This is Nicholas at two and a half, sitting on the stairs at our house on Irving Street, outside Davis Square in Somerville. It was summer, and Nick is holding drumsticks. He had a toy drum set (borrowed from Alex, I think) which he loved to bang on. Some of you will recognize the drumsticks as chopsticks - but you also may remember that chopsticks make fine drumsticks. He's wearing his favorite red striped shirt - red was always his favorite color, from the time he was little.
In my mind's eye, this smile and those dancing eyes are Nick at every age. So many smiles.
It is three years today since Nick's death.
