I just walked into the room and found Gideon sitting sideways in a chair and picking at his dirty feet.

“Ugh, Gideon, what are you doing?” I asked, realizing that he was about to eat lunch with those same little fingers.

He concentrated hard on what he was doing, and said, without looking up, “Oh, I’m… Um, I’m trying… to teach my toes… to say I love you.”

“Oh…”

He folded several of his toes down and pointed his foot in my direction and smiled.

“Alright. Well, I love you too, strange little man.”

He nodded and then looked down at my feet as if he were waiting for me to say it in a language he understands.