Monday Morning
Monday morning, a usually ordinary day rife with longing for the weekend passed and resignation for responsibilities in the week ahead. This particular daybreak began a little differently. My eyes were still closed, my body insistent to linger amongst the warm blankets of our bed. I could hear the deep, fatherly voice of my lover and the much smaller voice of his four year old son on the other side of the bathroom door.
"Daddy, if you're going to shave, I'm going to shave with my batman shaver and shaver cream too. So you're going to use yours and I'm going to use mine and we're going to be just like each other, right Daddy?" he asked. I pulled the covers down and opened my eyes, paying a little more attention now to the special moment I was getting to overhear.
"Yes, that's right Little Man. We'll do it at the same time," Kelly's voice was warm and reassuring.
"Put a big squirt like this in your hand-" Kelly began.
"Wait Daddy! Don't go on without me! Wait, let me do it just like you!" Keaton said his voice excited and persistent about not being left behind in this very important moment.
"Okay sweets. Okay," Kelly continued. "So you take it in your hand and you put your brush in the cream, like this and then you brush it all over your cheeks- now not on your forehead, you don't need it up there," Kelly said and I imagined them on the other side of the wall, father demonstrating to his son how it's done.
"And then you take your razor and you go in straight lines down," Kelly said. He was talking slower and I could tell he was concentrating on shaving his own face as he led Keaton.
"Now you want to make sure you don't shave your nose," he said. I laughed a little to myself knowing that Keaton's razor was plastic and bladeless and it didn't really matter where the razor went.
"Daddy, you don't shave your nose because if you shave your nose then you might shave it off right Daddy?" Keaton asked.
"Yes, that's right," Kelly said.
I heard the faucets turn on as they each rinsed their faces and then Keaton said, "Daddy every time you shave, I'm going to shave. Right Daddy? We're going to always shave together right?"
My eyes welled up a little bit. I was certain Kelly would grant that wish if he could- a promise to share this special morning ritual today, tomorrow, always.
"Daddy, if you're going to shave, I'm going to shave with my batman shaver and shaver cream too. So you're going to use yours and I'm going to use mine and we're going to be just like each other, right Daddy?" he asked. I pulled the covers down and opened my eyes, paying a little more attention now to the special moment I was getting to overhear.
"Yes, that's right Little Man. We'll do it at the same time," Kelly's voice was warm and reassuring.
"Put a big squirt like this in your hand-" Kelly began.
"Wait Daddy! Don't go on without me! Wait, let me do it just like you!" Keaton said his voice excited and persistent about not being left behind in this very important moment.
"Okay sweets. Okay," Kelly continued. "So you take it in your hand and you put your brush in the cream, like this and then you brush it all over your cheeks- now not on your forehead, you don't need it up there," Kelly said and I imagined them on the other side of the wall, father demonstrating to his son how it's done.
"And then you take your razor and you go in straight lines down," Kelly said. He was talking slower and I could tell he was concentrating on shaving his own face as he led Keaton.
"Now you want to make sure you don't shave your nose," he said. I laughed a little to myself knowing that Keaton's razor was plastic and bladeless and it didn't really matter where the razor went.
"Daddy, you don't shave your nose because if you shave your nose then you might shave it off right Daddy?" Keaton asked.
"Yes, that's right," Kelly said.
I heard the faucets turn on as they each rinsed their faces and then Keaton said, "Daddy every time you shave, I'm going to shave. Right Daddy? We're going to always shave together right?"
My eyes welled up a little bit. I was certain Kelly would grant that wish if he could- a promise to share this special morning ritual today, tomorrow, always.
Ouch, my ovaries are aching now.
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