Just in time for it to still count for Father's Day :) This is my response to the A Picture is Worth 1000 Words Challenge #3: The Blocks
Thanks mr-and-mrs-bates for the inspiration
(Lets hear it for my first Modern attempt. Woot! Please leave a review, let me know what you think :D )
The pain was searing and bordered on indescribable. Lightning bolts flashed behind his eyes as John hissed loudly to avoid uttering unsavory words he'd rather his son be ignorant of. Maybe he'd let one slip every now and then, but never in Jack's earshot. Anna would have him disemboweled if their kindergartner learned such colorful language from his father, and, heaven-forbid, started employing it. He lifted his bare foot to reveal the culprit: a grey Lego block—no doubt an escapee from the latest Star Wars kit. Being their long-awaited and only child, both he and Anna had a hard time not indulging him in his every whim. Most trips to the grocery or department stores often resulted in extra treats for Jack that caught his eye on the corner of an aisle or nearest the checkout registers. He was always such a good and well-behaved boy, that saying yes to things was a pleasure knowing they weren't constructing a monster of a human being like some of his classmates were on the track to becoming. But for all of the praise-worthy attributes, there were shortcomings they knew they needed to work on….such as cleaning up. Sure, they could sing along with Barney in their best rendition of "clean up, clean up," but putting it into action was another thing entirely. The basement playroom, his bedroom, the family room, the hallways, closets—everywhere was fair game when it came to the overflowing aftermath of Tornado Jack.
John sighed and bent to pick up the evil shard from the rug in the foyer, rolling his eyes slightly.
"Jack," he called into the adjacent living area, "I don't think you'll ever finish building your starships if you keep leaving their pieces all over the house."
"I have my pieces, daddy," a small voice answered back.
Turning, he nudged a yellow dump truck toting a hefty T-Rex figurine out of his path as he shuffled towards the coffee table where his son sat and produced a small gray piece before his bright blue eyes.
"Are you sure?" he asked with a wrinkled smirk.
The boy's mouth gaped slightly before grimacing, "oops…sorry daddy."
"You really should be more careful about where you put your things, son," he chucked softly as he tousled the sandy-colored hair and sat back on the couch behind him. "You know how upset mommy gets when the house is messy."
"Yeah, she goes all crazyyyyy," Jack giggled as he stuck his tongue out and waved his hands around animatedly.
John couldn't help but laugh. Their boy was such a blessing to them. After years marriage, of hoping, praying and trying for a baby, only to suffer two miscarriages for their efforts, their hopes were all but completely dashed. Then Jack came along. He was completely perfect in every way and the embodiment of their dreams. John couldn't be happier that their baby boy took after Anna in many ways. He thanked his lucky stars daily for having her in his life, she was his everything, and now Jack was an extension of that. It thrilled him to the core to see her smile reflected in Jack's countenance and her bright and sometimes cheeky demeanor in that small, little man of theirs.
Anna had left her boys to fend for themselves for the evening while she enjoyed a rare "girl's night out." John knew how hard she worked to balance everything between work, home and family, and he felt she deserved the night out. What she didn't deserve, however, was to come home to nuclear fallout and feel the need to clean up as she did every night. Smiling softly to himself he concocted a plan.
"Hey Jack, what do you say we try and surprise mommy?"
Things were quiet. Too quiet. Anna shrugged off her coat and hung it on the rack near the door. Her keys were tossed gently into the tray and her purse went to it's usual home beside the key tray. "A place for everything, and everything in it's place," her mother always says. Her mom had gifted her with many "isms"—quotes for every occasion and situation, and they've all served her well to this point. She also says that "silence is golden…unless you have kids, then silence is suspicious." In her case, one kid….and an overgrown kid.
She squinted as she peered around the corner of the foyer into the living room half expecting to see them unconscious surrounded by every toy in their possession; instead, she was astounded to see it immaculate. There wasn't a toy in sight, nor a throw pillow out of place.
"Did someone dust in here?" she thought to herself incredulously with a silent laugh.
Secretly terrified to break whatever spell the house had been placed under, she moved stealthily through the house checking in every room on her way. The kitchen was gleaming and she couldn't help but smile broadly as a result. Dishes were her arch nemesis. There was a steady supply of dishes and laundry in her home, and the dishes were her most loathed chore. Seeing an empty sink, empty dishwasher and a clutter-free, shining countertop, she released the breath she had been holding. She had counted on there being consequences to a night out. In exchange for those few hours with the girls, a glass of wine and dinner cooked by someone else, she fully expected to feel the knots reform in her shoulders at the mess she'd be confronted with when she walked in the door. So far, this was shaping up to be a memorable night.
Making her way up the stairs, she noticed the absence of superhero figurines littering the stairs.
"I see the "tornado" has been tamed," she thought as her eyebrow raised, "I'll have to make sure I thank John properly." Her lips curved seductively upwards at that.
The light leaking out from under Jack's bedroom door and the muffled voices gave away their hiding spot. She cracked the door open as quietly as should could and peeked in without alerting them to her presence. Jack was enraptured by his father who sat beside him on the red race car bed reading a story aloud, the smile on his small face as wide as can be. Her husband was quite the orator with his hands flailing about to emphasize parts of the story and changing his voice to suit different characters. The scene before her was so precious. She tried to capture every detail in her heart. She knew that times like this would grow fewer in the years to come and she needed to treasure them as they came. As John came to a particularly climactic scene, he stood up and violently acted it out for their son with the book balanced precariously in one hand. Anna couldn't help but laugh at the sweetness and silliness…but not without letting them know she was there.
"Mommy!" Jack yelled out as John was startled into fumbling and ultimately dropping the book. Sheepishly, he looked to her and shrugged, "Welcome home, my darling, we've been waiting up for you."
Not even a full second after the door closed, she was on him. Grasping at the edges of his shirt, she desperately tried to pull it upwards to discard it. In between kisses she managed,
"Mr. Bates…it was so good…of you…to clean up tonight."
He growled in response. If he knew a task like that would get a response like this, he would've made it a higher priority sooner.
He helped her out of the dress before pushing her backwards onto the bed. She giggled delightedly as he slowly pulled off the heels she deliberately left on for him.
"You won't be needing these, Mrs. Bates," he rumbled. Ridding himself of his pants, he leapt onto the bed beside his wife and drew her in for a lingering kiss.
Fully satisfied, they burrowed under the blankets. With a smug grin, he reached out to pull her to himself for a quick snuggle, kissing her forehead. Turning to his side to face her, he began, "so, did you have a nice time tonig—yowwww!" He clutched at his side, sitting up quickly.
"John, what is the matter?!"
He sighed, "Jack."
"What?!"
John twisted to pick up off the sheet behind him a small, shiny, and rather sharp black Lego attached to the feet of a medieval Lego knight.
"Jack."
Her peals of laughter reverberated around the room infectiously; he found himself joining in with her.
"It really isn't funny, though, Anna. These little Lego things hurt!"
Holding her chest, still collecting herself, "Oh, I know, I can't tell you how many times I've stepped on one in the morning when I head downstairs to make coffee. You think you got them all, but those buggers always surprise you."
"I'm curious though, just how did this get into our bed?"
"After you left for work this morning, he came in here wanting to cuddle. I couldn't say no, it was so sweet. He's my baby, John, and he's growing up so fast." Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and he wrapped his arm around her to bring her closer.
"He even brought his baby blanket with him," she exhaled, "I just wish I could freeze time sometimes, you know?" He nodded.
"…well, anyway, I guess our little Lego friend was stuck in one of 'Blankie's' loops." Taking another deep breath, she continued, "Mom likes to say that 'childhood is a journey, not a race.' I wouldn't wish him past these stages for anything. I don't want to miss a moment of this…even if it means stepping on Legos, tripping over little cars and putting away his dinosaurs a million times. There's going to be a day when he's outgrown it all…and I'll be here wishing for it back."
"My darling, we'll make the most of it…together. I want to treasure every minute of my life with you two. You both changed my world. You gave me a reason to be. And as much as we might want to, we can't stop him from growing up, but we can be here every step of the way."
In that moment they heard a small cry from down the hall, "Dadddddyyyyyyyy."
They smiled at each other and he nodded knowingly as she pushed him out of the bed.
"Go on now…fight the monsters," she said with a laugh, "and John?"
He turned and looked at her questioningly.
"Take this with you," she chucked the tiny figure at him. Gazing down at the little knight and it's sharp edged base, he snorted, "Thanks."
It was time for him to be a life-sized knight…and he would continue to do so for as long as his son needed him to be.