“Hey now, mister,” I coo at him as I bring my hand to his face. “What’s all that racket about? I’m the one who had her hoo-ha ripped in half, not you.”
His eyes pop open as he starts to settle, and his little head moves to bring his face closer to my voice.
“There you are,” I whisper. “You must be the one who’s been playing soccer with my bladder the last three months, huh? You’ve already bought yourself extra chores until you’re twenty-one, buddy.”
He grunts at me and blinks his eyes shut.
“Already ignoring me, I see.”
One eye opens back up, and what looks like a faint smile but is more than likely gas passes over him.
“Playing opossum. Mommy is onto you, Beau Stovall.” I cradle him in my arms and plant a kiss on his forehead before nestling him under my chin. “It’s you and me, kiddo. We’re in this together from here on out. I will love you and protect you with my last breath. Oh, baby boy, we’re going to have great adventures, you and me.”
I hear a sniffle and look to Momma, who is staring affectionately at the two of us.
I hope that I’m able to be half the mother to him as she has been to me.
Dallas
Present
“Okay, there we go.” I step back to take a look at my work.
Beau stands in front of me in his homemade Fly Guy costume for Book Character Day at school. The getup consists of white-and-black bug eyes made of small Styrofoam plates, construction paper adhered to a headband, and cardboard wings attached to a set of Daddy’s old suspenders, paired with a brown turtleneck and cords.
He patiently waits, grinning, as I make my assessment, and he is undeniably the cutest little snaggle-toothed bug I have ever seen.
“Perfect!” I squeal as he beams at me.
I gather his lunch box and shoes as he runs to his room to grab his backpack.
“How am I going to get my coat on and get in the truck with my wings?” he asks as he runs back into the living room.
“You’ll have to remove the suspenders and ask Mrs. Perry to help you put them back on when you get to your classroom.”
He snaps them off and carefully tucks them under his arm. Once we are in the truck, I start our daily routine.
“What day is today, Beau?”
“The best day ever!” he replies.
“Why is it the best day ever?”
“Because we woke up this morning,” he answers.
“What are we gonna do today?” I ask.
“We are going to be kind and give everyone our brightest smile.”
“What aren’t we gonna do?”
“Let anyone steal our shine.”
“How much do I love you?”
“All the way up to the moon and back.”
“That’s right, baby,” I confirm and put my right hand in the air for a high five, which he immediately returns.
