Cheese.

I flash the cheese card and Gabriel swoons, bending back, rubbing his small hand in circles around his belly while his eyes close behind bright blue glasses frames and he screams, "Me encanta cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese". {I love cheeese!} I gasp for breath as I fall to pieces laughing at his dramatic spanglish response. I drop to the floor to pick up the flash cards that scattered after doubling over in guffaws while I try and yell to Gabriel, "Write the word on the board! Write the word on the board!" Shocked with electric urgency of the game and the points on the line, he spins on tiny toes and scratches "cheese" on the chalk board, beating his opponent. "Good!" I exclaim, "Point to team b" and Gabriel bursts into tuck jumps screaming "Toma! Toma! Toma!" ("yes" 'yes" yes"/ "take that!' take that!" And I can barely make it to the board to dash 1 point for team B. Wiping tears from my cheeks and the words from the board I turn back to the class and say, "Next!"

I've needed to cry for so long.