Status: We'll see how it goes...
Like Father, Like Son
The Present
I really hate getting up at the ass-crack of dawn. I also hated having to wake up in the middle of the night, almost every night. But I had to. Cade was still pretty little. It had only been three months after his birth. As I rolled out of bed to feed the screaming baby, I felt a pang of sorrow and depression. I was supposed to be getting married tomorrow. I should be out having fun on a bachelor party but I’m not.
I looked over at the picture on my bedside table and almost began to cry. Ashton sat on my backyard swing, heavily pregnant, surrounded by sun and smiling happily. That had only been three days before her death… I still haven’t come to terms with it either. I always break down when I look at Cadence; he looks just like his mother… I shivered a little bit and pulled on a t-shirt and walked Cade’s room.
The room was amazing. My father built the crib and the rocking chair. My mother and Ashton’s mom painted the room and decorated it in sailboats. It was dim in the room; it was still early and the morning twilight made the blinds on the window a bluish color. I walked over to Cade’s crib after turning on a lamp and picked the little guy up. He looked up at me and gave me a sleepy smile. “Hey bud, you hungry?”
I lay him on the changing table in his room and changed his diaper then carried him downstairs and set him down in his baby swing then walked into the kitchen to fix his breakfast. I warmed the formula then went back into the living room and picked Cade up. I sat down and propped him then put the bottle in his mouth. He began eat hungrily. I watched him, scanning over his features. He got most of his looks from his mother, but he had my brown hair and grey eyes. He slowed his drinking so I took the opportunity to turn the TV on. It was way too quiet in the house. I put the bottle back in Cade’s mouth after burping him then watched as my dog Boudreaux came over to the couch.
“Hey Dreaux.” I patted the spot next to me on the couch and he jumped on and settled next to me. He sniffed Cade then licked the baby’s socked foot. I smiled and petted him the focused on Cade. He finished his bottle then I burped him and laid him in his bassinet. I went into the kitchen to get something to eat when the phone rang. I frowned as Cade began to cry. I picked up the phone and jammed it between my shoulder and ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey Carson, it’s mom.”
“Hey mom… It’s pretty early.” I went over to Cade’s bassinet and picked him up, rocking him to calm him down.
“I know… Is that Cade? Did I wake him?”
“Yes mom. You did. What do you need?”
“I was just going to say that we were going to eat out and your father was wondering if you wanted to come.”
I thought about it for a moment then agreed. I hadn’t seen my parents in a couple of weeks and I didn’t have much to eat in the fridge. I hung up with mom then kept rocking Cade. He finally passed out again then I went to go find something to eat.
*~*~*~*~*~
“Aww! Look how precious he is! Did the Loresens get this outfit for him?”
I smiled at my mother and nodded then hugged my dad. He clapped my shoulder then studied me for a moment.
“Son, you look tired. And thin. You been eating enough?” I laughed and pushed his hands away.
“Dad, I’m fine, just tired like you said.”
“Why don’t you let your mother and I take Cade. Let you catch up on sleep.” I shrugged.
“Maybe. I don’t think it would hurt… Maybe on the weekend.” Dad nodded then took Cade from my mom. I looked at my plate then continued to eat.
*~*~*~*~*~
I cried that night as I put Cade to sleep, sitting in his bedroom amongst blue fabric and sailboats. I was so stressed and so tired. Cade was fussing and wouldn’t sleep. I thought he had gas but I wasn’t sure. I was just wishing Ashton was here, to help, to laugh at me, to soothe him. She would know what to do.
His little body finally relaxed as he fell asleep. I laid him in his crib and covered him up with a light blanket and watched him sleep for moment then went to my room and dropped onto my bed and fell asleep.
That night, I dreamed of my family… How we should be.
I looked over at the picture on my bedside table and almost began to cry. Ashton sat on my backyard swing, heavily pregnant, surrounded by sun and smiling happily. That had only been three days before her death… I still haven’t come to terms with it either. I always break down when I look at Cadence; he looks just like his mother… I shivered a little bit and pulled on a t-shirt and walked Cade’s room.
The room was amazing. My father built the crib and the rocking chair. My mother and Ashton’s mom painted the room and decorated it in sailboats. It was dim in the room; it was still early and the morning twilight made the blinds on the window a bluish color. I walked over to Cade’s crib after turning on a lamp and picked the little guy up. He looked up at me and gave me a sleepy smile. “Hey bud, you hungry?”
I lay him on the changing table in his room and changed his diaper then carried him downstairs and set him down in his baby swing then walked into the kitchen to fix his breakfast. I warmed the formula then went back into the living room and picked Cade up. I sat down and propped him then put the bottle in his mouth. He began eat hungrily. I watched him, scanning over his features. He got most of his looks from his mother, but he had my brown hair and grey eyes. He slowed his drinking so I took the opportunity to turn the TV on. It was way too quiet in the house. I put the bottle back in Cade’s mouth after burping him then watched as my dog Boudreaux came over to the couch.
“Hey Dreaux.” I patted the spot next to me on the couch and he jumped on and settled next to me. He sniffed Cade then licked the baby’s socked foot. I smiled and petted him the focused on Cade. He finished his bottle then I burped him and laid him in his bassinet. I went into the kitchen to get something to eat when the phone rang. I frowned as Cade began to cry. I picked up the phone and jammed it between my shoulder and ear.
“Hello?”
“Hey Carson, it’s mom.”
“Hey mom… It’s pretty early.” I went over to Cade’s bassinet and picked him up, rocking him to calm him down.
“I know… Is that Cade? Did I wake him?”
“Yes mom. You did. What do you need?”
“I was just going to say that we were going to eat out and your father was wondering if you wanted to come.”
I thought about it for a moment then agreed. I hadn’t seen my parents in a couple of weeks and I didn’t have much to eat in the fridge. I hung up with mom then kept rocking Cade. He finally passed out again then I went to go find something to eat.
*~*~*~*~*~
“Aww! Look how precious he is! Did the Loresens get this outfit for him?”
I smiled at my mother and nodded then hugged my dad. He clapped my shoulder then studied me for a moment.
“Son, you look tired. And thin. You been eating enough?” I laughed and pushed his hands away.
“Dad, I’m fine, just tired like you said.”
“Why don’t you let your mother and I take Cade. Let you catch up on sleep.” I shrugged.
“Maybe. I don’t think it would hurt… Maybe on the weekend.” Dad nodded then took Cade from my mom. I looked at my plate then continued to eat.
*~*~*~*~*~
I cried that night as I put Cade to sleep, sitting in his bedroom amongst blue fabric and sailboats. I was so stressed and so tired. Cade was fussing and wouldn’t sleep. I thought he had gas but I wasn’t sure. I was just wishing Ashton was here, to help, to laugh at me, to soothe him. She would know what to do.
His little body finally relaxed as he fell asleep. I laid him in his crib and covered him up with a light blanket and watched him sleep for moment then went to my room and dropped onto my bed and fell asleep.
That night, I dreamed of my family… How we should be.
♠ ♠ ♠
How is it so far? :DHere's a picture of Cade's nursery:
Maryna