“Sweet, boy.”
“Daddy, I know what you’re gonna say, I’m not supposed to think on this trip. But now,” he held his hand with the ring up, “it’s even more important that I unlock whatever is blocking me.”
Not being able to fix this for him was killing me. “Anything is worth a try, my love. But if us getting married is adding stress we can wait.”
“NO!” he yelled so loudly all heads turned. My boy blushed and whispered, “Sorry.”
“Sweetheart, I do not like the stress you’re putting on yourself. I’ll do anything to make it better, just please, let Daddy know how he can help.”
“See, that’s just the thing, you can’t. This is the one thing only I can fix. Can we please try this, and see?”
“Absolutely.” When I say I’d do anything for my boy, it’s meant in the literal sense.
On that note, we sat in front of that window for hours. Eating, talking, sometimes in silence, but not that angry kind. More, the one of deep thought. But as the sun set, it was time for us to head back to our temporary home.
Tae entered the cabin, went straight to his backpack, and removed his sketch pad and pencil. By the time I got the fire going, he sat cross-legged deep in thought on the couch, steadily scribbling away.
Do I stop him and remind him of our vacation pact?
What would the implication of doing so be, given how fast and furiously he was drawing?
Fuck, there’s no way.
I grabbed a beer from the fridge, slid back into my jacket and hat, and took it outside. Invisible lines had been drawn, for the first time, and having my hands tied never set well with me. If I pushed would Tae act out and return to his old ways? If I let him continue on as he was would our vacation be ruined?
Or was I merely being selfish.
So much for spending the day celebrating our engagement.
Had that triggered Tae in some way?
Without a doubt, the urge to finish his room shoved its way to the front.
Again.
5
TAE
“There.” It was finally coming together, just as Daddy suggested—with multiple favorites included. It wasn’t quite done, but at least I finally had a clearer vision. “Daddy?”
“In here,” he called from the bedroom.
“Why are you in bed?” He was all curled up with his iPad, smelling like our bodywash. “You showered without me?”
“I didn’t want to bother you. You were hard at work.” Was Daddy sad? Shoot, he said no work, but when it hit me, I had to run with it.
I jumped up on the bed and kissed him. “You were right.”
“I was?” His face scrunched up and he was back to being confused Daddy. I rubbed the wrinkles on his forehead and kissed him again.
“Yup. Multiple things, all my favorites. It’s the only way to do it.” Daddy flipped me over onto the bed and tickled me. “Gonna pee! Gonna pee!”
“Alright, Silly Boy. I’m so proud of you, I knew you’d find your way.”
“You always believed in me, Daddy, even when I didn’t.”
“Oh baby,” Daddy wrapped me up nice and tight in his arms, “even daddies make mistakes and when you’re lost, so am I.”
