Dear Maya,

This week you came down with the stomach flu, thanks to your parents who caught this disease earlier, and were too busy throwing up and pooping but unforgivably neglected the possibility of spreading the virus, and kept kissing you all the time. Because THIS IS IRRESISTIBLE.

Over the past few days, the time your father and I spent on planning tricks to get you to eat was way longer than you really ate, because you barely ate. Even though you did eat, you were not able to keep down anything. We took turns to bath you, change you, wipe the floor and load laundry. We didn’t realize it’s important to teach your 14-month-old to vomit in the toilet, not on the carpet.

Your father wanted to kill himself over my constant nagging feeling of guilt and worry. Until today you had two Oreos. Joyously and blissfully. It was days since last time I saw that unfettered elation shown on your face. And it felt so good, like you had eaten what you have to for the next ten years.