"Soup's Cold"

A little eight-year-old boy had never spoken a word in his life. One afternoon, as he sat eating his lunch he turned to his mother and said, "Soup's cold." His astonished mother exclaimed, "Son, I've waited so long to hear you speak. But all these years you never said a thing. Why haven't you spoken before?" The boy looked at her and said, "Up until now, everything's been okay."
Originally published November 14, 2002.