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“Why is he on his stomach?”
Zayne walked into his living room, surprised to see his three-year-old son on the floor, moving around while lying on his stomach. From the couch, you glanced over at your husband, grinning, before holding up two plushies on either side of your face: one Puffy Penguin and one Astro Penguin.
“His latest hyperfixation,” you joked.
Zayne glanced at the two plushies, quickly surmising the interest in question: “…Penguins?”
“Uh huh,” you laughed. “Looks like we really do have a little penguin now.”
Laughing as well, Zayne walked over and scooped up his surprised son, kissing his cheek firmly. “What happened to my little doctor? Did he turn into a penguin?”
The boy furrowed his brows for a moment before responding cheekily, “I’m Dr. Penguin today!”
Zayne laughed again, not expecting the silly response. “Dr. Penguin, huh?” He settled down on the couch next to you with his son in tow. He picked up the remote to the television, turning it on, before scrolling through a list of family-friendly programs on the streaming app. “Alright, ‘Dr. Penguin,’ what are we watching this afternoon then?”
Unwittingly, you and your husband both found yourselves watching a nature documentary together with your toddler son nestled in between the two of you, clutching tightly in his small arms Puffy Penguin. The little boy was enraptured by the animals on the television screen, but both you and Zayne found yourselves more entertained by your son’s childlike curiosity and wonder, delighting in all of his instantaneous reactions to the documentary.
Nearly half an hour into the program, the nature documentary reached a segment on wildlife in the Arctics, the scene heralded in by a cacophony of trumpeting before the camera panned across a group of emperor penguins.
A delighted gasp escaped the toddler’s mouth, followed instantly by his excited cry, “Penguins! Mommy, Mommy, penguins!”
You laughed when the toddler excitedly tapped your thigh while pointing at the television, his beautiful hazel eyes looking even more brilliant, filled with so much joy and wonder at the scene.
“I see them, I see them,” you answered the excited boy before sneaking a glance at your husband. Discreetly, you whispered to Zayne, “Is this what you looked like when you first saw penguins?”
His cheeks warmed up, and he sighed in mock exasperation. “You…”
“Be honest, Zaynie.”
“I was young,” he said sternly, “So it was only natural to react like that.”
“Like father, like son,” you quipped cheerfully, blatantly ignoring his helpless resigned sigh.
The inquisitive little boy watched with rapt attention, absorbing every single explanation from the narration like a sponge. Both you and Zayne could see his joy as clear as day, already seeing in your near future the constant excited penguin explanations the little boy would no doubt parrot back to you until a new interest took over.
“They walk funny,” the little boy laughed, scooting off the couch. Curiously, both you and Zayne watched him attempted to imitate the animal on the screen. He stumbled, frustrated.
Giggling, you stole another glance at your husband. He didn’t seem to notice your mischievous gaze this time. Turning back to your son, you cheerfully announced, “Daddy knows how a penguin walks.” Before Zayne could react, you added smugly, “He can imitate them, too.”
“You can?” the little boy turned to his father with wide, bright eyes full of hopeful anticipation.
“I don’t remember anymore,” Zayne fibbed, giving you a warning look.
“…you don’t, Daddy?” his son asked, disappointed. Zayne visibly tensed, not wanting to see his child sad, especially if it was because of him.
“Well, Gramma sent a video of Daddy when he was little and he copied a penguin,” you piped up.
Immediately, the boy gasped excitedly and hopped in place before rushing back to the couch. He tugged at your pants. “I want to see! I want to see, Mommy!”
You peeked at Zayne again, snickering when he glowered at you before relenting, “Go ahead…”
Picking up your son, you settled the toddler on your lap before pulling up the video of your husband when he was a young child imitating how a penguin walked. Surprised, the toddler piped up, “Daddy looks like me…”
Smiling, you kissed the top of the boy’s head, humming in agreement. “Of course,” you answered fondly, “Because you’re our son.”
“Daddy?”
“What is it?” Zayne’s smile was brief, disappearing completely the moment his young son voiced his thought:
“Can you still walk like a penguin?” The boy grabbed your phone and held the video to his father. Zayne refrained from looking away in embarrassment at the sight of his younger self on the screen. Inwardly sighing, he couldn’t deny the uncanny resemblance of his younger self and his son currently. Seeing the two images side-by-side—and his son’s own pleading eyes—Zayne reluctantly set his own embarrassment aside for the sake of his child’s happiness.
“…I think it’s coming back to me now,” he fibbed quietly, taking a peek at the looped video on your phone. He quietly got up and stood in the middle of the living room. Behind him, the nature documentary continued, with the jovial narrator commenting casually: “Emperor penguins are serial monogamists. A pair will stay together for one breeding season to raise their chick.”
Zayne noticeably tensed before he awkwardly started waddling across the room. His ears burned at the sound of your shameless giggling and his son’s delighted cries, but he persevered, only to later feel dismayed again, never once did he expect the three-year-old to make his father waddle for over an hour in the living room long after the nature documentary had ended. During that time, you had left the room, intending to prepare some afternoon snacks for your little family, and unintentionally abandoning your husband in his time of need to the demands of an excited toddler.
“Daddy, Daddy, again!”
Zayne sighed, and waddled awkwardly again, somehow still expecting the three-year-old to be bored of this silliness by now.
Apparently not.
“Oh, Zaynie is still the same as ever.”
The young doctor froze in horror, recognizing his mother’s cheerful voice. Slowly, he turned, seeing you with a smug grin holding a tablet facing him, and on the screen was his parents’ elated smiles.
“Hello… Mom… Dad…” he greeted weakly.
“Gramma! Grampa!” the toddler immediately rushed over to you, hopping in place for the tablet. “I want to say hi! I want to say hi!”
Laughing, you knelt down, holding the little boy close to you. “Alright, alright, you can say ‘hi’ to your grandparents.”
The boy beamed and immediately started to enthusiastically recount his whole week to his grandparents who listened with both patience and keen, genuine interest, their reactions only further exciting the little boy to keep chattering away for the afternoon.
After some time, both you and Zayne decided to wrap up the call, seeing your son’s eyes were growing heavier, having already missed his usual naptime. The little boy insisted he wasn’t tired after you picked him up, holding him close to you, smiling as his head dropped on your shoulder. Zayne set the tablet on the coffee table and exchanged some words with his parents while you attempted to lull your son to sleep.
He continued to fuss, wanting to stay up.
“He’s getting so big already,” Althea commented with joy, her eyes still directed at her grandson. “I still have the video you recorded at the hospital when he was born.”
“He looks so much like Zayne, doesn’t he?” Jace added, smiling. “Reminds me of when Zayne pretended to be a cat.”
Zayne’s cheeks turned red. Before he could comment, his mother interrupted him cheerfully, “You know we stopped by a country a few years back—honey, do you remember?”
“Which one?”
“Oh, it was a while back,” Althea continued, explaining, “In their culture, they believe if a child is born identical to one parent, it means the other parent wished it, because they love their partner so much.”
After hearing your mother-in-law’s explanation, your own cheeks suddenly stained a pretty shade of pink, but you smiled, a touch embarrassed. You admitted aloud, “It must be true then.” You looked fondly down at your fussy toddler and then at your husband—momentarily surprised by the gentle smile on his face at your words. His smile seemed to widen even more when you continued, speaking firmly, “I love Zayne so much.”
Zayne coughed quietly, turning away to reveal faintly red ears, his smile still present as he spoke to his parents again, preparing to end the call. He peeked over at you on the couch with your son still squirming in your arms as you gently rubbed his back to calm him down. Zayne motioned for the toddler to say goodbye to his grandparents, and while he was reluctant at first, the little boy regained his energy after Jace made some lighthearted jokes to cheer his grandson up.
“Bye-bye, Gramma! Bye-bye Grampa Jace! I love you!”
The two grandparents smiled with adoration at their sweet grandson.
“We’ll see you soon,” Althea answered cheerfully.
“Our package for you might arrive before we do,” Jace joked with a hearty laugh, piquing the toddler’s interest.
“Dad, you didn’t have to do that,” Zayne sighed, exasperated, seeing his toddler was now energetic again after hearing the news.
“He’s my only grandchild,” Jace protested with an easygoing smile. “Let me spoil him a bit.”
“Your dad also snuck in a present for you, too, Zaynie,” Althea added brightly.
“Mom—Dad!”
“You’re my only child, Zaynie,” Jace protested again with that same jokester smile, adding just as cheerfully, “Let me spoil you a bit.”
Zayne sighed helplessly. “I’m thir—”
“You’re still our child, Zaynie,” his mother interrupted, giggling. “You could be a hundred and we would still spoil you the same way.”
“Yeah, Zaynie,” you added mischievously, “Be a good boy and let your parents spoil you a bit.”
“You—”
“Oh, we also have something for you, too, dear!” Althea added delightedly.
“Uh… me, too?” You asked meekly. Your son peeked up at you, confused as well by this whole exchange.
“You’re our only daughter-in-law,” Jace continued in his same playful tone, “Let us spoil you a bit.”
This time it was Zayne’s turn to be smug and mess with you. “That’s right,” he said teasingly, “So you should be a good girl and let them spoil you a bit as well.”
Unlike your husband, you felt no qualms about accepting a surprise gift from your in-laws. You beamed brightly, cheering, “I will happily and graciously accept!”
Your son squirmed in your lap, his small hand eagerly tapping your arm, and he asked, voice heavy with hopeful anticipation, “We’re all getting presents?”
All eyes—including his parents—turned to Zayne for confirmation. He knew when he was being outnumbered, so he sighed, nodding half-heartedly. “We’re all getting presents from Gramma and Grampa.”
You scooped your son into your arms, standing up and bouncing him on your hip, cheering alongside the gleeful toddler. Pointing at the tablet screen, you prompted your little boy with a question, “What do you say to Gramma and Grampa?”
“Thank you!” he yelled excitedly at the screen, clapping his hands. “I love you, Gramma and Grampa! I love you lots!”
When the video call ended, Althea and Jace sat silently together, the earlier merriment quieted, and a sense of bittersweetness lingered in its place.
“Zaynie looked so happy now,” Althea spoke up first.
Jace smiled at his wife. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer into his embrace. He rested his cheek against her hair, his smile carrying a hint of bittersweetness. “I’m so proud of him.”
Jace’s ears perked up, hearing the sounds of penguins trumpeting and chirping, followed by a long-absent little boy’s voice: “Mom! Dad! Look at me!”
Jace looked down, seeing his wife holding her phone, a familiar video played onscreen. She loved this video. She played it often, he remembered.
Nostalgia was such a funny little thing, always sneaking up when you least expected it, the melancholy taking roots, the thorns wrapping around your heart. Jace patted his wife’s shoulder in comfort, his lips finding her temple.
They smiled together, remembering their little Zaynie the penguin like it was just yesterday though decades had already passed since this recorded moment.
Little flushed cheeks widened with boundless joy, accompanied by delighted laughter as small feet crunched through pure white snow with clumsy steps.
It was like they had returned to that time, feeling the same brisk icy air of yesteryear. They were younger, moved with so much more ease than now with tired, aching bones. The young man they had seen earlier was still small and innocent in their eyes, theirs to have and love and protect.
“Play it again,” Jace said, and his wife happily let the video looped. They watched with heavy, joyful hearts, knowing this small boy warmly bundled up in a heavy coat and little boots, waddling cheerfully like a penguin, had found both happiness and love in the present.
It was all they could have ever wished for him.
Their dearest Zaynie.