WILSON TELLS ALL

I asked Wilson whether he'd like Antony, his soft toy, for comfort, but he squeezed his eyes shut and whispered, 'I couldn't bear the humiliation of Antony knowing the truth about me...' 

After a few minutes, he began to tell me what had happened.

His Big Sister, Andrea, had taken him aside and told him that his Mum, Mrs Vermilingua, wasn't exactly his mum. In the biological sense. She, Andrea, was his mum. 

'I'm adopted!' he wailed, 'And I didn't even know! Everyone has been lying to me all my life, and I don't even know who I am any more!'

When he said no more, I ventured, 'Oh Wilson – I'm so sorry. I had no idea. But – I expect there were good reasons...'

He made no reply, so I stroked his head and continued, 'Times were very different when you were born. And there's absolutely NO reason to feel "humiliated".'

Finally I added – with as much conviction as I could muster – 'It's more like you're lucky enough to have TWO mums!'