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Tina was crying again.
Bob’s daughter had been such a serene baby that he hadn’t expected she’d reach the dreaded “Terrible Two” phase. However, she’d burst into tears around a million times that week, and he comprehended what this meant. This situation would force him to see more episodes of Equestraunauts. He didn’t know how much his brain would be able to handle more adventures with Chariot and her magical horse gang. The thought alone was enough to cause a mild throbbing in his temples. A wave of dread washed over him at the idea of going through this once more.
His stomach became tight with guilt at his next decision, but he needed this for his own sanity. While rubbing soothing circles on Tina’s back to placate her, he called for his wife. “Lin? Can you take care of Tina this time?”
He heard a clatter as she rushed to the living room, and he could tell by how fast she was dashing, how eager she was to spend time with their daughter. “Oh, my baby! She’s upset and wants to watch Equestranauts again? You had a long day in the restaurant, Bob, so I’d love to take care of her for you. Gene still needs his lunch, though.”
The idea of getting spit up on didn’t appeal to him. But anything sounded better than sitting through another Equestranauts marathon with a finicky Tina. He clasped his hands together in a silent thank-you to his wife and went to check on their ten-month-old son. Gene was sitting in a high chair, kicking his pudgy legs out of boredom. When he looked at his father entering the room, his eyes grew, and he beamed, the corners of his mouth almost leaving his face from the enthusiasm. He smacked the table with his miniature hands, letting out giggles, frothy spit bubbles leaving his mouth.
Before Tina’s meltdowns, which needed to be quelled by television, Gene had been the more arduous baby to care for. Tina was subdued and well-behaved, even sleeping through the night, a miracle for a newborn. And the pregnancy was also quite easy on Linda. She’d gained a pregnancy glow, and her Morning Sickness vanished after the first month. All of that altered when she became pregnant with Gene.
Her nausea reached a peak they didn’t even realize was feasible, and Gene kicked as if he’d never get the chance to again. Once he came into the world, he’d also blessed them with colic. As a newborn, he’d stir Bob and Linda from their sleep with his incessant wails. Bob had come close to crying himself a few times from the stress. That didn’t mean taking care of his son wasn’t worth those moments.
He remembered the appointment where they first found out Linda was pregnant with a baby boy. Memories of how distant his father had been after his mother’s passing flowed through his mind. He couldn’t help thinking he’d make his son feel the same way, would give his son the same childhood he’d experienced. But when he’d first laid eyes on Gene, in an instant, his worries melted away as if a volcano appeared out of thin air. All he could think about was how adorable his son’s flushed, chubby cheeks were. He’d grown an instant desire to protect this child, to shield him from everything cruel in the world. They were similar emotions he’d had when Tina was born, but more intense.
Gene’s unintelligible gurgling pulled him from his thoughts, and he shook his head to clear his mind. “Hey, buddy. Are you hungry? It’s time for your lunch.”
Gene giggled once more and smacked the table of his wooden high chair, clapping his hands in excitement.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He combed through the cupboards until he located some peas and spooned them into a bowl. He mashed them into a thick paste and sat across from Gene on a narrow stool.
He moved the metal spoon he’d snagged from a drawer and moved it closer to Gene’s mouth. However, the boy squinted, his mouth became a thin line, and he shook his head, a far cry from the exuberant baby who’d greeted Bob. Bob shook his own head with a smile, realizing what he’d have to engage in to get Gene to eat.
“All right, Gene, are you ready? Here comes the airplane.” He made unconvincing whooshing noises, but his attempt was successful. Gene opened his mouth and accepted the spoonful of peas, smacking the table with renewed vigor. Bob couldn’t help but crack a smile at his son’s enjoyment of the meal. He made some more whooshing noises and reached to give Gene another spoonful. “Can you open your mouth wide for your dad?”
It was an innocuous statement, one meant to inspire Gene to consume more of his lunch. It would soon prove to be much more, though. Bob could hear the commotion of the Equestranauts playing in the living room, and air blew out of his nose. He was once again grateful to Linda for volunteering for Tina duty.
Gene seemed to tell Bob was becoming preoccupied and pounded the table with his fists. He made some of his familiar unintelligible gurgles as he accepted the next spoonful. But then something slipped out of his mouth that was distinct from his usual baby babble.
“Dada!”
Bob was too distracted at first to grasp the magnitude of this. He reached to scoop another spoonful of peas for Gene and then gasped, the weight of the situation struck him all at once. The spoon slipped out of his hand, making a clatter as it hit the floor. He made a mental note to clean the mess up later.
His heart seemed to skip a beat, and he began blinking at a faster rate than normal. “Oh, my god. D-Did you…? Did you just…?”
His minuscule baby hands began flailing around as he began giggling again. “Dada! Dada!”
Tears were already threatening to fall from his eyes, but he needed to remain relaxed. He didn’t want to become too emotional and make too big a deal out of this. That was Linda’s job, after all. He still decided to reach for his phone, his breath becoming hitched.
“Lin? I think you should come in here.” His hands rattling, he somehow made it to the camera app to take a video.
In two seconds flat, Linda was barrelling into the kitchen, her arms swinging and her eyes wide with alarm. “What happened? What happened? Are you okay? Is Gene okay?”
She planted her hands on her knees, catching her breath.
“Everything’s okay. Except I think this little guy…” He turned Gene’s high chair so their son was facing Linda. He began filming on his phone, making sure he wasn’t rocking the camera too much. “…has something he’d like to say. Go on, buddy. Say it again.”
Gene slapped the table, making more incoherent noises. Then, like magic, it slipped out again, “Dada! Dada!”
Linda’s hands flew to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, Bobby! Oh, my gosh! Gene just said his first word!”
Loving the attention, Gene began giggling again, holding his arms out to get picked up. Linda began striding towards him, but Bob stopped the video and scooped Gene into his arms. He couldn’t hold back his emotions anymore, giving Gene a messy forehead kiss and holding the baby close. Linda placed her hand over her chest, unable to handle the sincere moment.
“It’s too much, Bob. Any more emotion and I think I’ll explode! That better not happen, though. Taking care of these kids is a two-parent job.”
Bob held Gene so their foreheads were touching, “And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Linda gave Bob a peck on the cheek, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. “I’m glad Dada was his first word. It shows how much he adores you. I think you’re a great one, for the record.”
Mouth agape, he turned to face Linda. “You think he adores me?”
She gave him a hip bump, huffing in indignation, “Come on, of course, he adores you. Who else would read Snail & Newt to him? Or make airplane noises while feeding him? Or pretend to be the Tickle Monster? A baby’s world is small, and you encompass almost all of his.”
He let a fond smile emerge on his face. “I do read Snail & Newt pretty well, don’t I?”
“Eh, still not as good as me,” she said, her expression scrunching in a teasing manner. “But it’s not a contest. You’ll always be there for him, and he’ll remember that for the rest of his life. Even when he’s raising a son of his own.”
An image of feeding another baby, similar to Gene, crossed his mind. His grandson. The thought forced him to hand Gene to Linda as he got a handle on the tears blurring his vision. He adored his family, and it was moments like these he remembered why.
Gene let out another giggle, reaching his hand to poke Bob’s nose, “Dada!”
“I love you too, Gene.” The words were soft, but still audible, and as they stood there, a beautiful, unspoken connection formed between father and son. Something that would never break, even as the years wore on.
✧ ✧ ✧
An eleven-year-old Gene blinked at Bob as the old video stopped playing on his phone and saw Bob wipe a tear from his eye. He wasn't discreet about it either.
“Dad, are you crying?” Bob was sure Gene hadn’t expected Bob to get so emotional while recounting a story and showing him a video from when he was a baby.
“No, I just--there’s a lot of dust this time of year.”
Gene smirked, shaking his head with a fond gaze, “Do you need a hug?”
“No, I'm fine. I... well... maybe.”
“Come here you son of a bitch.” Gene squeezed him in a tight embrace, his mouth curling upwards like a cat’s. It made Bob feel warm and protected to be hugged by his son, even though he was the father and should be the one doing the protecting. But he didn't want the feeling to dissipate.
“You two are making me sick right now,” Louise crossed her arms and slid off the armchair she was residing in. “I think that’s enough emotions for one night. I’m going to my room.”
Once Louise had holed herself in her room, Tina piped up, her hair getting braided with Linda’s gentle fingers, “I think the story was sweet, Dad. Gene must’ve loved you a lot.”
Linda sniffed, tears building up in her eyes, “It gets me every time.”
Bob snorted, shaking his head in disbelief, “You were there, Lin.”
“Oh, yeah. It still makes me emotional, though.”
His love for his family hadn’t changed a bit. And Gene had grown up to be an extraordinary kid. He didn't understand his son most of the time, but Gene was happy, as happy as he had been when he was a baby, which was all that mattered. And sure, when it came to the restaurant, there were hardships here and there, but they got through every storm and every setback together. He had a feeling they always would.
Nothing made him happier than them.