Guarding Forever

She hadn’t realized how tired she was because the clock struck five when she heard her baby boy’s cries on the monitor. Walking into his bedroom, she smiled at Johnny and said, “Hey. What are you doing in here? Why you causing a ruckus? How long have you been awake?” Johnny’s tears stopped, and a toothless grin brightened up his face. Despite the missing teeth, he looked just like his daddy, making Hope’s heart swell. She teased him about the baby not looking like her, but honestly, she loved that her son had his daddy’s great looks. Gage would be home soon, so she needed to get dinner started like she promised. After changing Johnny, she carried him into the kitchen and sat him in his high chair so she could cook. “Come on, buddy. You can help me make Daddy dinner.”

For the next hour she worked on dinner, taking time to feed Johnny before settling him back in his high chair. She put some toys on there to keep him occupied and he giggled as he reached for the squishy colorful blocks.

The sound of the front door brought a smile to her face. “Where’s my woman?” Gage hollered, roaming through the house until he reached the kitchen. “Ah, there you are. I’ve missed you.” He crossed the distance, dragging her into his arms and slamming his mouth down onto hers. He pulled back, gripping her waist. “So, beautiful. How was your day?”

“Lazy.” She hadn’t known how much she needed the rest.

“Really? That’s good. You need easy days.” Gage tasted her lips again and then let go to play with his boy. “Missed you too, little man,” he whispered on the sleepy baby’s head.

“Thank you. It looks like Johnny needed it as well. Dinner’s about done.” They knew that he would be up late tonight. They learned early on that babies kept their own schedule.

“Okay, I’ll go clean up and be right back.” He left her with one more kiss to wash up.

When he came back, Hope had the table set up and dinner served. “Damn, it smells so good.”

“Thank you. Eat up.” They had a pleasant dinner, but tension in Gage’s shoulders told her there was something bothering him. As she stuffed the dishes into the dishwasher and he picked up the suddenly bright-eyed Johnny, Hope asked, “What’s going on? You seem different, tense and edgy.” She waved a knife she was about to put in the machine as she asked.

“First, put that in there, crazy woman. I am going to be gone all day again tomorrow. My mother is going to come over and spend the day with you.”

“Why? What’s going on, Gage? You’re not telling me something.”

“What? She can’t visit her grandbaby and her daughter-in-law?”

“The diner is super busy all the time. There’s no way she has the time to visit while it’s open. Try again.”

“Fine. Let me put our boy in his play yard while you take a seat.” She started the dishwasher as he walked out of the room. Unable to sit and wait, she wiped down the kitchen table and then swept the floor. A hundred thoughts entered her mind. Something was wrong and she worried that somehow he’d betrayed her.

As he came back into the room, she blurted out her fears. “Did you meet someone else? Are you leaving me?”

“No. What the hell has gotten into you? Of course not! Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” He stared at his wife like she’d lost her mind, closing the distance between them, sliding one hand around her waist and with the other, he took the broom from her hand and leaned it on the edge of the counter.

“No. It’s just the baby and then another on the way. You seem upset.”

“Listen. I want a house full of babies and only with you. Fuck, I was deep inside of you this morning when I should have been sleeping, but I can’t get enough of my wife. I’m not my father. I married you because you’re the one for me. Face it. We’re in this together. I’m not letting you go no matter what. The day they put me in the ground is the day you’ll be free of me.”

“I never want to lose you. I just freaked out. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you of being your father.”

He put his finger on her lips to stop her from apologizing so he could tell her what she needed to know. “I know. I know, but speaking of fathers…”

“Oh, no. Please tell me they didn’t drop the charges.”

“Calm your ‘jump to conclusions’ ass down. He’s going to be tried in five months as scheduled, but Dax called and told me that they approved bail for him. He will be released first thing in the morning.”