Memories
Thunder rolled off in the distance, the storm was still too far away to make the lightning visible, but Chris was sure it would hit hard before too long. These were the times he treasured most, when he was home with Jess and the kids. The girls were sleeping, and Ash sat near his feet quietly playing with a toy car.
The next crash of thunder was a little louder, and Ash looked up with a startled look on his face. "What was that?"
"Just some thunder kiddo," Chris murmured as he continued to read his magazine.
"It was loud," Ash said. He stood up and moved next to Chris's chair.
Chris lowered the magazine and looked at his son. At four he was entering that stage where he was testing his independence, but the look on his face clearly indicated that the noise frightened him, although Chris was sure he'd never admit it.
"Tell you what," Chris said as he tossed the magazine aside, "Get up on Daddy's lap and I'll tell you a story."
Ash eagerly climbed up into Chris's lap and cuddled against him. "Is it a once upon a time story?" he asked.
Chris arched a brow and looked over at Jess as she sat folding laundry. She smiled across at him.
"He means is it from a book or are you going to make it up," she said.
"Well it's neither," Chris said as he tightened his arms around his son. "I didn't write this story in my book, and it's a true story that I was saving just for you." He pressed his lips against the top of Ash's soft hair. "When I was little, we had huge storms with lots of thunder and lightning. I never wanted to admit to anyone that I didn't like the noise, or that it scared me. You know, tough men like you and me, we don't get scared of nothing, right?"
Ash nodded and stuck his finger in his mouth. "Nufin'!"
"Darn straight! Me and my best friend Tim were out in the yard playing, pretending like we were big game hunters in Africa on the trail of a lion, when all of a sudden there was a streak of lightning and a monstrous kaboom that scared the pee right out of us."
Jess smiled as she set the laundry aside and Ash giggled.
"I looked at Tim, and he looked at me, and I don't know whose eyes were bigger, but we weren't about to admit to each other that the noise was scary, no siree bob. So I said maybe we ought to go inside, you know, on account of it was going to rain soon." He fell silent as another crack of thunder sounded, the storm was moving closer just as he had predicted.
"An' then what happened?" Ash said.
"We went inside, and my mom made us popcorn and hot chocolate. She strung all these quilts up on the dining room table and made us a fort. We were cozy as bugs in a rug, she even let us put a lamp under there, and then she got in there with us and told us stories until Tim's mom came and picked him up. Then she made us tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner."
"Did she let you eat in the fort?" Ash asked.
"Yes she did." He tousled Ash's hair and said, "And now I think it's time you went and brushed your toofers."
Ash giggled again, "They're called teef daddy!"
"Teefers, toofers, makes no difference. Go and brush 'em up and wash your face, it's ni-night time."
"Will you go wif me?" he asked as he slipped reluctantly from Chris's lap.
"What for?" Chris asked with a wink.
The storm was much closer now, lightning flashed outside the windows and thunder crashed. Ash flinched.
Chris smiled and stood up. He reached for Ash's hand and led him toward the bathroom, "Always remember son, it's ok to let your old man know if you're a teeny bit scared about something. That's what I'm here for."
"An' mommy too," Ash said as he climbed up on his stool and reached for his toothbrush.
"Absolutely," Chris said and squeezed some toothpaste on to Ash's brush. He leaned closer and whispered, "Mommy even still holds my hand sometimes when I get scared."
Mouth full of toothpaste Ash said, "My mommy?"
With a chuckle Chris nodded, "Yes, your mommy. Don't forget to brush the toofers in the back of your mouth cowboy," he said. He smiled as Ash leaned closer to the mirror and studied his open mouth.
"I didn't know there were teef back there!" he proclaimed.
"Knucklehead," Chris said. He handed him a towel and then took his hand as he jumped off the stool. "Tell you what, why don't you come back in the living room with me and mommy. I know it's bedtime and all, but I might be a little scared of the thunder so I might need you to hold my hand and stuff."
"Can we make a fort?" he asked.
"No punkin, not tonight."
They settled back in the chair and Ash cuddled up against Chris. "Can you tell me another story?"
"One time," Chris said and he cradled Ash close and rubbed his back gently, "Me and my mom went exploring in the back yard. Spent all day climbing trees, looking at bugs. Found us a spider web with a ginormous spider and everything. She got a pickle jar out of the garage and we punched some holes in the top, but she wouldn't let me put the spider inside it, said we had to search for a grasshopper instead. We found one, but he didn't want to get in the jar, so we gave up and just lay on the grass and looked at the clouds instead." He kept talking until Ash eased into sleep, finger in his mouth again.
"You miss her," Jess said softly then.
Chris heaved a sigh, "I do."
"I heard what you told him," she said with a small smile. She walked over knelt beside the chair and slipped her hand into his.
He squeezed her hand, and without disrupting Ash's sleep he leaned over and brushed his lips against hers, "It was the truth sweetie pie."
"I know."
The worst of the storm had slid past, now there was just a faint pattering of raindrops against the window. Chris stood and moved to the couch. Jess curled against him, and Ash continued to sleep in his arms. The memories kept him warm when he couldn't be home, but this was what he craved most in the world. This peace.