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Once I dried Henley's hands, I led him to the small table and prepared a plate for him with five nuggets, a blob of ketchup, and a corn cob. "Would you like me to cut this off the cob for you?" I offered, but he shook his head no.
"No, thank you. I like holding onto it."
After doctoring it up with a little butter and salt, I served his plate, along with a cup of apple juice. When I ordered groceries earlier, I may have snuck in an orange sippy cup with double handles, and after seeing Henley's smile, I was so happy I did.
He wasted no time in grabbing the handles and taking a long draw of his juice before giving it a nod of approval. "I like this, Daddy. Thank you." The sweet way he showed his appreciation made me want to give him the world.
"You're so welcome, kitten."
I sat down with my own plate and we dug into our food. My boy was precious as he marched his dinosaurs around his plate before biting off their feet. He even used the ketchup as makeshift blood to enrich the scene. That part was less adorable, but I let it slide since he was eating so well.
Butter dripped down his chin as he munched on his corn, and his tongue was quick to lap it up. He was unbothered, calm, and in his happy place. He was letting himself be free and in the moment, and it was beautiful.
"You did such a great job," I praised when Henley cleared his plate, leaving behind only a nibbled cob. "Did you get enough to eat?"
"Yes, Daddy." He leaned away from the table to pat his stomach. "My belly is full."
"Too full for cookies?" I knew my boy loved sweets, and I wanted to treat him.
A naughty smile curled his lips. "I'm never too full for cookies."
"Good to know," I chuckled. "Let me get these dishes washed and we can have a treat."
"I'll help you!"
My sweet boy came to the sink with me. I scrubbed every dish and rinsed it before Henley dried each one and held them up for me to inspect. He laughed when I put a blob of bubbles on the tip of his nose, and beamed when I told him what a great job he did. Working together made the task easy and enjoyable.
Once we were finished, I grabbed a package of cookies from his cabinet before taking him into the living room. "Would you like to watch a movie together?"
Henley nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes please! I love movies." We nestled in on the couch and I flipped on his TV and streaming service. Knowing how he felt about race cars, I had a specific movie in mind for him. I searched through the titles until I found Cars, and selected the film.
"This is one of my favorites," Henley grinned. "How did you know?"
"Just a hunch," I answered with a wink. He tucked himself under my arm and I pushed play.
After the story got underway, I peeled open the pack of chocolate chip cookies and grabbed one of the treats. I remembered that Henley enjoyed being fed, and I craved the opportunity, so I held the sweet up to his mouth.
Henley parted his lips and took a bite of the cookie without even looking away from the movie. Once he chewed and swallowed, his mouth sprung open again, waiting for another bite, and I obliged.
Feeding him felt wonderful. He didn't move to take or even touch the food; he allowed me to give him nourishment from my hand in a simple but heartwarming gesture.
Even after I’d fed him three cookies, Henley opened his mouth wide for more. But instead of another treat, I slid his binky between his lips. He sucked happily and I wondered if he even noticed what had happened until I saw a small smile around the edges of the plastic.
My boy burrowed into my side and I wrapped him in my arms, holding him close as he giggled at the cartoon antics and gazed at the race scenes while barely blinking. This was the moment I’d waited so many lonely years to experience, and it was even better than I ever imagined.
By the time the movie met its happy conclusion, Henley yawned widely, sending his pacifier tumbling to his lap. “Oops,” he said through another yawn, picking it off of his leg. “Sorry I’m so sleepy; I was too excited to get much rest last night.”
While it was cute to think of Henley lying in bed, tossing and turning with excitement, I also hated that he was behind on his sleep. “Don’t be sorry. But I do think it’s time to get you ready for bed.”
“Yes, Daddy.” He rubbed his fists into his eyes. “I’m glad I have the day off work tomorrow.”
