A Conversation with Hayden

While we were driving to gym class yesterday, Hayden asks this question, "Mama, what a wife?"
My first response is that I am not sure what to tell him. How do I explain what a wife is to a three year old. My second response was that there are so many things that a wife is that I don't know if I could do it justice. So I answer him, "A wife is what a girl becomes when she gets married to a boy. It was what Mommy was and is before I was a Mommy. I am Daddy's wife."
Hayden replied after a very long and thoughtful pause, "I want Claire to be my wife."
I said, "Hayden, Claire is your sister and it is not right to have your sister as your wife. (Thank goodness he did not ask why) You should choose someone at school, one of you girl friends there to be your wife."
Hayden takes another long pause and says, "I want Nikki to be my wife. And then I want Isabelle." (Nikki is one of his teachers at school and I am hoping that Isabelle is one of his classmate but Jeff and I are unsure. I mean I really want him to start looking in his own age group.)
"Hayden, you can't have two wives. You have to choose just one" I replied.
"Then I choose Nikki, she will be my wife." Hayden states very authoritatively.
"OK," I said, "But you have to ask her."
Satisfied, he turns to look out the window to think about how he will ask her or some other random thought altogether.