Page 123 of Forever Fallen

“Alright rascal,” Ryan growled playfully as Ben shrieked, pulling away. The two of them sprawled out on their bellies on the carpet. “What are we going to play?”

“Airplanes!” Ben said immediately, and Ryan looked over his shoulder to Sophie pointedly, raising an eyebrow, as if to say ‘See?’

“Well, I don’t see any airplanes,” Ryan said in this voice that she knew was challenging her.

It wasn’t that she was opposed, she just hadn’t found any that were child safe. Everything had tiny parts on it, and she was afraid Ben or Ruby would swallow them.

“Have ta’ use your ‘mmginshen,” Ben said stoically.

“Imagination,” Sophie prompted, smiling proudly. Her son was so smart and beautiful, that he amazed her every day. Occasionally he would give her this look that reminded her so much of Ryan that it was incredible.

“Big words, buddy…” Ryan exclaimed. “I’m impressed – and yes. We’ll use our imagination until we get you a plane that is safe to play with for a young man like you.”

Ben and Ryan each picked up a block and made ‘Rrrr’ sounds in unison… before Ryan started making another sound. “BRRRRTTTTTT” he said noisily, causing Ben to glance up, fascinated.

“What plane is that?”

“A-10,” Ryan said, looking at Ben. “See, Daddy flew a Falcon in the Air Force, but there are all sorts of planes out there.”

“Ryan…” Sophie warned, frowning, as she realized that her husband had been making firing sounds, teaching Ben about weapons.

“What?” her husband said innocently. “He’s not going to be little forever, and it does make that sound. Just like the Falcon goes PEWWWWWW BOOM!” Ryan said theatrically, grabbing some of the blocks and tossing them up in the air to mimic an explosion.

“Omigosh…” she groaned, hearing Ben immediately doing the same thing. Then Ryan joined in – and there was a chorus of BOOMs and blocks being scattered about the living room, flinging them each time a bomb exploded.

“Seriously, Ryan?”

“I love you, Soph…” he grinned. “I’m just having fun with my son, doing boy things.”

“Boy fings…” Ben quoted immediately – and Ryan held up his hand, only to have Ben slap it in a high-five.

“Where did you learn that?”

“Boy fings…” Ryan smiled, winking at her.

“I give up,” she groaned.

“What? I won’t teach Ruby about makeup, periods, or how to fend off boys… in fact, she’s not dating anyone until she’s fifty,” Ryan grimaced. “That is going to be all your department. I cannot go buy Tampons for my little girl. That just crosses a line, so we need to have our boy things and you can have your girl things.”

“You are sexist, Ryan Merrick.”

“Nope. I’m a red-blooded man who’s stuck in his ways and loves his children very much. It would scar Ruby for life if her father had to take her to the store to buy something like that and I ran out of there screaming in a high-pitched voice.”

Sophie laughed at the image he was painting.

“You are not going to bethatbad…”

“And you wouldn’t have a huge problem with Ben getting condoms later on – or discussing what could happen with the birds and the bees?”

“WHAT?” she snapped angrily. “We are not discussing… Ryan… just NO.”

“Sophie, it’s a fact of life and both children have to have someone to talk to that will understand,” he smiled. “That’s a long way off… A LONG WAY,” he frowned, looking at Ruby, “but the bonds, the trust, the faith in their parents is built now.”

His voice was so gentle towards her that she understood he was referring to her own upbringing.

“This house will always be full of love, laughter, and trust… so we build those bonds now, so they are there forever.”

“When did you get so smart?” she sighed, realizing he was right.

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