Page 40 of Baby for the Professor
"Good boy. Mommy made us some yummy breakfast. Let's go eat first."
He was about to carry the child out of the bedroom, but I stopped him. "He needs to use the bathroom first."
Jackson put down the child and watched him going through his morning routine, washing his face and rinsing his mouth, etc.
After that, Aiden regained his energy and dashed out of the bathroom.
"Is it always like this?" Jackson asked me.
"No. Most of the time he would get up early, even on weekends. I seldom have the luxury to sleep in."
"You've done a great job raising the kid." He pulled me to him and stamped a kiss on my cheek before we headed for the kitchen.
After breakfast, Jackson replaced my car battery before taking us out. I packed lunch for us because Aiden had to be careful with what he ate.
We drove to the community park near my parents’ house, only to find out that it was crowded. A few parties were going on, and the air was filled with smoke from grillers.
“Let’s go somewhere else,” Jackson suggested.
I thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with an alternative. Jackson pulled out his phone to search and said, “This one looks nice, and it has a playground for children.”
I looked at his phone screen. Coldwater Canyon Park. “Oh,” I said. “I’ve been there once. It’s a small park, nice and quiet. But isn’t it far?” It was on the Westside, near UCLA, while we were east of LA.
“Yeah, but the traffic should be fine. We could get there in half an hour,” he said, eager to go.
“Okay, then. Let’s go.”
“Yay!” Aiden cheered as his dad started driving again.
It took us nearly forty minutes to get to the park because Jackson took the wrong exit, but in the end, all the effort was worth it. The park was beautiful with its green landscape, fountains, and sculptures. Aiden loved the playground and didn’t wait to run to a jungle gym.
We followed the kid, telling him to be careful. As Jackson taught his son how to do the monkey bars, I stood on the side watching, again moved by the cozy picture. I had been so silly. How could I have doubted Jackson? He would always be a great dad and would never let Aiden down.
We spent about two hours on the playground, and then we had a picnic on the grass in a shaded area. Jackson and I had tuna sandwiches, while Aiden could only eat toast and applesauce.
“So, Aiden was asking whether he could see his daddy more,” I said after I swallowed a bite of my tuna sandwich.
Jackson grinned. “Of course. You can see Daddy anytime you wish, Aiden.”
Aiden smiled. “Can Daddy live with us, too?”
What? This child was getting greedy. I gave him a stern look. “Aiden. You’re being unreasonable.”
While Aiden pouted, Jackson reached a hand to squeeze my arm. “Daddy and Mommy will talk about it, Aiden.”
Aiden grinned again. “Yay!”
My mouth opened. “Are you serious?”
“I’ve had the thought,” he said. “And I’ve been looking for a house to buy.”
“But you aren’t even planning to stay in the city. You want to teach in other places.”
“Who says?” He blinked. “Oh. Yeah, but that was before I knew we had a son.”
My eyes were wet before I spoke. “Are you saying you’re willing to settle down in one place for us?”
“Absolutely,” he said, his voice husky. “Am I welcome?”
