The time must have been more morning than night. She barely notices the difference anymore after giving birth. She sleeps in when she has the time and wakes up when she is needed, with the latter happening much more often than the former. But at that moment, in that peaceful hour when the rest of the world is asleep and her little family is awake, she finds the opportunity to watch her husband taking over and lulling the baby back to sleep.
Their little bean barely has his eyes open, drunk on milk from his mom and lullabies from his dad. He seems quite keen on staying awake, finding the face of his old man fascinating despite his voice gently singing him back to dreamland. Then the pull becomes too strong, and soon he is fast asleep.
"You're really good at that," she whispers, smiling at her husband. He looks proud and triumphant, carefully bringing their son back to his crib beside their bed.
There was always this juxtaposition when it comes to him. He is this big name, famous actor, wildly popular, and yet he remains one of the humblest people on the planet. He plays a dangerous criminal in their movie, and yet he explains his role during the interviews with his soft, gentle voice that belonged more in a melodrama than a crime thriller. And now, he is this doting father who is so in love with their child and so caring and supportive in her recovery.
And yet, he has to grow out his facial hair for a role that involves freedom fighters during the Japanese occupation.
He has one of those rare faces that can pull off both neat and rugged. And she has been supportive of the rugged. Girls have always appreciated a bad boy look. But there was something about his look now that just reminds her of a...
"Hedgehog."
Having been woken up in the middle of a deep sleep, he looks a little silly with his long hair all over the place and that unkempt beard. He pauses to look at her with a raised eyebrow, finding her blurting out an animal out of the blue a bit odd. "Hedgehog?"
She leans over and runs her fingers over the spiky little things and giggles. "That's it. It has been bothering me for days, figuring out what this reminded me of. And now, I got it. It looks like a hedgehog."
She begins to laugh for real. He shoots her a warning look, glancing over at their baby who remains fast asleep. Somehow, the thought of not being able to laugh makes the whole situation even funnier. And she begins laughing under her breath so hard that tears begin leaking out of her eyes.
He looks at her both with exasperation and adoration, and she wonders what she could have done in her past life to have married someone who loves her more than she loves herself. "I put your son to sleep and you call me a hedgehog. This is domestic abuse."
"I'm sorry," she gasps, still trying to contain her giggles, and watches him dramatically face away from her and go back to sleep. She moves to wrap her arm and leg over him, acting like the big spoon, and kisses his scratchy cheek. "I love you. And I love your face."
"The damage has been done."
She laughs, still finding him the most ridiculous man in the world even after all these years. "It's not permanent," she says. "It'll be gone after you finish filming, so let me just enjoy this."
"What if I keep it?"
"I will shave it off in your sleep."
