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“Is everything ready, Mummy? Can I wake him up yet?” Excitedly, the little boy bounced up and down while standing in the middle of the kitchen. Charlene grinned at her son and slid another pancake on the plate. “Just one more minute, sweetheart, let me finish our pancakes first. Have you checked the tent if everything’s alright? Do we have enough pillows and blankets?”
With gentle eyes she watched Noah race out of the room and into the living room down the hallway. Benedict was still asleep upstairs or at least he was still in bed because a little note on his bedside table would have informed him of staying in bed until he was fetched.
It didn’t take long for Noah’s small feet to be heard again on the polished wooden floor in the hallway and with tousled hair and sparkling eyes he came to a halt in front of his mum. “Everything’s in order Mummy. It’s just you, me and Daddy missing now. Can we go and get him yet?”
Turning off the stove, Charlene placed the last pancake on the plate and after wiping her hands, she nodded with a loving smile. “Yes, darling. Let’s go and get him. No running on the stairs, though, you hear me,” she warned her 5-year-old and after agreeing Noah padded out of the room.
Caressing her small bump, Charlene followed him slowly and even before she had arrived at the top of the staircase, she could hear the happy laughter of her son and husband.
“Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!,” Noah shouted and jumped onto the bed before falling into his father’s arms. His giggling could be heard all through the house and a comfortable shiver ran down Charlene’s spine as she stood in the doorway watching them. The bright morning sun shone into the room, lighting up Noah’s auburn hair and Benedict’s dark, Sherlock-curls.
Briefly, Benedict caught her eye before their son was all over him again and he chuckled with a loving smile as caught Noah and held him upside down much to the delight of the 5-year-old.
“Daddy, don’t,” Noah laughed loudly. “We need to go downstairs for your surprise!” Within seconds he was the right way around again and impatiently, he tried pulling his father out of the bed.
“I’m coming, buddy, I’m coming,” Benedict grinned and scrambled out of bed only to greet his wife with a loving kiss. “Morning sunshine,” he whispered as he caressed her baby bump. “Morning handsome,” Charlene whispered back, her brown eyes twinkling with love and excitement.
***
“Don’t open your eyes yet!,” Noah commanded as he led Benedict down the hallway towards the living room. He was all giddy with excitement and Charlene could literally see how hard it was for him not to simply shout out that there was an actual, real tent in their living room which they could spend the day and night in. For so long the two of them had wanted to go camping together but no opportunity had arisen so far. For Father’s Day, Noah had wanted to change that and his mother was only too happy about that.
Slowly, they padded further towards the room until they stood in the doorway. By now, Charlene had placed their breakfast right in front of the tent’s entrance and a fake campfire was crackling away on the TV screen.
“Ok, Daddy, you can open your eyes now!” Hopeful and excited Noah looked up at his father who opened his eyes and gasped as he saw the tent and the breakfast and the fire.
“Oh wow,” he stuttered and kneeled down by his son. “That is the best father’s day surprise ever, Noah. Is that tent for you and me? Can we sleep in it tonight?” Quickly, Noah nodded and pointed towards the TV. “Look, we even have a campfire. And Mummy has made us breakfast. And we have looooaaads of blankets and pillows to sleep on. And Mummy said we could have hot chocolate later with marshmallows on top.”
Lovingly, Benedict pulled him in for a hug. “That sounds perfect, Noah, absolutely perfect. Thank you so much.” Charlene wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him so happy. His eyes were gleaming with happiness as he held their little boy and silently, unseen by her two favourite men, she captured this precious moment on camera. Benedict would sure love this photo as another addition to his bedside table gallery.