Tag: bleary

This is the cupcake I modeled Bleary!verse Zach on.  He looks sleep rumpled and like he’s had more important things to worry about that shaving and hair quaffing.  And I can just imagine Chris falling in love with this man, especially with an infant on his shoulder.  Plus, I think I spy a bit of dried baby drool on that shirt…

Zach from Bleary: What’s your favorite thing about being a father?

Oh, god, that’s so hard to answer.  There are so many little things I love.  But I guess the best part is seeing how Nathan changes as he gets older.  How his personality develops and certain things really excite him and others don’t.  Parts of his personality have seemed fixed from almost the day we brought him to that hotel suite in Chicago, but others change or become refined as he develops. 

While it’s happening, you don’t really think about it.  You just enjoy each little milestone as it happens and meet him where he is.  And if this week his favorite music Gustafer Yellowgold because Chris took him to a concert at the Los Angeles Public Library where all the kids danced to “I am From the Sun,” and his “Rocket Shoes” t-shirt is his absolute favorite, well, you just make sure that music is available in both cars, and the nanny’s ipod, and in the living room, and you learn all the words to “I Jump on Cake” and enjoy the moment.  Because in a few weeks or months, he’ll have a different favorite or a new skill, and this will be a fond memory and you’ll be cheering him in some new adventure, like toilet training.

The truth is, Nathan just keeps getting cooler and more interesting.  Each stage he’s been in, I’ve loved while we were in it, but then he learns to sit up, or crawl, or walk, or dance, and it just gets better.  Or he make finger paint pictures he’s so proud of we have to tape them to the fridge because these new stainless steel appliances aren’t magnetic.  And it would be easy to forget what those early days were like, and next month I’d probably forget what this time is like, but I’m really lucky that my partner won’t let me.  Chris takes so many pictures, but more than that, he makes sure we can see them.  He got an Apple-TV he’s loaded them all onto, and when we’re in front of the TV and not streaming a show, they’ll just start showing up, like a screen saver.  And it’s completely random… something from Nathan’s first month, and then sitting up shaking a toy, then at the beach, then in the hospital, and then a piece of his art… but it’s all there, and you can really see how he’s changed… how we’ve all changed.  Because those random pictures, that’s the history of our family.  And I never thought I was going to have that.  And I just feel really, really lucky.

Six Sentence Sunday

A bit more of my new Blearyverse story “Fathers’ Day”

“You must have worn him out. He went down really easily,” Zach said as he returned from settling Nathan for his nap.  He crawled back into bed and tugged at Chris until they were face to face.  Zach silently traced fingers along Chris’ jaw and temple, over his eyebrows, studying his face.  Thinking.  “You know how you’re always saying you want Nathan’s eyes to change to brown, so he looks like Mini-Me.”

“Yeah,” Chris answered, a bit more breathlessly that he expected.

“Well, I’m always glad that his eyes are blue, because it’s a physical representation of a deeper reality.  He does look like me; it’s clear he’s mine.  But his blue eyes make him look like he’s yours, too.  And he is.”  Zach continued stroking Chris’ face as a new wave of emotion surged through him.  “And so am I,” Zach added, leaning in to finally kiss Chris, drawing a groan out of him.   Chris scooted closer, needing their physical state to match these words.  Chris knew that Zach was his, had heard it before, but it was still always a thrill.  And the rest… Chris threaded his fingers through Zach’s hair and kissed him hard.

Few Words Wednesday

A bit more of “Fathers’ Day” from the Blearyverse:

“Should we go see if Daddy is awake?  Before he does something silly like hop in the shower.”

Nathan’s face broke into a broad grin.  "Dada!“

"Let’s find him,” Chris said, unlatching Nathan from the highchair and holding him on his hip.  "Where’s Daddy?“ he asked with a sing-song voice as Nathan laughed and peeked around his shoulders.  Chris slowly pushed the bedroom door open to find Zach rolling onto his side.

"Hey,” came the groggy voice.  "How are my favorite boys?“

"DadaDA!”

Chris set the squirming child on the bed, where he promptly crawled over mountains of comforters to reach his father. Zach’s grin lit up his face as he watched his son approach.  Shirtless and rumpled and happy — he looked sexy as hell.  The idea of the three of them staying in pajamas and hang out as a family all day was so appealing. Chris crossed his arms and leaned against the bedpost as he watched *his* two favorite boys.  He couldn’t hold back his laugh when Nathan finally reached Zach and fell into his arms, squealing.

“Buongiorno, Nathan!” Zach said, kissing the dimple on Nathan’s cheek, and then blowing a raspberry, much to the baby’s delight.  Zach held out a hand to him, and Chris made his way to Zach’s side of the bed, taking his hand and allowing himself to be pulled down into a kiss. “Good morning, baby,” Zach whispered against his lips.  

“Hmmm.  Good morning,” he answered, raking his fingers through Zach’s hair.  "Stay there.  I need to go get something.“

"Don’t worry.  Nathan has me pinned.  I’m not going anywhere.”  Nathan threw himself against Zach’s chest again, giggling, and Zach pulled him into bear hug.

Chris went back to the kitchen, poured two fresh cups of coffee and placed them on the tray with the breakfast, sign, and photo album.  He carefully carried it all back, walking in on Zach playing peek-a-boo with Nathan, apparently in Italian.

“Dov’è Babbo?  Eccolo!”  

Nathan turned toward the door as Chris entered and clapped.

“Baba!”

Zach’s eyes grew comically wide as he looked back and forth between Nathan and Chris, eyebrows raised when he saw the tray.  

“You just ate, Nathan.  You don’t need a bottle.  Unless you were telling Daddy there are bananas in his muffins.”