"Smile for Daddy, son. Give us a big smile," I cooed.
Keneti Daniel Dawson gave his dad a slow blink as he sat, unimpressed, on the floor. At eight months old, he was a bundle of energy - but he became still as a statue whenever his snap-happy father stuck a camera in his face.
Keneti suddenly gave a big toothless smile, and I just knew that my wife had entered the room.
"That's it, buddy!" I cheered as I pressed the shutter button repeatedly.
"Oh my god," Sofia predictably groaned.
"What?" I feigned innocence as I thumbed through the snaps I took. My whole camera roll was filled with Keneti. I couldn't bring myself to delete any.
She bent down to pick our son up, his little feet excitedly kicking. "Please tell me I need glasses, and his sweatshirt actually says 'Gocci.'"
She peered closely at the label written on the front of our son's shirt. "Oh my god," she groaned. "You promised no more labeled clothes!"
To celebrate our child's birth, I got him a onesie that read 'My First Gucci.' He was definitely the coolest baby to leave the maternity ward. He was my son, after all, and he had to make an entrance. Sofia was not impressed - especially when Keneti grew out of it within a week.
"Babe, it's his first Christmas. We always dress up; you know that."
I thought the red jacket with a green stripe at the front was rather seasonal.
"Last one," my wife warned.
"Last Gucci, yes," I promised. Versace had a rather awesome selection. I already had my eye on his birthday outfit.
"No, I mean -" her words were cut off as I took her face in my hands, giving her a long, searing kiss. Even though I did it initially as a means to distract her, I soon became swept away in my wife's taste and the softness of her lips. She always tasted so good.
It was only when Keneti squawked in protest that I reluctantly pulled away.
Sofia's face was flushed, and her eyes glazed in desire. I preened in smug satisfaction.
I still got it.
"Speaking of looking good. Damn, baby," I eyed her and gave a low whistle. She was wearing a short, long-sleeved red dress. It hugged her curves and lifted her sexy bosom. "Looking sexy, Mrs. Dawson."
My wife had grown into even more of a smoke show since having our son. Watching her swell when she was pregnant, her sexy curves becoming more prominent, it made me want to keep her knocked up. That delectable ass had been grabbed and slapped more times than I could count. I couldn't keep my hands off her.
"Nice distraction," Sofia grinned as she jiggled Keneti up and down in her arms, drawing giggles from him.
Christmas was being hosted by my parents this year. My Aunt Kelly and Uncle Gavin were present. Barron and Eden were in California visiting Eden's dad and her siblings.
Keneti was in his element, being passed around by the adults. He loved the attention and he'd be getting more of it in a couple of days when we drove up to Philly to visit Uncle Ryan and Uncle Gabe. They were in the process of adopting twins and were more than keen to babysit Keneti so they could get some practice in. That suited me just fine. A dirty afternoon with Sofia was an offer I couldn't refuse.
I sipped my beer as I observed my gorgeous wife chatting with my mom. My heart warmed with love as I reflected on the fantastic years we'd spent together so far.
Sofia moved to Helensville six months after I proposed, deciding to commute to work. A year after we married, she returned to college and was working on her Masters in Art Therapy and Creative Development. I was so damn proud of her. We were now living in a four-bedroom house near my parents. Francine was a frequent visitor and pseudo-granny to Keneti. It kept her busy and helped overcome the grief and loneliness of losing Henry.
As I ambled over to grab another beer - because it was Christmas and I was feeling merry - I spied my other favorite person in the kitchen. "Hey, Mama Sefina." I bent to kiss my mother-in-law on the cheek. "Something smells good."
"I'm making your favorite," she slapped my hand before I could take a swipe of cream. "Not yet."
Sofia's mom returned to spend Keneti's first Christmas with us. She loved being close to her family in Trenton but almost moved to Helensville when Sofia fell pregnant. My wife assured her that we would visit her regularly, and her cousins in Trenton helped her set up a video chat every week.
As I looked around the room, I realized that my wife and son were missing; I knew that could only mean one thing.
I crept upstairs into the baby room my parents had set up. Sofia placed a finger to her lips as she swayed a passed-out Keneti. I tip-toed closer, ignoring the warning look on my wife's face, and placed a quiet kiss on her frowning mouth.
With a gentle smile, she slowly and carefully placed Keneti down, caressing his brow lovingly. We watched him for a minute, ensuring he was deep in sleep before I circled my wife's waist and led her out of the room.
