Chapter 13: Father and Son
Phoebe couldn't manage herself and her lips, as if on its own, they widened, which got Cole to smile gleefully like a little boy. Cole missed that smile. Her lips would break into a big grin then she tried to cover it by pursing her lips and pretended she was licking it. His heart just jumped at the sight of seeing her lightened up, even though he knew he would not be enjoying this special time with Phoebe and Junior afterwards.
Sitting not too far from Cole, a sleepy Junior rubbed his eyes and curled his arms up on the peachy marble tiled counter. He laid his head down, and slowly drifted away.
"Oh, look at him." Cole put his fork down and rubbed Junior's back.
A sleepy Junior peaked his eyes out from the small gap from his left arm and murmured babyishly, "Can we go to bed now?"
"C'mon buddy," Cole patted his back and got up. He threw him on his shoulders and carried him off to his bedroom.
"Can we set up my tent?" Junior asked as they were about to exit.
Knowing what Phoebe would say, Cole spun around and gave Phoebe a puppy dog look and saw the exact expression he thought Phoebe would have. Her arms were folded with a stern look on her face.
"But Mommy--" Junior began.
Breathing loudly, she gave in. "Fine, do whatever." She then waved her hand dismissing the both of them, while putting away Cole's food.
"You're the best Mommy." Junior happily replied.
"Somebody has to be." She mumbled underneath her breath.
In Junior's room, Junior was going through his closet trying to find his tent.
"Mommy spoils you, doesn't she?" Cole jokingly asked, helping him look for his tent on the top shelf.
"Daddy, what's spoil?" He asked, looking up at Cole.
"When you always get what you want." Cole defined, picking Junior up and setting him in his bed.
"Not always." He answered. "Mommy doesn't like it when I play with my water gun."
"Why not?" Cole continued to look for Junior's tent.
"Because it soaks up the house." Junior said with a tad of attitude. "And Mommy doesn't like that."
Chuckling at his son's attitude, he thought to himself, Junior certainly takes after his mother. The way he talked and the way he just lightened up at little things. However, suddenly his facial expression changed as he looked closely at Junior. A sense of sadness took over him and he slightly frowned then gave Junior a weak smile.
"What's wrong?" Junior tilted his head, while clutching to the tail of his pajamas.
"You're a lot like your mother you know that?" Cole informed, coming towards Junior. Never in his wildest dream had he ever imaged being this close to his son, or even Phoebe. He knew he didn't deserve the treatment he was receiving, however he felt so blessed that Phoebe had been more than generous to him than she should be and let him have some father-and-son bonding time with Junior.
Just looking at Junior now, he felt a big twinge in his chest forcing up towards his eyes. He blinked quickly before any tears had a chance of leaking.
"You're the man of the family now, you have to protect Mommy." Cole advised.
"What about you?" Junior quizzed. "Aren't you family, since you're my Daddy."
"I know I'm your Daddy," Cole began, as he pulled Junior closer to him. "But, I'm not part of the family—not anymore."
"Because you were sent away." Junior concluded, piercing his blue eyes into Cole's. He could see sadness in his father's eyes and decided to ask, "Why were you sent away?"
"You're too young to know it now, but you'll understand once you're older." Cole said, rocking Junior gently side to side.
"Will you tell me when I'm older?" He continued, putting his forefinger on his lips and playing with it.
Taking a deep breath, Cole exhaled and forced himself to smile. "No buddy."
"Why not?"
Forcing himself to chuckle, Cole rubbed with the top of Junior's head with his palm messing up his wavy hair and answered, "You know, for a little guy, you ask too many questions."
"I'm not little. I'm mighty!" Junior declared jumping off the bed and posing himself in a superhero pose.
"Yes, you are." Cole agreed. Then he picked him up and kissed his cheek. "Mightier than I'll ever be buddy." Cole let Junior rest his head on his shoulder.
"Why do you say that?" Junior quickly prompted his head up. "You're gigantic." He emphasized by extending his arms.
He let out another chuckle. Cole kissed Junior again and replied, "Not as gigantic as you will be."
Outside Junior's room Phoebe pulled her ears away from the door, she had heard everything they had discussed about. She could feel her eyes filling with tears. She didn't know what she was crying about, the fact that Junior would be fatherless or Cole couldn't be with his son. Touching the door as if she was letting herself in, she slowly let her fingers drift one by one and she hurried to her room.
Phoebe couldn't manage herself and her lips, as if on its own, they widened, which got Cole to smile gleefully like a little boy. Cole missed that smile. Her lips would break into a big grin then she tried to cover it by pursing her lips and pretended she was licking it. His heart just jumped at the sight of seeing her lightened up, even though he knew he would not be enjoying this special time with Phoebe and Junior afterwards.
Sitting not too far from Cole, a sleepy Junior rubbed his eyes and curled his arms up on the peachy marble tiled counter. He laid his head down, and slowly drifted away.
"Oh, look at him." Cole put his fork down and rubbed Junior's back.
A sleepy Junior peaked his eyes out from the small gap from his left arm and murmured babyishly, "Can we go to bed now?"
"C'mon buddy," Cole patted his back and got up. He threw him on his shoulders and carried him off to his bedroom.
"Can we set up my tent?" Junior asked as they were about to exit.
Knowing what Phoebe would say, Cole spun around and gave Phoebe a puppy dog look and saw the exact expression he thought Phoebe would have. Her arms were folded with a stern look on her face.
"But Mommy--" Junior began.
Breathing loudly, she gave in. "Fine, do whatever." She then waved her hand dismissing the both of them, while putting away Cole's food.
"You're the best Mommy." Junior happily replied.
"Somebody has to be." She mumbled underneath her breath.
In Junior's room, Junior was going through his closet trying to find his tent.
"Mommy spoils you, doesn't she?" Cole jokingly asked, helping him look for his tent on the top shelf.
"Daddy, what's spoil?" He asked, looking up at Cole.
"When you always get what you want." Cole defined, picking Junior up and setting him in his bed.
"Not always." He answered. "Mommy doesn't like it when I play with my water gun."
"Why not?" Cole continued to look for Junior's tent.
"Because it soaks up the house." Junior said with a tad of attitude. "And Mommy doesn't like that."
Chuckling at his son's attitude, he thought to himself, Junior certainly takes after his mother. The way he talked and the way he just lightened up at little things. However, suddenly his facial expression changed as he looked closely at Junior. A sense of sadness took over him and he slightly frowned then gave Junior a weak smile.
"What's wrong?" Junior tilted his head, while clutching to the tail of his pajamas.
"You're a lot like your mother you know that?" Cole informed, coming towards Junior. Never in his wildest dream had he ever imaged being this close to his son, or even Phoebe. He knew he didn't deserve the treatment he was receiving, however he felt so blessed that Phoebe had been more than generous to him than she should be and let him have some father-and-son bonding time with Junior.
Just looking at Junior now, he felt a big twinge in his chest forcing up towards his eyes. He blinked quickly before any tears had a chance of leaking.
"You're the man of the family now, you have to protect Mommy." Cole advised.
"What about you?" Junior quizzed. "Aren't you family, since you're my Daddy."
"I know I'm your Daddy," Cole began, as he pulled Junior closer to him. "But, I'm not part of the family—not anymore."
"Because you were sent away." Junior concluded, piercing his blue eyes into Cole's. He could see sadness in his father's eyes and decided to ask, "Why were you sent away?"
"You're too young to know it now, but you'll understand once you're older." Cole said, rocking Junior gently side to side.
"Will you tell me when I'm older?" He continued, putting his forefinger on his lips and playing with it.
Taking a deep breath, Cole exhaled and forced himself to smile. "No buddy."
"Why not?"
Forcing himself to chuckle, Cole rubbed with the top of Junior's head with his palm messing up his wavy hair and answered, "You know, for a little guy, you ask too many questions."
"I'm not little. I'm mighty!" Junior declared jumping off the bed and posing himself in a superhero pose.
"Yes, you are." Cole agreed. Then he picked him up and kissed his cheek. "Mightier than I'll ever be buddy." Cole let Junior rest his head on his shoulder.
"Why do you say that?" Junior quickly prompted his head up. "You're gigantic." He emphasized by extending his arms.
He let out another chuckle. Cole kissed Junior again and replied, "Not as gigantic as you will be."
Outside Junior's room Phoebe pulled her ears away from the door, she had heard everything they had discussed about. She could feel her eyes filling with tears. She didn't know what she was crying about, the fact that Junior would be fatherless or Cole couldn't be with his son. Touching the door as if she was letting herself in, she slowly let her fingers drift one by one and she hurried to her room.