Page 51 of Sean
He closed his eyes as a second question forced itself into his consciousness.How had he lived without Brittany for a whole year?He rubbed at his heart, surprised that the question didn’t sting as much as it had in the past.He’d been doing a lot of thinking since last week’s conversation with his father.The gulf of misunderstanding still lay between him and Monica like the depths of the Grand Canyon, but maybe there was hope.Maybe he was growing as much as his son was.
Sean sat up on the side of the bed and took Brittany’s picture off the bedside table.He stared at it in silence for a few seconds, noting the curve of her delicate cheekbones and the way her light brown hair curled around her shoulders.His gaze fell to her lips.He’d loved that mouth, sweet and sassy, sarcastic and loving, all at the same time.She’d known how to get her way where Sean was concerned.She’d also known how to tell a person to go to a very hot place in the center of the earth with words so sweet that you almost wanted to go.
“I miss you, sweetheart.There’s not a day goes by that I don’t think of you, that I don’t long for you.It’s Jace’s first birthday.You’d be so proud of our little guy.I see so much of you in him.He has your eyes, and he has your smile.He’s walking and talking more.I’m still waiting to see if he has your way with words.”Tears stung the back of his eyes.He gathered his emotions and continued.“There’s going to be a huge party here today, and when I help Jace blow out the candle on his cake, I’ll be thinking of you and wishing you were here.”
He heard a noise across the hall and set the picture down.“That’s our little man now.I need to hurry or Mom will get to him before I do.I want to be the first one to tell him happy birthday today.I’ll tell him that Mommy says so too.”Sean kissed a finger and pressed it to the picture behind the glass.“I love you.”
“Da-da!”
The word was loud and full of urgency, and Sean wasted no time in making his way across the hall.
Jace stood in the crib, bouncing on the mattress like it was a trampoline.His brown hair stood up in spikes.The snaps on his pajamas were open to his waist, and he had one arm out.
Sean stood in the door for a moment, staring at the scene.There wasn’t a day that went by that this boy didn’t bring a smile to his face.“There’s my birthday boy.You look like you’re excited to get this day started.You’re already half undressed.”
Jace stopped bouncing and held out his arms.“Up.Up.”
The string of sounds that followed would’ve been impossible for anyone else to understand, but Sean had a pretty good idea what his son was asking for.Jace woke up hangry nearly every morning.It was like sleeping depleted all of his excess calories.Sean’s grumbling stomach reminded him that he and his son had a lot in common.Well, except for the angry part.
Hoping to keep him distracted, he bent at the waist, forming his hands into loose claws.“I’m coming to get you,” he growled.Sean leapt forward, swooped the child out of the crib, and held him high over his head.
Jace’s belly laugh released a stream of baby drool that Sean just barely managed to dodge.“You almost got me, but you’re gonna have to be quicker than that.”
He lowered him and rumbled like a jet engine, swinging the baby around.He landed him gently on the top of the changing table.“Happy first birthday, little man.”
Since Jace’s pajamas were already half open, he bent down and rubbed his beard on his bare belly.Jace seemed to be pulling his laughter up from his toenails, loud and full-throated, while his feet thumped against the thin mattress.
“What in the world is going on in here?”
With one hand on Jace’s chest, Sean turned to his mother in the doorway.He gave her an innocent smile.“What do you mean?Nothing’s going on in here.”
“Uh huh.Well, your nothing is rattling the whole house, so tone it down a little.”Her smile told Sean she was teasing.She stooped over the changing table and dropped a kiss on her grandson’s forehead.“Happy birthday, baby.”She fingered the open snaps.“Dressing or undressing?”
“Neither.I found him like this.He’s learning how snaps work.”
“You know what this means, right?”
Sean frowned.“I guess not.Why should it mean anything?”
“Just giving you a heads up, son, preparing you for the morning when you come in here and find him as naked as the day he was born.If you’re lucky, he won’t have a dirty diaper when he figures it out.”
Sean watched Mom leave the room, disconcerted by her ominous smile.He looked at his son.“You wouldn’t...”
Jace’s response was gibberish, but Sean’s imagination layered it with maniacal undertones.“Great,” he whispered.“Something to look forward to.”
***
MONICA LAID HER CHECKLISTon the counter in the church’s kitchen when she heard the outside door open.She stepped into the nearly dark fellowship hall, waiting a second or two for her eyes to adjust.When they did, she smothered a gasp.
Sean stood in the doorway with Jace balanced on his hip.Sean looked nearly as shocked as Monica felt.
“Um...”she said.
“Hey...”
They looked at each other.Apparently, neither one of them had anything else to say.
For Monica, the sight of the baby she hadn’t seen in nearly two weeks was almost more than she could bear.It took every ounce of her strength not to rush forward and pluck him out of his father’s arms.
