A Love That Lasts Forever

Chapter Twelve

Caleb never believed in love. Not for himself anyway. It seemed an impossibility that just wasn't meant for him. When Rhys came into his life though, everything changed. He'd fallen in love. Against all odds he'd fallen in love. The short time that he'd spent with Rhys were the happiest moments of his life. Their love healed him, gave him hope, and produced a child that he would love for the rest of his life. The tragedy of his love was that it ended too soon. Rhys was taken from him and once again he'd felt that cold, empty, longing of despair creep into his soul that he'd felt for the entirety of his young life.

He hadn't been ready to let Rhys go and he had clung onto his memory like a man, lost at sea, clinging onto the last bit of hope at being rescued. Now though, he knew that it was time to let go. He didn't want to. Hell, it was probably the hardest thing that he'd ever had to do before but for his own sanity, he had to let go. Living a half life wasn't helping anyone and Caleb knew that he wasn't ever going to be the father that Rhylan needed if he continued to live in grief. Rhys was gone. Nothing would ever change that. Finally, it was time to accept it and move on.

It seemed like a betrayal of his love but with Rhys permission, maybe Caleb would find it a bit less painful. Even if it had only been a dream. But, who was to say that dreams didn't hold some truth and that those whom we have lost couldn't visit us in our dreams? Caleb believed this to be the case. It was Rhys one last act in assuring that Caleb was alright. His promise to him that he would always be there, watching over him, protecting him, and loving him from afar. Caleb took some small comfort in that. The memories he had of Rhys would sustain him and the love they shared would never be forgotten because Caleb was reminded of it each and every time he looked into his son's eyes.

The sun was already beginning to set when Caleb awake from his nap. The shadows reaching across the living room floor were proof enough of that. He couldn't believe that he'd slept so long, or that Rhylan hadn't woken up screaming. Maybe the pup's restless nights were finally wearing him down. Caleb dragged himself off the couch, yawned and stretched, then walked to his bedroom to check on the pup. Rhylan was laying in his crib attempting, unsuccessfully, to get his entire foot into his mouth. He looked up when he saw Caleb standing over him and grinned the largest grin that Caleb had ever seen.

"Silly boy." Caleb smiled back. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

As if to answer, Rhylan held up his foot then giggled.

"Yes, I see that." Caleb laughed. "You have a foot. When you learn to shift, you'll have four of them."

Rhylan cooed as he grabbed at his other foot then began to rock, side to side, while Caleb watched. Caleb could have stood there all evening just watching his pup and admiring the miracle that lay before him but the babe needed a good changing and there was also dinner to get on the table.

"We'll play together later." Caleb promised as he scooped the pup out of the crib, cradling him in his arms. "Right now we need to get that stinky diaper off." He carried the baby to the changing table, laying him down gently then began to unzip his sleeper. With the outer layer of clothing off, the smell of soiled diaper became so much stronger that Caleb winced, turning his nose away. "Wow." He said, plugging his nose. "Times like this I envy humans and their limited sense of smell."

Rhylan giggled and kicked his legs as Caleb struggled to get the diaper off. "Calm down there kiddo." Caleb told him. "This ain't no rodeo."

Ten minutes later, Caleb walked into the kitchen with a now clean pup, in a clean, lime green, sleeper with a cartoon wolf on the front. He was happily sucking his fingers when Caleb sat him in a bouncer on the kitchen floor near the entrance. "You sit there and bat at your toys while I start dinner." He kissed the top of Rhylan's head which caused him to erupt in giddy squeals of glee.