Chapter 7 - Noah
Just The Two Of Us ~Will Smith
“Let’s have a baby, Siena.”
“What the hell, Noah! We just got married.”
“I know, but seeing your cousin with her baby made me think it’d be nice to have one of our own. You’re not planning on working. I’ll take a desk job at a naval port. I want a family.”
“Noah! We’re young. Why would you want a little brat already? I’m not sure that I ever want a child.”
“Are you being serious? You don’t want kids? You told me once before that you wanted them.”
“The more I think about it, the more I think I’m not cut out to raise children. I don’t want to get fat. The thought of delivering a baby scares the shit out of me. Raising kids is even more horrifying. They depend on you for everything.”
“That’s the beauty of having kids. They depend on you. They love you. They look to you as their hero no matter what. Think it over, Siena. I want kids.”
“Well I don’t. The more you badger me, the more I don’t want them. Don’t push me, Noah. You won’t like the results.”
“I will not negotiate in this area of my life, Siena. Think long and hard before telling me that you don’t want children.”
“Are you ready?” Dad and I were out for drinks at a quasi-bachelor party. Carson promised to join as soon as his meeting was done.
“Dad. I can’t wait to marry Marni. She’s the girl I should’ve married, not Siena.”
“As long as you can learn from your mistakes, it’s all good, Son. Your mother and I want grandchildren. We’re expecting one immediately.”
The thought of my father playing with a baby warmed my heart and made me chuckle. “You’re really going to retire if we have kids?”
“I’m considering it. That means I’ll have to move near you and my grandchild.”
“Oh, that’ll make Mom jealous. It wouldn’t surprise me if she considered buying a small place near us so she could play with her grandchild. I never thought either of you would be like this.”
“Seeing little Ali made me realize what a big mistake it was to let you grow up without me. I told you earlier, a man needs to learn from his errors. I’ve learned and don’t want to repeat that phase of my life. I wasn’t there for you when you were young. I’m here for you now.”
“Dad, it wasn’t as bad as you make it sound. Mom and I did fine, and I don’t have any hang-ups about you not having been around. Just remember, I had the coolest dad on the block. All my friends were in awe of you, especially when they saw pictures of you in the news.”
“Thanks, Son. God was gracious to me when he blessed me with an understanding son.” Dad slapped my back. “I assume you and Marni have worked out all your differences?”
“We have and we’re ready to start this marriage. I’ve grown to accept her situation with her niece and brother-in-law, and she’s convinced me that she’s really doing this for family. She said if our family needed help, she’d do the same thing.”
“I don’t doubt it. Marni’s a good girl. I see a lot of your mother in her. You chose well.”
“I did. I’m psyched about our future.”
“Make sure you put her and your children above your career. When all else fails, they’ll always be there for you.”
“Thank you, Dad. I consider you the best role model a son can have. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Son.”