Meryl and Don: An Unforeseen Journey

Chapter 63

"Mama." Henry said poking his mother. "Mama, up."

Meryl woke up kid of in a daze to find her son sitting on her husband's chest. How Don was still asleep through this she had no idea. "Shhhh....Daddy's sleeping. He's been sick and needs to sleep to be all better."

"Mama...up." Henry said again.

Meryl saw that it was still pitch black outside and she noticed it was only 1:30 in the morning according to the clock on Don's bedside table. Meryl sat up and brought Henry to her. "Baby, it's still really early in the morning. You and Mommy also need to rest because we were sick."

"Bad man make Mommy sick." Henry said with sad eyes. "Me sowwy."

Meryl choked back the tears and kissed Henry's face. "I know the bad mean made both us not feel good, huh baby?" Meryl asked as he nodded. "You helped Mommy be happy when the bad man was mean."

"Daddy gut us. Daddy better." Henry said pointing to his father.

Meryl nodded as she smiled at Henry. "Yes, Daddy got us and is making sure we get better. Hen, we need to go night night."

"Me wan colt." Henry said then making a horsey sound.

Meryl couldn't help but laugh at her son but soon saw her husband move. "Shhhh...don't wake up Daddy. Let's go get your colt. You might have been born in New York, but you're an Indianapolis Colts fan just like your daddy."

***

"Buddy, where is your colt?" Meryl asked looking through Henry's stuffed animals. "It's not here, Gippy."

Henry went to his mother. "I hewp, Mommy."

"You are Mommy's big helper." Meryl said kissing him. "Is it in your toy box?"

Henry helped his mother. "I wan my colt, Mama."

"I know, sugar." Meryl sighed. While she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep in her bed with her husband it was moments like these she missed so much when she and Henry were held captive. "Oh, I know. We took your colt to the park and he got dirty. Let's go look in the laundry room. I bet Daddy washed it like he said he would."

Henry grabbed his mother's hand and pulled her out of his bedroom. "GO! GO!"

***

Don woke up in a start. Henry and Meryl were no longer in his arms. Her robe at the end of the bed was gone. He looked around and the lamp on his side of the bed was still on from where he turned it on for Henry earlier. He jumped out of bed and looked in the bathroom. He ran down the hall and looked in the baby's room, the office, Henry's room, the living room, the balcony and the kitchen. He couldn't find them. He began to panic.

***

"Here's your colt, Henry." Meryl said finding the Indianapolis colt all nice and clean on the dryer. "Daddy washed it for you when we were gone. He's such a good daddy." Meryl couldn't believe her husband actually washed their son's colt while he was going through his own internal hell; but then that's who he was. Her Don.

Henry was jumping up and down. "I smell. I smell."

"Here ya go." Meryl laughed handing Henry his colt. "You sure like the fresh laundry smell."

Henry held the colt up to his nose and inhaled deeply. "Smell my colt."

"Yup." Meryl laughed. "It smells like your colt. Now, buddy, we really need to go back to bed now."

Henry nodded as he lifted his arms up. "Up, Mama."

"Come here." Meryl said bending down and picking him up; inhaling the scent of her clean boy. "Mama sure loves you, Henry Wolfe. You helped keep Mommy happy."