Son Family Week 2019

Family Album

Goku

"It's coming together nicely." Chichi leaned on Goku as she stared at the dwindling box of photos. "I'm almost done." She kissed Goku's cheek. "Thank you for helping."

"It's not just me." Goku tilted his head to the kitchen. "Gohan helped, too."

Gohan returned to the room with a tray carrying a plate of onigiri and senbei, a hot pot of tea and three tea cups. Gohan carefully placed the tray on the floor. "That was Grandpa on the phone. Goten stopped by after school." He poured a cup of tea for his parents while Goku grabbed an onigiri.

Chichi took the cup of tea from her eldest son. "That's why he's not home yet."

"I told you he's fine." Goku munched on his onigiri. "Mmm! These rice balls are so good!"

Gohan placed a tea cup next to his father. "Goten's on his way. I reminded him we have dinner tonight."

"Good." Chichi sipped her tea. "We should finish this before we leave."

Gohan sifted through the pictures while chewing on a senbei. "Did I take this picture?" Gohan turned the picture around so his parents could see. The shot of the picture implied whoever took it either sat on the floor or wasn't very tall. Chichi's legs were captured in front of the stove. There was a clear shot of Goku who did pushups on his hands. On the edges of the photo were fingers.

"Looks like it." Chichi laughed. "I think I had the camera out that day and you got your hands on it. It's a good shot of Goku. Isn't it, Goku?" She noticed Goku eating his third onigiri. "Oh, Goku," Chichi drawled seeing bits of rice around Goku's mouth. Chichi took a napkin and wiped Goku's face. "Your Dad exercised in the kitchen a lot while I cooked and you did your schoolwork. Sunny days, rainy days, hot or cold, your Dad was always in the kitchen with us." Chichi kissed him. "I miss those times."

"I don't remember seeing these pictures, Mom." Gohan handed a stack to Chichi. "These are when I was a baby."

Goku looked over Chichi's shoulder as she looked through the photos. "I remember this one, Chichi." In the photo, Goku held a one-year-old Gohan who kissed his cheek while Chichi and Gyu-Mao looked happily. "I haven't seen it in years. It's been in this box all this time?"

"No." Chichi spread out the stack of photos. "All of these were taken at Dad's place. A few years ago he made copies and gave them to me." One photo captured her eyes. She tapped it with her finger. "I had no idea Dad took this one. He said you didn't notice him peeking from the door."

Goku picked up the photo, awed this moment in time was captured. "I didn't know he took this either."

It was taken the day of Gohan's birth. Chichi lied in bed asleep, exhausted. Goku sat in a chair besides Chichi's bed holding baby Gohan. He stared at the new life that came into his hours ago. Seeing the photo brought Goku back to that special day.

Evening arrived to a very long, emotional, and happy day. It was amazing to Goku how his life changed in a matter of hours. This morning he and Chichi spent an hour lying in bed, talking and relaxing. Most of the conversation was on the impending birth of their child. That morning, Chichi was all smiles rubbing her belly and feeling their son move. She gushed about wanting to see their child, hold him and kiss him. Goku remembered touching her stomach to feel the child's Ki. He remembered pressing his ear to Chichi's stomach to hear their son's heartbeat. He felt it but he also felt a tiny kick against his face. The two were full of laughs and happiness as dreamt of the day their son will be born.

Hours later, it wasn't all smiles and laughs. There was worry and fear as Chichi went into labor. It all happened so quickly. Goku remembered his heart pounding fast and hard against his chest. It was threatening to burst as he rushed to Chichi's side. Chichi didn't look good; it was fear the labor could kill her. If he hadn't given his Ki to help Chichi through the birth of their child, she would've died. Losing Grandpa was a crushing blow. If he lost Chichi, he wasn't sure how he would cope.

Chichi was alive now, sleeping while hooked to machines that quietly beeped as it monitored her heart and blood pressure. Chichi was out of the danger zone but her doctor still recommend she rest and take it easy until she fully recovered.

Goku turned his attention to their son, Gohan. He slept in a small baby bed next to Chichi. Gohan raised his arms as if he's stretching before dropping them and falling back asleep.

Goku gently picked up his child. Gohan didn't stir as Goku carried him to a chair by the window. For several moments, Goku stared at the newborn. He looked a lot better now than hours ago. When he was born, Gohan was a wet, bloodied sloppy mess and his body was so wrinkled. He didn't look like any baby Goku's seen growing up. He did now and Goku was absolutely mesmerized. The tiny spikes in Gohan's hair reminded Goku of his own. The tail wiggling to get free from the blanket made Goku's heart soar with pride.

He couldn't believe it. He was a father. He was still getting used to being a husband. Now he was a husband and father.

It was funny. People; strangers and even his own friends called him stupid and slow. Fighting was all they thought he could do. After failing to understand the difference between a pretty girl and ugly girl, his magazines and erotica books, Master Roshi thought of him incapable in understanding women or marrying one.

At the time, Goku wasn't interested in women. His focus was to be the strongest fighter in the world. Goku was certain Master Roshi and his friends still had those doubts of him and women when he left them to marry Chichi.

I bet they'd think differently of me if they could see me now.

In truth, Goku didn't know what he was doing except honoring a promise and following his instincts. He had good instincts about Chichi and it paid off in their first year together. He fell in love; found someone he could truly let his guard down with and now they had a son together.

"Gohan. Son Gohan," Goku whispered to the baby. "Nice to meet you." Gohan's eyes slowly opened. "Hi. You're finally awake. You like to sleep a lot, don't ya?"

Gohan whined as he looked around in wonder and confusion. The whine in his voice got higher as if he wanted to cry. "Don't cry," Goku told his son. "You're safe with me and Mommy. Oh, you probably don't understand but I'm Daddy. That's Mommy," Goku referred to the sleeping woman near them. "And you're Gohan. Son Gohan. You're our son." Gohan's eyes went up to the soft lights above them. Didn't seem as if the child was listening to him. "Mommy's really tired," Goku kept talking, "and needs to sleep but she's happy you're here. I am, too."

Gohan wiggled his body. He raised his arms again with one touching Goku's chin. "We're gonna do a lot together on Mount Paouz. I'm gonna take ya fishin' and campin'. I'm gonna teach ya how to fight like Grandpa did with me." Gohan's eyes focused on Goku again. Goku wondered if Gohan understood him. He and Chichi talked to Chichi's stomach during her pregnancy. She said their voices will be a familiar comfort to their child when he is born.

Gohan's attention on him encouraged Goku to keep talking. "You're named after my Grandpa. He found me in the woods and took really good care of me. I hope I can take care of you just as good."

"You're gonna do great, Goku."

Goku turned his head. Chichi was awake. "How ya feeling?"

"Tired," Chichi admitted. "But better. Is Gohan awake?"

Goku turned around so Chichi could see Gohan's eyes were open. "I think he recognizes my voice."

"Has he been given a bottle of milk?"

Goku shook his head. "Gohan hasn't eaten since you fed him. He keeps making a whiny noise."

Chichi sat up in bed. "He's probably hungry. Get in bed with me." Chichi opened her gown exposing her breasts to her husband and son. Goku handed Gohan to Chichi and carefully climbed in bed with them.

Goku watched Chichi gently guide Gohan to her full breast. Just as he did the first time she fed him, baby Gohan grasp the nipple and suckled quickly. As Gohan fed himself, his tail slipped from his blanket and wrapped itself around Chichi's arm. "He's so perfect. Aren't you, Gohan?"

"Wild it was just the two of us this morning."

"Yeah," Chichi agreed. "Now there are three of us." Chichi's warm eyes met Goku's. "I want it to be this way for a very long time; just the three of us; maybe four or more," she said hopeful.

"I want that, too," Goku admitted. For most of his life, it was just him. He had Grandpa for a brief time and he was very happy. Alone, he was happy but not as much as when he had Grandpa. Now he was recapturing that happiness again with Chichi in a whole new way. It will only get better with Gohan. What he was forming now with his wife and child, Goku realized it was something he wanted to keep for a very long time.

Gohan gathered the empty dishes and carried them to the kitchen. Chichi finished adding the photos Gyu-Mao gave her to the album. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Goku smiling at her. It wasn't his usual happy smile. There was something behind this one.

"What's that smile for, Goku?"

"Just thinking. I remember how our family grew from two to three when Gohan was born." Goku looked towards the kitchen. Gohan's back was to them as he cleaned their dishes. Goku slid closer to Chichi. "It didn't turn out the way we wanted but it was the three of us for a while."

Chichi wrapped her arms around Goku's neck. "And now it's four and I know it will be this way for a very long time."

"How do you know?"

Chichi playfully tugged a spiky bang hanging over Goku's forehead. "Because I'll kill you if it's not."

Just as their lips met in a kiss, the front door opened and Goten burst into the room. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!"