Runaway - Chapter 49
Jacob sat on the kitchen counter as I finished the last batch of cupcakes.
“Jacob, no,” I said with a laugh as I grabbed him off the counter. He was used to being my little taste tester, but these had to wait. “Those are your birthday cupcakes. We have to wait till Daddy is home.”
“Daddy!”
“Yes, sweet boy.” I placed him back on the counter. “Be good.”
He crawled toward the cupcakes again.
I laughed and picked him back up. I didn’t want to wait either. “How about we go surprise Daddy at work?”
“Daddy!” Jacob yelled.
I peppered his face with kisses and he laughed. “Come on, let’s go get him to come home. We have a birthday to celebrate. Someone’s turning one!”
“Me.”
“Yes, you.” I kissed the tip of his head. “Let’s go get dressed.”
“No.” The way he said ‘no’ always broke my heart. He dragged out the “o” forever. And he put so much sadness and passion behind it. Like he was always about to cry when he said it. But it was also somehow the most adorable thing I’d ever heard.
“Noooo,” he said again. He did not like clothes.
I blamed myself. I’d run around barefoot almost the whole time I was pregnant with him. I was pretty sure that somehow transferred to him. He only liked wearing a diaper. And ‘liked’ was probably too strong a term. Because he’d learned to take them off and loved running around naked the most.
It took me forever to wrassle him into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. And I abandoned the idea of shoes after he accidentally flung one at my face. I’d just hold him.
We pulled up to the restaurant and I turned around to look at Jacob.
He’d somehow managed to take off his shirt even though he was securely in his car seat.
“How did you take that off?” I asked.
He pressed his lips together.
Jacob never lied to me. But he liked to withhold the truth. “Sweet boy, you have to wear clothes when we leave the house.”
“No.”
I laughed. “Well it is your birthday.”
He smiled at me.
That smile melted my heart. I climbed out of the car and pulled him out of his car seat. At least he was still wearing his shorts. Luckily Alice didn’t have one of those “No shirt, no shoes, no service,” signs. Because Jacob was not following the rules.
I carried him into the restaurant.
Alice smiled when she saw us.
“He was very impatient for his birthday festivities to start,” I said.
“I bet.” Alice booped him on the nose. “You’re getting so big. How old are you now?”
Jacob lifted up one finger.
“One?”
He nodded and then ducked his head under my arm. Jacob had stranger danger. Even for people he’d met countless times. And I loved that about him. He was shy and thoughtful and careful. Just like he needed to be. Maybe he wouldn’t have to be one day. But right now I was relieved that he was careful.
“Is there any way I could steal George away a little early?”
“If you brought some of those mini scones I think I can arrange that.”
“Done. They’re in the car.” It was a silly barter. She knew I was bringing them.
Miller emerged from the back. He’d probably heard us talking.
“Daddy!” Jacob reached out for him.
“Champ, where is your shirt? And your shoes?” He lifted Jacob out of my arms.
“No,” Jacob said.
Miller laughed and balanced him on his hip. “We’ve talked about this. You have to wear clothes in public.”
“No.”
He laughed. “You’re lucky it’s your birthday.”
Jacob smiled and held up his finger.
“You’re one? How did you get so old?” Miller tickled his side.
Jacob went into a fit of laughter.
“Let me go grab the boxes,” I said.
“I’ve got them,” Miller said. He headed out to my car and brought back in the bakery boxes, somehow balancing them and Jacob. And Jacob was also suddenly wearing a shirt.
I had no idea how Miller did it. I swore it had taken me half an hour to get that shirt on Jacob. And Jacob didn’t even look upset about it now. Miller was so good with him.
“Are you excited for your birthday, champ?” Miller said.
“Yes. Cuppycakes!”
Miller kissed the top of his head. “I’ll be home in a few hours, okay?”
“Go ahead,” Alice said. “It’s a big day. You only turn one, once, right Jacob?”
Jacob nodded his head before hiding under Miller’s arm.
We tried to get Jacob to wave goodbye to Alice but he was very happy in his hiding spot.
When we got home, Jacob immediately took his shirt off. Then his shorts. I caught him at the last second so he couldn’t undo his diaper.
“Sweet boy, please keep that on.”
He kept his hands on the waistband.
“Jacob.”
“My birthday.”
I laughed and looked up at Miller. “Were you a nudist when you were little too?”
“Me? I thought he got it from you.”
I sighed. “Yeah. I think maybe he did.”
Jacob unstrapped one side.
I mean…it was his birthday.
He unstrapped the other side and his diaper slid to the floor. He squealed in delight and started shaking his hips. “Dance. Dance!”
He’d quickly picked up on our tradition of dancing when we cooked dinner together. Sometimes he’d sit on the counter and clap as Miller and I danced. Other times he’d want to join in. Maybe he got the nudity thing from me. But he got this from both of us.
I grabbed one of his hands and Miller grabbed the other and we all started dancing. The three of us danced around the room, mimicking Jacob’s stellar dance moves. I wasn’t sure how long we danced, but eventually Jacob stopped. And he scrunched his mouth up.
Oh no. I knew that face. He was about to…
“Bathroom emergency,” Miller said and grabbed Jacob under the arms. He sprinted toward the bathroom and I hoped they made it in time.
I laughed to myself as I picked up Jacob’s discarded clothes.
I knew it was dinner time, but Jacob had been so excited for cupcakes all day.
I put icing on the rest of the cupcakes and plopped a candle in one.
From other bathroom emergencies, I knew Jacob got embarrassed.
He was a very private little person. This would cheer him up.
I lit the candle as I heard his little feet running back into the room.
He stopped right in front of me. “Oopsies.” He blinked up at me with his big brown eyes. They were rimmed with red and I knew he’d been crying.
“It’s okay, sweet boy. Oopsies happen.” Although, maybe a little less for children who wore clothes. I leaned down and lifted him up, letting him sit in his preferred place…the middle of the kitchen counter. “Do you know what makes oopsies better? Birthday cupcakes!”
“Cuppycakes!” He tried to reach out and grab the one that was lit.
“We have to sing. And then we can all blow out the candle together, okay?”
His eyes grew round as he stared at the flame, but he nodded.
Miller wrapped his arms around me. He did that half singing, mostly talking thing. But I didn’t think Jacob even noticed.
“Make a wish, champ,” he said.
“Wishies?”
We blew on wishies all the time outside. Jacob loved to watch the pieces of the flower blow around in the wind like snowflakes.
I nodded. “Wish for anything you want.”
Jacob scrunched his face to the side. And then he leaned forward.
I didn’t want him to get too close to the flame. So Miller and I leaned forward at the same time. And we all blew out the candle together.
It wasn’t my birthday. But I’d snuck in a wish anyway. For endless days like this with my boys.
I snuck a glance at Miller. He was smiling down at me. I was pretty sure he’d snuck in a similar wish too.