To Everything, There Is A Season

Chapter 22

Don and Meryl were sleeping soundly in one another's arms when they heard a very familiar set of feet rushing to their room. Don held Meryl closer to him. "It must be morning."

"One can hope." Meryl croaked as she was forcing herself awake knowing Henry would be jumping on the bed at any time. "Just protect Big Don there."

Don laughed as he knew she was talking about that sensitive body part that Henry always like to jump on. "Don't worry, I plan on using it tonight."

"Mommy! Daddy!" Henry ran into his parents' room, worried. "No Soo!"

Meryl smiled as Don managed to lift Henry up on the bed before he jumped on Don and did some damage. "Gippy, she went home."

"Yeah, bubs." Don ruffled Henry's hair as he sat him between him and Meryl. "Aunt Liz and Uncle Larry came and got her last night. She got to go home and sleep in her own room and play with her toys."

Henry gave his parents a confused look. "I woys. Fun! I pway Soo."

"Sweetheart, she was only here until Uncle Larry and Aunt Liz could come home." Meryl explained to her son. "She had to go back to her home. You get to see her and play with her tonight."

Don nodded as he winked at Meryl. "That's right, Hen. How would you like to go play with Suzie at her house while Mommy and I go out to dinner?"

"I go." Henry nodded. "I go, Mommy, an Daddy."

Meryl looked at Don and then turned her attention to Henry. "Sweetie, Mommy and Daddy are going to have Mommy and Daddy time while you play with Suzie, Aunt Lizzie, and Uncle Larry."

"But, Mommy and Daddy are going to have a fun day with you today." Don told Henry, grateful that he didn't seem too upset about not being with Don and Meryl. "We are going to make breakfast and then all three of us are going to have a special day."

Meryl smiled tenderly at Don as she ran her fingers through Henry's curly hair. "That's right, buddy. We are going to go somewhere special; somewhere that is a lot of fun."

"But we need to eat first." Don told Henry as he could tell that Henry was starting to get excited. "Then we need to wash our face, brush our teeth and get ready."

Henry nodded, he wasn't even two years old yet but he knew the process in which things happened at his house before they got to go somewhere fun. "Wick wup woys?"

"That's right." Meryl couldn't help but laugh at her son. "Before we go, you need to make sure your toys are picked up and in your toy box; while Daddy and I have to make sure our things are all picked up."

Don laughed as Henry ran off, knowing he was doing just that-picking up his toys. "Are we brainwashing him? Making him too tidy?"

"No!" Meryl laughed as she playfully smacked Don's arm. "We are teaching him responsibility. In the past few years, you and I have worked incredibly hard and can afford to give our children the best, which we will, but I also want them to learn responsibility. I don't want them to feel entitled because we have two homes including living on the Upper East Side. I don't want our children to become those kids and I don't want us to become those parents."

That was one of the many reasons Don loved her so much. "They won't, and we won't. I completely agree, sweetheart. I just had to give you a hard time."

"You wouldn't be my Don Man if you didn't do that." Meryl winked at him as she grabbed his hand as they got out of bed. "Come on, let's go make some breakfast."

***

"He's going to be so excited." Don said as he paid the cabbie while Meryl helped Henry out of the cab. "I can't believe me haven't brought him here until now." Don noticed how Meryl was just staring at him and smiling. "What?"