Front Porch Story
Front porch
Billie left for tour. He would've stayed longer but the tour was planned out before I got pregnant. He bought a new video camera so I could film the boys and send him the tape. Tanya gave birth to a healthy baby girl a week after I gave birth to Jakob.
"Here, be careful," I say as I place Jakob in his big brother's arms. Joey is sitting proudly on the sofa with his little brother. I turn on the video camera. "Say hi to Daddy."
"Hi Daddy," Joey says smiling wildly. "Today, gramma took me to the beach."
"Did you have fun?"
"Yup," he says proudly, "we went to the merry-go-round."
"Do you want to tell him about your new cousin?"
"Yup, she's smaller than Jakob, her name is Christina," He says looking down at his brother. "Oh yeah Dad! I've been on my best behavior, just like you told me, and I've been helping mommy take care of Jakob."
"That's right, you're a very good big brother," I say smiling. Jakob starts to cry a bit.
"Mommy," Joey says worriedly, "I didn't do anything."
"It's okay," I say turning off the camera and taking up my new born son.
*
I just put the boys to bed for the night and I pick up the camera and set it up on the dresser so it's facing me.
"Hey Billie," I say tiredly, "You're missing all the excitement of sleep deprivation. Joey is a really sweet big brother, he's always looking out for Jakob." I pause and gather my thoughts, "I can't wait till you come home again. You're mom's been over quite often since you left, my parents are coming in a couple of days to see their new grandchildren." I laugh lightly, "Tanya and Nate are doing well." I pause for a couple of moments as tears trickle down my cheek. "Ahh Billie, I miss you so much." I get up and turn off the camera before going to bed.
The next morning I Fed Ex the tape to the hotel the guys will be staying at. And within forty-eight hours I receive a call from my husband.
"I hate to see you cry like that." He sighs.
"Yeah, I know," I say as I go to check on Joey who's watching TV in the living room, with Jakob in the play pen. "Just evenings are when I miss you the most."
"Well next month Jakob will be old enough to travel and my three favorite people can come touring."
"Yeah, sounds great," I say looking at my sons adoringly.
"Are you talking to Dad?" Joey asks with big eyes. "I wanna talk to him."
"Joey wants to talk to you," I say handing the phone to my oldest son.
"Hey Dad . . . yup . . . really! . . . one month, but that's a long time . . . are you going to come home before that? . . . I miss you. . . .bye love you too." Joey hands me back the phone.
"Hey," I say putting the phone to my ear.
"I feel like everyone is trying to rip my heart in half." Billie pouts. "One more week, right?"
"Yeah, one week till our break."
"Mommy, gramma is here," Joey says from the front window. I head to the front door, Billie still talking to me.
"Your mom's here," I say as I open the door. "Hey Ollie, I got Billie on the phone."
"Oh," She says happily as she takes the phone from me and starts gibbering away to her son.
I go to check on Jakob who's sound asleep in his play pen. Ollie puts her hand over the phone. "Adie, I'll watch the boys, you take care of yourself now." I roll my eyes and head upstairs to take a long relaxing shower. I get dressed in jeans and a band tee, I'm able to fit into my old clothes again. I don't like maternity clothes, they're too pastel from my liking. I head downstairs where I find Ollie still talking to Billie on the phone.
"Can I say goodbye?" I ask as I motion to the phone.
"Billie, Adie wants to talk to you." She hands me the phone.
"So where are you off to?" Billie asks, interested.
"Tanya and I are going to a day spa, get a massage relieve stress," I say with anticipation.
"Tanya is trusting Nate alone with Christina for the whole day?"
"Yup," I say laughing, "She's finally let down her trust issues, a bit."
"Well, I'll let you go then," He says sort of sadly, "Bye."
"Bye, I love you."
"Love you too." I pass the phone back to Ollie and go to kiss Joey good bye.
"Be good for gramma," I say hugging him.
"I will," He says honestly. I go over to the play pen and kiss Jakob's forehead before heading out of the house.
"Here, be careful," I say as I place Jakob in his big brother's arms. Joey is sitting proudly on the sofa with his little brother. I turn on the video camera. "Say hi to Daddy."
"Hi Daddy," Joey says smiling wildly. "Today, gramma took me to the beach."
"Did you have fun?"
"Yup," he says proudly, "we went to the merry-go-round."
"Do you want to tell him about your new cousin?"
"Yup, she's smaller than Jakob, her name is Christina," He says looking down at his brother. "Oh yeah Dad! I've been on my best behavior, just like you told me, and I've been helping mommy take care of Jakob."
"That's right, you're a very good big brother," I say smiling. Jakob starts to cry a bit.
"Mommy," Joey says worriedly, "I didn't do anything."
"It's okay," I say turning off the camera and taking up my new born son.
*
I just put the boys to bed for the night and I pick up the camera and set it up on the dresser so it's facing me.
"Hey Billie," I say tiredly, "You're missing all the excitement of sleep deprivation. Joey is a really sweet big brother, he's always looking out for Jakob." I pause and gather my thoughts, "I can't wait till you come home again. You're mom's been over quite often since you left, my parents are coming in a couple of days to see their new grandchildren." I laugh lightly, "Tanya and Nate are doing well." I pause for a couple of moments as tears trickle down my cheek. "Ahh Billie, I miss you so much." I get up and turn off the camera before going to bed.
The next morning I Fed Ex the tape to the hotel the guys will be staying at. And within forty-eight hours I receive a call from my husband.
"I hate to see you cry like that." He sighs.
"Yeah, I know," I say as I go to check on Joey who's watching TV in the living room, with Jakob in the play pen. "Just evenings are when I miss you the most."
"Well next month Jakob will be old enough to travel and my three favorite people can come touring."
"Yeah, sounds great," I say looking at my sons adoringly.
"Are you talking to Dad?" Joey asks with big eyes. "I wanna talk to him."
"Joey wants to talk to you," I say handing the phone to my oldest son.
"Hey Dad . . . yup . . . really! . . . one month, but that's a long time . . . are you going to come home before that? . . . I miss you. . . .bye love you too." Joey hands me back the phone.
"Hey," I say putting the phone to my ear.
"I feel like everyone is trying to rip my heart in half." Billie pouts. "One more week, right?"
"Yeah, one week till our break."
"Mommy, gramma is here," Joey says from the front window. I head to the front door, Billie still talking to me.
"Your mom's here," I say as I open the door. "Hey Ollie, I got Billie on the phone."
"Oh," She says happily as she takes the phone from me and starts gibbering away to her son.
I go to check on Jakob who's sound asleep in his play pen. Ollie puts her hand over the phone. "Adie, I'll watch the boys, you take care of yourself now." I roll my eyes and head upstairs to take a long relaxing shower. I get dressed in jeans and a band tee, I'm able to fit into my old clothes again. I don't like maternity clothes, they're too pastel from my liking. I head downstairs where I find Ollie still talking to Billie on the phone.
"Can I say goodbye?" I ask as I motion to the phone.
"Billie, Adie wants to talk to you." She hands me the phone.
"So where are you off to?" Billie asks, interested.
"Tanya and I are going to a day spa, get a massage relieve stress," I say with anticipation.
"Tanya is trusting Nate alone with Christina for the whole day?"
"Yup," I say laughing, "She's finally let down her trust issues, a bit."
"Well, I'll let you go then," He says sort of sadly, "Bye."
"Bye, I love you."
"Love you too." I pass the phone back to Ollie and go to kiss Joey good bye.
"Be good for gramma," I say hugging him.
"I will," He says honestly. I go over to the play pen and kiss Jakob's forehead before heading out of the house.