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“Are you ready sweetness?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes Mama!” he bounced up and down a few times for emphasis.
“OK, on your stance.” Erin said.
Noah went from playful to serious as he stood ready for battle. He held his light saber to his body with it touching his nose. Erin remembered when they’d gone shopping for it. She thought he was too young to watch Star Wars.
Dave showed him a few scenes on youtube and now he wanted to be a Jedi. So off they went to the store for the light saber. He chose a rainbow one, which Erin had never seen in the movie but could admit to not paying tons of attention. Dave balked at it.
“What's wrong with it?” she asked. “It’s a light saber, David.”
“I know but…”
“But what? It’s the one he wants.”
“Its rainbow colored baby.” Dave reasoned.
“Do not go there.” she shook her head.
“Go where?”
“It’s not a gay light saber. It’s an inanimate object.”
“All I'm saying is none of the Jedi carried a rainbow light saber.”
“How do you know? Do you know every single one of the Jedi? Don't make Noah think he’s doing something wrong for picking the one he likes best.”
“I just…” Dave sighed.
“I want this one Mama.” He walked right past Dave with his light saber and handed it to Erin. “I’ma be a Jedi.”
“You're going to be the cutest one out there, I promise.” Erin smiled.
“You could get the green one.” Dave said, ignoring the glare from his girlfriend. “Or even the purple one, Noah. Mace Windu had the purple one and he was one of the strongest Jedi in the galaxy.”
“I like this one Daddy.” Noah said, looking at the wall of light sabers. They had a million colors but the one he picked drew him in right away.
“He likes this one, Daddy.” Erin emphasized.
“Are you sure?” Dave asked.
“Yes.” Noah nodded, reaching for his mother’s hand and they were off to the register.
Erin had to fight her urge to turn back and stick out her tongue. Dave was a different generation, as was she. They didn’t want to force roles and expectations on their son but they grew up in a black and white world. There was grey all over though and it slowly filtered in and was accepted into their lives. In the beginning boys did boy things, girls did girl things, and the world was flat…or something like that.
Still, Erin’s son was gay and he’d grown up doing all kinds of “boy” things. She wouldn’t trade Ted in for the most awesome straight son they could find for her. She didn’t care anything about Noah’s sexuality, which she shouldn’t because he was three. And deep down Dave knew a rainbow light saber was nothing more than awesome to him. He was just waiting for his macho pride to catch up with him. Erin hoped it hurried.
“OK sweetie, walk to your opponent.” Erin said.
She and Noah walked in a straight line toward each other duel-style. He couldn’t help but giggle; it was always hard for him to keep a straight face. That made his mother smile.
“Touch the tip of my blade.” She held out her light saber, which was blue, and touched the tip to his. “Now take four steps back.”
“One, two, three, four.” Noah counted as they walked back.
“En garde!”
Noah knew what that meant…it meant it was time to play. The sword fight had begun. Erin definitely thought his agility and speed were getting better. The height difference between them made it hard for him to hit the places he needed to in order to win but she always conceded the good shots to him.
He was an excellent sportsman, never complaining when the point belonged to his mother. She never just let him win, usually preferring a draw. If he was going to compete, Erin wasn’t going to have him thinking the match would always be his. Being a winner didn’t mean you won every time.
“A little lighter grip sweetie, that’s it, come at me. There, right there, you’ve got it.”
“En garde, Mama!” Noah shouted, tapping her exposed stomach with his light saber. “I win!”
“No, you win a point.” Erin said still on her guard. “The match is still on…never let your guard down. Saber up.”
Noah did as he said and they kept battling across the backyard. Dave wasn’t sure if the toddler and Erin knew they were being filmed, not that it mattered. He stood at the sliding glass door with the little camcorder and made his movie. He always got a kick out of recording Noah’s playtime.
He was such an animated, excited kid, and seemed to bring that out in everyone around him. Even though Erin usually fell into bed exhausted at the end of the night she loved playing with him. It could be pirates, Legos, cowboys and Indians, or even these made up games where Dave had no idea what they were doing. Noah had changed Erin; Dave loved what he saw.
“I win!” Noah cheered as the match ended.
“It was a draw, Noah.” Erin said.
“But I wanna win, Mama.”
“You will one day. You’re going to practice, work hard,” she scooped him up in her arms and kissed his cheek. “That’s how you win, remember? Hard work and what Noah?”
“Dedication!” he exclaimed, not quite pronouncing it right.
“You're a genius. You're my little genius.” Erin dipped him down, brought him back up, and covered his face in kisses. Noah giggled and wrapped his arms tighter around her neck.
“Hey guys!” Dave called from the side door. “C'mon in out of the cold and get some lunch.”
“Lunch!” Noah shouted.
Erin put him down on the ground and he went running over to the deck. When Mudgie saw him, he jumped up from his resting place on the deck and they ran into the house together, nearly bowling over Dave. Erin just laughed; she took her time but made it into the house as well.
“Hi there.” Dave kissed her.
“Hello, Agent Rossi. What smells so good?”
“That’s lunch. There’s New England clam chowder for us and tomato soup for Noah. I just wanted to do something to occupy my hands.”
“I can think of a few things.” She smiled.
“Woman…”
“Daddy, help with my coat.”
Dave kissed Erin again before turning to his son. Noah was trying to unzip the fleece and thermal vest he was wearing. Even though he tugged on it, it didn’t come down. Dave bent down and unzipped it. He helped Noah out of it, draping it across a kitchen chair.
“We need to go and wash our hands buddy.”
“Did you see me draw with Mama?” Noah asked. “I wanna win but had to draw.”
“I saw.” Dave smiled. “I'm sure you’ll win one of these days. Let’s get these hands washed.”
“Do you want half a sandwich with your soup, Noah?” Erin asked before they walked out of the room.
“I want bologna please.” He said, going with this father.
Erin went to fridge and grabbed the lunchmeat and cheese. Noah could be a picky eater sometimes. He didn’t like any lunchmeat but chicken and bologna. He refused the white American cheese and only wanted the orange colored kind.
In the bread box Erin got his butter top wheat bread. The toddler didn’t like the stone ground kind. He didn’t like pumpernickel, rye, white, or potato. At first Erin was afraid he wouldn’t like bread at all. But butter top wheat suited him well.
So she took out one slice, added a little mayo and some yellow mustard, and made him half a sandwich. She was putting soup into his favorite bowl when Dave and Noah came back from washing their hands. Dave lifted his son into his booster seat in the kitchen chair. Erin came over with lunch.
“This looks yummy.” Noah smiled.
“It’s going to taste that way too. Hand me a heavy napkin please, David.”
He gave it to her and Erin tucked it into Noah’s Buzz Lightyear long sleeved tee shirt. She sat at the head of the table across from him, putting the spoon on the plate where the sandwich and bowl were.
“Say your grace, Noah; put your hands together like this.”
He bowed his head and closed his eyes just like his father taught him. Then he put his hands together in prayer.
“Dear God, thanks for the food. Amen.” He said.
“Where did you learn that one?” Erin asked, holding back her laughter.
“Ted taught it to me.” Noah smiled.
“Of course he did. Don’t forget to blow on your soup sweetie; you don’t want to burn your tongue. OK?”
“OK Mama.”
“You want a big bowl or a little bowl, baby?” Dave asked.
“I want a big bowl. It smells so good, I'm hungry, and it’s cold out there.”
“The temperature dropped about 15 degrees in 24 hours. I think a cold snap is coming through.”
“Ow,” Noah dropped his spoon. “Hot.”
“Aww, have a little bite of your sandwich until it cools off, OK?”
Dave came to the table with their soup. Erin ate her lunch while keeping an eye on Noah. He could be a messy eater but this afternoon most of it ended up in his mouth and not on his shirt or jeans. He wanted a second helping, Erin almost declined. Dave thought a full belly might help him nap a little longer and give his parents some time alone together.
“Just a little bit, bud.” Dave put the bowl in front of him.
“Thank you.”
He ate quickly since the food had cooled off. Erin actually got up and got more for herself.
“This is delicious, David. Is it homemade?”
“Yes. It doesn’t take too long to cook, about 90 minutes. I like to simmer it a little longer…I can let it go for three hours to get all the ingredients melded just right.”
“Usually, even when I go to the expensive restaurants, they skimp on the clams.”
“I know.” He nodded. “Potatoes are actually the main ingredient. The clams are just a flavor device. But I never skimp on the clams. I'm glad you like it. After lunch I’ll put Noah down for his nap, walk the dog, and then I'm going to have amazing sex with you.”
“David!” Erin exclaimed, dropping her spoon and covering Noah’s ears. “Child in the room...ixnay on the ex-say.”
“Did you just speak Pig Latin to me?” Dave couldn’t help but smirk. “Noah has no idea what I'm talking about and he's wondering why you're covering his ears.”
“I'm sorry sweetie.” Erin removed her hands. “Finish eating your soup.”
“OK Mama.” Noah nodded and went back to what he was doing.
“Are you gonna be ready to take a nap after lunch?” Dave asked.
“Mmm hmm,” the toddler drank his cranapple juice. “Can we read a story?”
“We’ll do that later after your bath. This afternoon it’s just nap time.”
“OK.”
Noah pushed his plate and spoon away, which he always did after he finished a meal. He was wearing a smile and that made Dave smile as well. He helped him out of the booster seat, taking the napkin from the inside of his shirt.
“Kiss mama.” He said.
Erin bent down, kissing Noah and gave him a big hug. She watched him and Dave go upstairs for his nap. Normally Mudgie would’ve followed; he always kept an eye on the baby. But when there was food to be had the dog was torn. This time the food won out. He would surely go up there later to make sure Noah was alright.
“You can't even eat soup Mudge.” Erin smiled. She finished her lunch and cleaned up what the family had left behind. After making sure all the burners on the stove were off, Erin went into the den to start the second half of her afternoon. Maybe she could get in a few chapters of the new book she was reading before Dave put his plan into motion.
***