Chapter 18

The next part of my day of suprises began after he finished breakfast. I left a note on the bathroom mirror written in my lipstick that read:

"Happy Birthday My King Charles. Love Your Queen Harmione."

It was a throwback to our days in high school as well as our matching tattoos that we still have. I ran Charlie a hot bubble bath with scented vanilla soap and rose petals. I then presumed to bathe with him. As he gathered up the soap and stroked his chest, I began to wash my arms. He flicked the bubbles my way and laughed. I flicked some back. We began to have a water/bubble fight with one another. Like small children we played in our bubble bath. I had bubbles attached to my eyelashes. He had them all over his face like a beard. He belly laughed like Santa and I snorted. We washed the bubbles away and pecked each other's lips.

"Charlie..."

"Yeah?"

I stared into his eyes.

"We're so lucky...Bryan and I...to have you."

"Not as lucky as we are to have you."

I smiled and pulled my wet hair behind my ear.

This isn't about me though Charlie...I know you've felt the same stings I have, and things have been hard...but...I want to get your mind back to how it was...when you truly believed you were worthwhile..."

"I just have my off days Har...no big deal."

"You need to have more good days then bad...and good memories as well to replace the bad ones...lets make today that day...lets forget the world and just truly live in the moment."

He grinned and kissed my cheek. I then kissed him back. He put his head back on the edge of the tub. I sat closer to him as we made out. We then just hugged each other tightly. Neither one wanted to let go. Ever since I wanted a normal life, it was never normal. Charlie was normal. He had no powers. Bryan was normal. He also had no powers. The Tennyson side of my family have been protecting the Earth from aliens and intergalactic warfare for years. It wasn't right of me to bring Charlie into that life. To throw him into a world of unknowns. Sometimes I consider him foolish. This man. This beautiful beautiful man has stood by me without question through everything. Guys like him aren't supposed to exist. He's one in a million. Everytime I think about Charlie I cry. He is the nicest thing I've ever had in my life. We wouldn't have got through half as much as we have without him. I began to cry thinking about our memories and just about how much I love him.

"Hey...hey what's the matter?"

"I love you Char..." I choked out.

"I love you too Harmione."

I sat in his lap and held my arms around his neck even tighter.

"No...I really really love you."

"And I really love you too Har..."

In that moment he began to pull away. Something compelled me to cling to him.

"Har..."

"Don't ever leave me Charlie."

"I won't...I can't." He started to move again, and still I found myself unable to let go.

"Don't leave me Char..."

"Okay...okay I won't...I'm right here..."

He gently put his hand on the back of my head and held me in his arms. I felt him kiss the side of my head. I sniffled and looked at him.

"I'm sorry."

"No...it's fine...are you okay?"

I wiped my tears away and smiled.

"I just love you so much and I'm glad I can celebrate your birthday with you."

"I love you, and I'm glad you're here with me too."

He reached up out of the water and stroked a tear away from under my cheek. I sighed and grabbed the edges of the tub.

"You getting out?"

"No...not yet...grab my hands."

He held my hands.

I slowly eased myself down into the water and let go of his hands. I placed my hands on his knees and he put his hands on my waist. I proceeded to make love to him. The water splashed up and down his chest. He grunted and began to make love to me. The bubbles and the water splashed back and forth. In that very crucial moment of intense passion he crunched his abs and I arched my back. We both groaned loudly I fell into his chest breathing heavily. I could hear him trying to catch his breathe.

"Well...I wasn't expecting that kind of present on my birthday..but it felt amazing. Thanks Har.." He mumbled breathlessly.

"You're welcome ..." I breathed unevenly back.

We sat in the heated bliss we created between us. Almost all the bubbles began to disappear. We felt as if we could fall asleep like that.

"Charlie..."

"Yeah?"

I rubbed his chest.

"Ready for part 3 of your birthday surprise?"

"There's more?"

"I said a whole day..."

"Yeah but food, a nice bath, some romance, you...what more could you give me."

I smiled. I gave him the day with Bryan. Meanwhile I would be secretly setting up for his surprise party. I told everyone that it's a Halloween costume party even Charlie. The secret part is that everyone knows it's a surprise birthday party except for Charlie.

That morning was crazy and so unexpected. Harmione didn't have to do all that she did. I was always fine with a simple birthday card. She made me my favorite breakfast, and drew me a warm bath. My muscles haven't felt this good since before my diabetic seizure I had a few months back. The bonus was the hot lust between us that morning. It was pretty intense. She was pretty loud also. Not to mention the things she said to me. As I took Bryan to the park I just kept thinking about the all time I've had with Harmione. I'd do anything for her. She rocks my entire world. Everything about her is perfect. She seems too good to be true, and to amazing to be real. I don't cry a lot but I do tear up when I think about how lucky I am, and how incredible my life is since she's apart of it.

And then there is Bryan Jay. My little baby boy. He is my reason for living. When I see him smile he reminds me that happiness still exists in the world. Life was never normal, it was hard sometimes but I liked it that way. I wouldn't want a normal life if it meant Harmione and Bryan weren't apart of it.

"Daddy!"

I had been daydreaming and forgot that Bryan was calling for me. I looked down, he had his hand in mine.

"I want to go play on the swings Daddy!"

"Okay let's go!"

I took him to the swings. He was finally ready for the big boy swing. I showed him how to kick up his feet. I smiled as I pushed him from behind.

"Hold on tight with both hands Bry!"

I pushed him a little harder.

"Higher Daddy, I want go high!"

"That's high enough."

"I jump out like Harvey."

"No...no...you stay put, your Mama would kill me."

Bryan just giggled as I pushed him.

"Wheeee!" He screamed and I laughed with him.

"Look at that your so high you could probably touch the moon!" I shouted. Even though he really wasn't going too high.

"Slide!"

"You wanna slide?!"

"Yeah!"

"Okay stop yourself!"

He put his feet on the ground but he was still a bit too short so I helped him stop the swing.

I took him to the slide. I eased him up to the top and waited for him at the bottom.

"Come on Bryan!"

"Hi Daddy!" He shouted from the top of the slide.

"Hi son!"

He sat down and slid down the slide into my arms. I then held him as he wanted to go all the way across the monkey bars.

"Yay you made it across, give me five!"

Bryan gave me a high five and grinned from ear to ear.

He then wanted to play on the bouncy horse.

"Hold tight." I instructed.

"Wheeee, I'm riding a horse Daddy!"

"I see that, wow!"

He giggle his precious little laugh. I put my hands in my jacket pockets and smiled. I loved him just as much as Harmione. He was my baby. He was my son. Work got in the way of my time with him a lot, so the time we were spending together now was making up for it.

I looked at my watch. It was almost lunch time. Bryan hadn't eaten and neither had I. I took my hand out of my pocket. My fingers began to tremble.

"Uh-oh."

Bryan was laughing and didn't seemed bothered by the fact we had eaten since breakfast.

"Ready to go Bry, get some food?"

"Aww little longer Daddy, peas!"

"Okay...five more minutes."

I looked at my watch. My wrist began to tremble. I then took a piece of candy out of my pocket and slipped it into my mouth.

"I want candy too!"

"Not this kinda candy Bry...you need to eat some real food."

"Want candy."

"Bryan no...this is Daddy's special candy...you can have some Halloween candy at the party tonight I'm sure your Mama bought tons...now let's go get some lunch."

As I picked Bryan up he put his head on my shoulder.

"Love you Daddy."

"I love you too son."

I took Bryan and myself to get a bite to eat at the local burger place. They had a ball pit there; at which I did let Bryan play in after he ate. I made sure he ate every bite. He also seemed to make friends in that ball pit.

"Watch me Daddy!"

"I see you!"

Bryan dived down into the pit and came back up howling with laughter. Another kid laughed with him, and they began to play together. My birthday would have been nothing without him.

As I was watching him I looked at my watch again to keep an eye on the time. Sweat dripped from my bangs. My sugar dropped drastically at the park then rose abruptly at the restaurant. The multi colored balls in the ball bit began to make my eyes spin I closed them and looked away. Then it hit me. I began to have an episode in front of Bryan. I staggered to the counter where I ordered the food.

"Hi, what can I get ya?" The lady asked.

"Can I get a small milkshake please."

"Is that for here sir?"

I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. My breathing became shallow.

"Sir are you alright?"

"Here...its for here...make it fast okay."

I held my stomach I wasn't sure if I was going to pass out or vomit. I was leaning more towards vomit. I looked back at Bryan. He was so happy to be in that ball pit playing with the other kids.

"Excuse me...miss...can you watch my son...he's the one with dark hair with a green shirt..."

"Yes sir...are you gonna be okay?"

The sharp pain hit me again and I was over come with nausea. I threw up a bit in my mouth then swallowed it.

"I'm fine...just give me a minute."

The high calories of the burger and fries I ate was trying to come back up. I rushed to the mens bathroom past the urinals and into a stall. I placed my hands on my knees. Any minute now I was going to see my lunch a 2nd time. I quickly undid my belt and unbuttoned my pants to see if it would give me relief from my abdominal pain. I rubbed my stomach and pushed on it gently. It began to hurt to the point I couldn't stand. I continued to sweat. I removed my jacket and drapped it on the back of the stall door. I could feel it. It was coming. I vomited violently and began to gag. As soon as I stopped the pain in my stomach quit. I began to feel lethargic. I knew if I passed out on my birthday it would only upset Harmione, but I was doing all I could to fight it and stay standing. I bent over on my knees and tired to control my breathing. I knew getting my hands on that milkshake would even things out, so I went back to the lady and paid for it. She gave me my receipt.

The place was pretty busy with people. I brushed past a few of them over to the table I was sitting at when I was watching Bryan. I put my head in my hands and began to bob my knees up and down. I was doing all I could to keep myself awake. Since I threw up my stomach was now empty. I could feel my sugar dropping. It's such a scary and uneasy feeling. And I've felt it all too often in my 22 years of living. Even so each time it happened, it didn't make it any less scary or any less painful.

"Daddy?"

I gasped and looked up at Bryan. I continued to bob my knees.

"You done playing Bryan?"

"You sad Daddy?"

"Sad?"

"Yeah, were you crying?"

"Oh...no I wasn't crying...I'm just tired son...go play go ahead."

He smiled and ran back to the ball pit.

"Careful don't run!" I shouted back.

Then the lady from the front counter brought me my milkshake.

"Here you are sir."

As soon as she left I fumbled with the straw and began to drink it. It didn't give me any relief right away but I just kept drinking it. About 15 to 20 minutes later I was feeling much better. It gave me the boost I needed without sending my sugar flying.

I looked over at Bryan. My poor pride and joy. He'll have to deal with it too. It's hard but I think that's why I don't care that my life isn't normal since I married into the Tennyson family. Because my own life has never been normal. It's a rollar coaster of ups and downs. I deal with a certain amount of pain in different areas of my body everyday. I fight to keep living everyday since being born in a body that fights against me. I know Bryan will have trouble when he's older, but I hope he doesn't have as much as trouble as I do. Harmione believes that she brings about the turmoil in my family. She's lying to herself. Nothing brings turmoil in this family like life itself. Though their very existence is the reason why I can fight so hard. Even if I have to lie to her sometimes and tell her I'm okay when I'm not. I never want her to worry, I've seen her cry more times than I want to remember.

She was right about creating new happy memories to replace the bad ones. To truly live in the moment. Even though I about passed out, watching Bryan in that ball pit made all the difference.

When I got ready to take him home, I constantly sipped on the milkshake as I drove.

"Can I have some?" He asked.

"Yeah, but be careful with it don't spill."

I handed it back to him and he took a sip of it. He kicked his feet against his carseat, and licked his lips.

"Good huh?"

"I like it Daddy!"

"Well here let me have another sip and you can have the rest okay."

I took it back and savored my last sip. I was scared to let it go. Even though my sugar was now regulated, and I knew it wouldn't hurt Bryan because he ate his lunch just fine, and his sugar seemed to be stable; I felt like it was my lifeline. I tend to do that with food and drinks. I have since I was little.

"Okay here you go Bry."

I gave him back the shake. I could see how happy he was to drink it from my rearview mirror. I just smiled.

I'd give up a thousand milkshakes just to see him smile like that. Doing that made me think about what Harmione said. I often think because I don't understand half of what she goes through I'm a terrible husband. I then think because I'm away at work a lot and I gave Bryan my curse I'm a terrible father. I want to be there for them, and be the husband and the father I started out to be.

That afternoon I spent with Bryan made me realize I'm the one he calls Daddy. I'm the one he's always happy to see when I come in the door. I'm the one Harmione didn't want to let go of in the tub this morning. I'm the one she made love too. I'm the luckiest man in the world. This was shaping up to be one of the best birthday's I ever had.