I'm in the kitchen making dinner, "Mom? I need a cup."
"A cup of what? Dinner's almost ready you know."
Then there was a silence, we made eye contact. Words were chosen carefully.
"I need a cup for baseball."

He was 12 years old at the time, he was my sensitive one.
"Wait, a baseball cup for......... protecting stuff?"
"Yes, for practice tomorrow."
"Wait a minute, tomorrow? Dad's at work. We have to go tonight? I have to go tonight?"
The sensitive one looked worried.
"No problem, we'll eat, do homework and go. Where do we go?"
"You don't know?"
"I... just.... go get your brothers, tell them to wash their hands for dinner."
I was on the phone like white on rice to the husband.
"The hell? I have to buy a baseball cup for Boy #1, tonight for practice tomorrow. What store do they sell them at? What do they look like?"
"Just go to WalMart."
"Seriously, WalMart has them? I don't have to go to a special cup store?"
"Listen, go to the sporting goods section, you have to get an athletic supporter, "
"Huh?"
"It holds the cup in place, the cup and get both in probably size youth large."
"Wait one minute. They come in sizes?"
At the dinner table I informed Boy #2 and Boy #3 we were going to WalMart and Boy #1 told them why.
"Oh," says Boy #2, "I need a cup too, if I want to be a catcher or I can just keep borrowing Alex's."
"Wait, you borrow someone's cup?" I was horrified.
"It stays in place when you squat."
"We're getting you one too, no more borrowing, please."
"Can I have a cup too." Boy #3, who was like 5 and had no idea what we were talking about but didn't want to be left out.
I looked at that face, "You aren't going to need one of those yet but we'll get you a Match Box car." His smile always lit up a room.
"Awwww.... wait a minute, I want a Match Box car too."