Is he yours?

I'm just back from taking Xavier to the US to meet his grandparents, aunts and cousins, as well as lots of friends, with stops in England and Germany en route.

Over the course of our two weeks of travel, I get a dozen variations of the same question from smiling strangers: "Is he yours?"

I suppose there could be two dimensions to this question: 1) "Are you his father or are you somehow just watching him at the moment?" and 2) "Are you the biological father, or is he adopted?" I suppose Xavier is light enough that it is not impossible that he would be biologically mine, though obviously the more likely explanation is that we adopted him.

In that context, the easiest answer initially seems to be, "Yes, we adopted him." But the first time I use that one, it feels almost like I'm saying, "He's mine but not really mine."

So, for all subsequent inquiries, I simply say "Yes." Yes, he is mine. No qualifying phrases. He is mine.