Joys of Fatherhood

October 1949

Tully sat down on the couch in his living room and stretched his long legs to rest his feet on the coffee table. He was exhausted. His shirt had stains he couldn't begin to identify, and parts of it were soaking wet. There was something sticky in his hair, probably several things. The living room was strewn with blocks and toy trucks. The kitchen was even worse with assorted baby foods on the floor, the walls, and countertops, adding splashes of color to the décor. Half eaten cheerios were crunched into the linoleum like powdery dust.

Minutes earlier the air had been filled with happy shrieks and giggling before turning into plaintive wails and soft shouts of, "no." Finally the small maker of all this mischief conked out, as though a switch had been flipped and he collapsed sleeping into his father's arms. Gently, Tully placed his eighteen month old son, Liam, into the crib and went to relax for a few moments before getting to work on cleaning up the mess. He didn't want Mary Ellen to come home and see the state of their home and worried she might arrive earlier than expected.

He could vividly remember missions during the war when he had stayed up for several days with little sleep, spending weeks in the desert with no relief, and harrowing days of fighting against the enemy. None of it came close to spending an afternoon chasing and caring for a toddler. Occasionally a thought of forgotten birth control flitted into his mind as he recalled how his son was conceived, but it was quickly replaced by thoughts of the joy this little bundle of trouble had brought to him. At times, when he held his sleeping son in his arms, Tully was overwhelmed by the love he felt. He would nervously wonder if he would continue to be a good father and teach his son everything he needed to know.

Most mornings he was in class working on his degree in anthropology at the University of Kentucky. He spent several afternoons working on cars at a local garage. His wife, Mary Ellen, worked two days a week at the local hospital in the Labor and Delivery unit. Today had been his afternoon to care for Liam while Mary Ellen worked. Tully leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a few moments.

He suddenly jerked awake when he heard the key turn in the lock and his wife entered the room. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep. He leapt up to greet her with a hug and kiss.

"Looks like you've had quite a day," she commented, taking in the chaos of the room.

"Yeah, well, we had a good time together," Tully drawled sheepishly. "I'd advise you not to go into the kitchen until I can get it cleaned up," he said nervously trying to position himself between her and the kitchen door. She looked into the baby food spattered room and pretended to be shocked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep, I just closed my eyes for a few seconds," he explained.

"Why don't you take a shower while I get this taken care of and then we can decide on dinner." She shooed him out of the room. "Check on the baby, as you go." Liam was still sound asleep in his crib, so Tully took a quick shower and changed his clothes. By the time he was finished, Mary Ellen had the kitchen cleaned and was putting the toys away in a basket.

"Let me finish that," he said, taking the basket from her. "You sit down and put your feet up." She took the spot he had vacated on the couch while he finished with the toys. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Come here," he pulled her close and began kissing her. "I didn't give you a proper welcome when you came home."

They snuggled together for several minutes before they heard Liam shouting for attention. "He really is an effective advertisement for birth control," Tully commented.

"Tully!" Mary Ellen jokingly chastised him, "How can you say such a thing?" She bought the baby into the living room and the three of them sat together on the floor, playing and talking together, all thoughts of dinner put on hold.