Butterflies

My 3-year old son and I were enjoying a quiet meal of chicken and rice last night. We were eating before my wife came home because we all had plans to go the YMCA swimming for an hour. We weren't really talking too much about anything, so I decided to ask him a question that's been on my mind a lot lately.

me: trevor, what do you see when you look at me?
trevor: ummmm. butterflies!
me: butterflies? why butterflies?
trevor: ummmm. i don't know.
me: well, are they pretty butterflies?
trevor: YEAH!!!!! they are purple!
me: purple, huh. that's good. purple is the symbol of royalty, you know.
trevor: royalty? what's royalty?
me: you know. People who are Kings and Queens and Princes!

he sat there for a while and I could tell that in the wee, little, complicated, 3-year old mind of his, he was really thinking this over. Finally, he spoke.

trevor: dad?
me: yes, son.
trevor: you can be MY king if you want!

his big blue eyes were smiling at me as broadly as his mouth was. He sees a king when he looks at me.

me: well, I'll be your king if YOU will be my prince! A prince has a very important job, you know!
trevor: OK! I'll be your prince! what is a prince's job?
me: to love the king and queen!

he gets up, comes over to me and hugs me. "I love you dad!" he says.
"I love you too, my prince!"