Pulled(93)
Author: A.L. Jackson

My heart did its own little flip-flop, ever anxious for the reunion with its match. The door opened and Daniel’s voice boomed as it carried down the hall, “There’s my little man!” Shril laughter and commotion followed as the daily round of tickling and loud, exaggerated kisses commenced as soon as Andrew was in Daniel’s arms. Loud steps hurried down the hallas Daniel shouted, his question obviously meant for me as he cal ed, “Where’s Mommy?” I hol ered back, “Kitchen.”

They rounded the corner and came into view.

Andrew laughed hysterically as Daniel carried him upside down over the shoulder. Daniel’s face was alight with love, glowing with complete joy. “There she is.” His voice softened when he spoke, his words holding more meaning than any other could ever know. He stood before me, the energy thick, drawing me to the man I could never live without. He flipped Andrew and set him upright on the floor before he reached out to wrap his arms around my waist.

He drew me into a closed-mouth, albeit fierce kiss, his touch assuring me he had missed me.

I grinned, my lips still pressed to his, and murmured, “I missed you, too.”

He nodded, smirking against my mouth, lingering for a second longer. He stepped away, and brought Andrew back into his arms. “So, what did you and Mommy do today?”

Andrew proceeded to give Daniel a play-by-play of our entire day, his jumbled, sweet words clear to Daniel and me. He ended his speech by tel ing Daniel of our planned trip to the zoo this weekend.

“The zoo! I can’t wait,” Daniel said, throwing Andrew into the air, an act I had long since given up tel ing him to be careful about.

“Okay, guys, dinner’s ready.” I took two of the plates I had already fil ed, and Daniel grabbed the special one for Andrew. We all settled around the table in the breakfast nook. Daniel’s hand found my knee, his thumb caressing over the fabric of my pants, distance for us never an option.

“How was your day, baby?” He watched for my reaction as he speared a piece of chicken and placed it into his mouth.

I really never had a bad day. Some were more stressful than others, but I had been given back my life, and I would never take it for granted. I never let the smal things skew that truth. Daniel always asked, though, because he really cared, so I told him the truth.

“Perfect.”

He grinned and shook his head, knowing exactly what I meant. He lived his life the very same way.

“Oh,” I sputtered through my full mouth, chewing and swal owing my food. “I talked to my mom today, and everyone’s coming out for the Fourth of July.” Mom came out to visit often, but Mark and my sister had only been here a few times, and I couldn’t wait to have the house filled with the rest of my family. In the past three years, we had all become very close. That piece of me had been lacking for so long, and I now found I couldn’t go long without seeing them.

The only missing person had been my father, but it wasn’t from lack of trying on my part. My chest tightened a little as I thought of him. Even though he had caused me so much pain, he was still my father, and I had been willing to forgive him. I had reached out on more than a few occasions. I had sent him an invitation to our wedding and cards with pictures of my family on every holiday. I had also left him numerous phone messages, trying to get in contact with him. He never replied.

When he’d died last year of a sudden heart attack, I’d had to accept I would never reconcile our relationship. As angry as I was at him for being so prideful and unwil ing to all ow us to come to terms with our past mistakes, I would never deny that his death had been a huge blow.

Daniel smiled and tightened his grip on my knee.

“I can’t wait to see them, too.”

It had taken Daniel a while to forgive Mom, but after they’d had several heart-to-hearts and hashed out their past differences, they’d accepted that they had both been guilty of harming the other. Once they had resolved them, though, they’d become impossibly close.

Andrew kept us entertained through the rest of dinner, making us laugh at every turn. His innocent insight into the world was something that left us feeling pure and hopeful for the future. Finished with dinner, Daniel rose to clear the dishes from the table and took them to the sink.

“Why don’t you give Andrew his bath, and I’ll take care of these.”

I nodded, released the straps of Andrew’s chair, and drew Andrew into my arms. “You ready for your bath, pumpkin?”

Bathing him was hardly a chore. His little body was covered to his chest in bubbles and his face was my very light as he laughed and played in the warm water.

Every moment with him was a treasure.

My son.

Never would I forget Eva, my precious girl I knew only in my soul, but she was there, ever present and forever a part of me. My love for her would never diminish, and Andrew would never take her place, but he’d completely filled the gaping hole in my heart that had been reserved only for him. I’d longed for him my entire life; I just hadn’t known it until he made his undeniable claim on my heart.

I massaged shampoo against his scalp and

through his hair, carefully rinsing the suds away, pulling the plug, and all owing the water to run away. I wrapped him in a towel, hugging him to me as I walked him to his room and dressed him for his night of sleep. I drew the covers down, and he crawled into his smal bed with the covers printed in his favorite TV character. “What story would you like to read tonight?” He gazed over at the bookshelf that sat opposite his bed and looked at the spines he had memorized by color and shape. He chose the large book filled with nursery rhymes, and snuggled down under his covers, pulling them to his chin.

Daniel appeared in the doorway, smiling at us. He snuggled in beside me, and we took turns reading our son his favorite poems. His eyes drooped more and more with each rhyme we sang. When his lids began to flutter, I closed the book and leaned in, kissing him reverently on his forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

He yawned and rubbed his eyes with tiny fists,

“Night, Mommy. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Daniel scooted in, nuzzling Andrew’s neck before kissing him on the cheek. “Goodnight, little man.” Nearing sleep, Andrew muttered, “Goodnight, Daddy,” through very tired lips.

We both stood, and Daniel tucked him in, making sure he would be warm for the night. I switched off his lamp and flicked on his night-light. A swirl of stars il uminated his ceiling.

Daniel and I lingered in his doorway, holding each other while we watched our son drift into a deep, restful sleep. His little body rose and fel with each breath he took.