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“Hey, Little Guy. Are you hungry?” I coo, leaning down into the crib to pick up my child. Benji stops crying instantly, which makes me laugh. “I’d quit crying too if I got my midnight snack from Mommy. Benji wiggles in my arms and then gives me a big grin as if to say,“You got me figured out, Daddy.”
Benjamin Zane Kingston was born at three in the morning on a snowy March morning. Despite us practicing often, Junie didn’t have an easy delivery and had to have a cesarean. It was the scariest moment of my life. It took her longer to heal because of some minor complications, but she’s right. She’s good now. She’s also wrong, because I’m never going to stop taking care of my family. She might be fine to feed Benji at night on her own, but I love being there. I think we both do. I think that’s why she doesn’t want me using the bottles of milk she pumps, although I haven’t asked her.
I take Benji back into our room, settle against my pillows and Junie moves to rest against my body, sitting between my legs. I safely maneuver our baby around her. She takes him, cradling him to her, and helps our little boy latch onto her nipple. I let my fingers sift through Junie’s hair, gathering it and pulling it away from her shoulder and to one side, so I can look down at my child and wife.
My family.
After my parents both died in a helicopter crash while overseas, I made myself a promise. I took the money they left me and the money from the life insurance policy and I promised myself that I would one day have a wife and a child I loved, and I would never for one minute let them doubt how much they meant to me. I wouldalwaysput them first. I sat about doing that when I bought this home and later when Junie and I moved in together. I couldn’t imagine it getting any better. Benji proved me wrong.
“I love you, Junie,” I whisper to her, hypnotized by the sight of her feeding our son.
“I love you, too, Ben,” she murmurs back, watching our son and brushing the soft hair on his head.
Right here in my arms, I hold gifts from God. I’ve never been an overly religious man, but I’m smart enough to know that I’m definitely holding miracles from above.
And I’m grateful as hell.
The End.
