a Chinese restaurant and Ethan got a chance to try several different vegetable dishes. They walked along the beach afterwards to digest their food and then they headed home when it started to get late. Harrison had just enough time to bathe Ethan before the child fell asleep. Both of them kissed him goodnight and tiptoed out of his bedroom.
“I had a real nice time today,” Angel told him.
“Yes, it was fun,” Harrison agreed. “I think Ethan had a blast too, running along the beach. I just wish he wasn’t so afraid of the water. He’s a Daytona Beach boy. I want him to learn to swim and surf.”
“I’ve wanted to talk to you about that. You might want to enroll him in a beginner’s swimming class.”
“That’s not such a bad idea,” Harrison said. “But I don’t think I have the time right now to take him.”
“I could take him. The Y gives classes once a week on Saturday mornings.”
“I don’t know,” Harrison said as they walked into the kitchen. “I don’t want to impose on your Saturdays.”
“It’s only an hour class for eight weeks. I teach the class sometimes, so I won’t let anything happen to him.”
“I’m not worried about that. I just don’t want you to interrupt your life for us. What did you usually do on a Saturday morning before we moved in?”
“Sometimes I had my nails done or washed clothes or something. I’m not a high-maintenance woman so I don’t have to have my fingernails done every weekend.”
“Well, what would happen if you broke a nail and had to have it fixed?”
“The nail shop stays open until eight every night except Sunday. And if it’s a real nail emergency, I’d just take him with me.”
“Forget that plan,” Harrison said. “He can go to swim class, but I have to draw the line on him being in a nail shop.”
“I wouldn’t actually let him get his nails polished,” Angel mumbled. “Maybe just let him put his feet into the water for a massage.”
“He’s a boy,” Harrison told her. “When we have a girl, then you can take her places like that.”
“We’re going to have a girl?” Angel asked.
“It could be possible in the future if you’re okay with it.”
“I’d like that,” Angel said. “I’m going to love being her mother, if she turns out half as good as Ethan.”
“Don’t say his name too loud,” Harrison said. “He might wake up and see us doing it again.”
“Oh, are we going to do it?”
“It’s been on my mind all day.”
“Even at the cemetery?” Angel asked.
He nodded. “You looked quite lovely out there amongst the headstones.” He rose from the kitchen chair and led her to his bedroom. They spent two blissful hours making love, until Ethan work up screaming for them.
****
“What’s wrong with him?” Harrison asked nervously, pacing the floor in Ethan’s room.
Angel removed the electric thermometer from Ethan’s ear. “He has a fever. One hundred and one.”
“A fever? How did he get a fever?”
“Relax,” Angel said. “Kids get fevers. Do you have any children’s fever reducer?”
“Yes,” Harrison said, rushing to the medicine cabinet. He found the medicine and handed it to Angel, who now had the whining infant on her lap. She opened the medicine, measured it in the dropper, and coaxed Ethan to put the pen his mouth.
Ethan made a face because of the grape flavor and then closed his eyes again.
“Do you want me to take him?” Harrison asked.
“No,” Angel said, rocking him. “Why don’t you go get some rest? “I’ll sit with him until the fever leaves. You’ve been driving all day.”
“But I need to learn to take care of him.”
“I’ll wake you if the fever gets worse. Just let him rest here for a while.”
Harrison felt helpless. His son was sick and someone else was tending to him. “Are you sure?"
“Yes,” Angel said. “I want to do this.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “Call me if you need me.”
Harrison went to his bathroom for a shower
“I had a real nice time today,” Angel told him.
“Yes, it was fun,” Harrison agreed. “I think Ethan had a blast too, running along the beach. I just wish he wasn’t so afraid of the water. He’s a Daytona Beach boy. I want him to learn to swim and surf.”
“I’ve wanted to talk to you about that. You might want to enroll him in a beginner’s swimming class.”
“That’s not such a bad idea,” Harrison said. “But I don’t think I have the time right now to take him.”
“I could take him. The Y gives classes once a week on Saturday mornings.”
“I don’t know,” Harrison said as they walked into the kitchen. “I don’t want to impose on your Saturdays.”
“It’s only an hour class for eight weeks. I teach the class sometimes, so I won’t let anything happen to him.”
“I’m not worried about that. I just don’t want you to interrupt your life for us. What did you usually do on a Saturday morning before we moved in?”
“Sometimes I had my nails done or washed clothes or something. I’m not a high-maintenance woman so I don’t have to have my fingernails done every weekend.”
“Well, what would happen if you broke a nail and had to have it fixed?”
“The nail shop stays open until eight every night except Sunday. And if it’s a real nail emergency, I’d just take him with me.”
“Forget that plan,” Harrison said. “He can go to swim class, but I have to draw the line on him being in a nail shop.”
“I wouldn’t actually let him get his nails polished,” Angel mumbled. “Maybe just let him put his feet into the water for a massage.”
“He’s a boy,” Harrison told her. “When we have a girl, then you can take her places like that.”
“We’re going to have a girl?” Angel asked.
“It could be possible in the future if you’re okay with it.”
“I’d like that,” Angel said. “I’m going to love being her mother, if she turns out half as good as Ethan.”
“Don’t say his name too loud,” Harrison said. “He might wake up and see us doing it again.”
“Oh, are we going to do it?”
“It’s been on my mind all day.”
“Even at the cemetery?” Angel asked.
He nodded. “You looked quite lovely out there amongst the headstones.” He rose from the kitchen chair and led her to his bedroom. They spent two blissful hours making love, until Ethan work up screaming for them.
****
“What’s wrong with him?” Harrison asked nervously, pacing the floor in Ethan’s room.
Angel removed the electric thermometer from Ethan’s ear. “He has a fever. One hundred and one.”
“A fever? How did he get a fever?”
“Relax,” Angel said. “Kids get fevers. Do you have any children’s fever reducer?”
“Yes,” Harrison said, rushing to the medicine cabinet. He found the medicine and handed it to Angel, who now had the whining infant on her lap. She opened the medicine, measured it in the dropper, and coaxed Ethan to put the pen his mouth.
Ethan made a face because of the grape flavor and then closed his eyes again.
“Do you want me to take him?” Harrison asked.
“No,” Angel said, rocking him. “Why don’t you go get some rest? “I’ll sit with him until the fever leaves. You’ve been driving all day.”
“But I need to learn to take care of him.”
“I’ll wake you if the fever gets worse. Just let him rest here for a while.”
Harrison felt helpless. His son was sick and someone else was tending to him. “Are you sure?"
“Yes,” Angel said. “I want to do this.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “Call me if you need me.”
Harrison went to his bathroom for a shower
Similar Books
