RIP Orange Fishy

For Christmas, Robby's Candy Pap-Paw took him to the pet store so that he could pick out an aquarium and a fish. Robby could not have been more thrilled! He was so proud that he was deemed ready for pet ownership and promised to be a good "fishy daddy." Scott and I were in agreement that his fondness of the fish would wane in a week or two and that the responsibility for our new swimming family members would land on us.

We could not have been more wrong. It has been several months, and Robby can still be found talking to his little friends every day. He looks forward to feeding them and frantically pleads to have the aquarium cleaned when he sees fishy poop on the gravel.

Although the aquarium was initially occupied by only one fish, a blue beta aptly named "Blue Fishy," it has quickly become home to a total of six little swimming animals. We have a Orange Guppy, Red Fishy, Yellow Fishy, Froggy and Froggys. Robby is a good fish caretaker, but he is not terribly creative when it comes to providing names. I opted to name his cat immediately so that we didn't end up with a feline named Orange Cat!

Last night, when we were feeding his fish, I noticed that Orange Guppy was missing a large chunk of his tail. I am not sure if another fish nipped at it, if the cat swiped a bite, or if the fish had some sort of virus. Whatever the cause, Guppy seemed to be on his last fin, and I knew that he wasn't going to make it through the night. Robby was convinced that Orange Guppy was ready for nighttime because he was lying down and barely moving on the bottom of the gravel.

I had trouble sleeping. I worried all night about how to tell Robby that Orange Guppy had died. Should I simply buy a replacement fish and hope he doesn't notice the difference? Do I show Robby the dead fish so that he understands? Can a three year old understand death, and should he be exposed at such a young age? Should I simply tell him that the fish went to Alabama and let him pick out a new one? It sounds strange, but these questions kept my mind turning all night.

Robby was up early this morning, and for once I was thrilled with the early hour. Scott had not yet left for work so he was able to check on Orange Guppy before Robby. Yes, our suspicions were confirmed and I am saddened to report that Orange Guppy has died. He was a good little fish, who enjoyed swimming through the plastic coral reef and eating guppy food. He will be missed.

My mind immediately went into overdrive as I considered my options. My plans for a fish funeral were thwarted when I heard the toilet flush. Apparently Scott opted for no visitation and a private service.

I decided to address the missing Guppy when Robby noticed his absence. I worried that drawing attention to the loss would amplify his reaction, making his grief worse. When he asked what happened to Orange Guppy, I was simply going to explain that he died and went away. I will remind Robby that he is an excellent Fishy Daddy, and then tell him that we need to go buy a new one. I dug through my coupons to keep my coupon for Cold Stone Ice Cream handy in case he became inconsolable.

I was carrying up another load of laundry when I heard Robby talking in his bedroom. I took a deep breathe, knowing that a smidgen of Robby's innocence was about to be shattered. He was going to have his first death experience, and I was sad for him.

I expected to see Robby sitting next to his aquarium, but I found him in the corner of his bedroom holding onto Charlie. Charlie Cat looked uncomfortable, so I told Robby that he needed to let him go. Robby emphatically stated, "No Momom. Charlie Cat is in time out. Orange Guppy went abracadabra into Charlie's tummy."

Robby reasoned through the loss of his fish on his own and developed his own conclusion. He assumed that his cat ate his fish. After Charlie was duly punished, Robby asked me if we could go buy a new Guppy. No tears, no need for ice cream, no discussion of death. With all of the scenarios that I created in my mind in the middle of the night, I never once considered the easiest of all: letting the cat take the fall!