Life With You

Part 15: Parenthood

AN: Fluff with some plot and more secrets.

When Goku was congratulated on being a father, everyone was filled with kind words, praises and advice.

"Get plenty of sleep before the baby comes," advised Mr. Olitz.

Mr. Lupp told him, "Don't leave everything to your wife."

"No sex for two months after the baby's born," Aki warned him with a shake of his head. "That sucks."

Goku was ready for it. Well, he thought he was ready for it but no matter how many times he was warned, he wasn't prepared for the amount of crying Gohan did, the number of times Gohan's diaper needed to be changed, how often Gohan needed to be fed or held.

The first month was a disaster. ChiChi was a mess and he didn't know what to do.

When Goku opened his eyes, it was still dark. What time was it? ChiChi had the clock on her nightstand. He rolled over to see he was alone. Where was ChiChi? Goku pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed. Now that ChiChi wasn't pregnant anymore, Goku could easily pinpoint her Ki. He left the room, following ChiChi's Ki but stopped off at Gohan's room first. Goku quietly entered the room, stepping over toys left on the floor before reaching the crib.

Gohan slept with his pacifier in his mouth. The blanket that Goku knew ChiChi covered him with was pushed off to his feet. Goku covered the blanket over Gohan and stared at the sleeping baby. Crying, eating and sleeping was all Gohan wanted to do. Goku didn't mind the crying; just the number of times he did it. He didn't know babies cried so much.

Still, the crying wasn't so bad when he thought of Gohan's smiles and laughs. When he saw Gohan, he saw pieces of himself. Besides the tail, Gohan had his eyes, spikes in his hair and his stomach! He drunk so much of ChiChi's milk, ChiChi had to make more milk with formula they bought at the market. He loved watching Gohan learn the world around him; loved seeing Gohan's reaction at the discovery of new things. He didn't know as much about parenting as ChiChi but he liked the idea there was something that was his and he loved that he shared it with ChiChi.

Speaking of ChiChi, he needed to find her. With one last look at Gohan, Goku quietly left the room.

Goku found ChiChi in the living room, sitting on the sofa in the dark. ChiChi hadn't noticed him. His sharp ears picked up the sounds of sniffling and soft sobs. Was ChiChi crying?

"ChiChi?" Goku stepped in the room. "Are you crying?"

"Goku?" ChiChi gasped. She hastily wiped her eyes. "What is it? Is Gohan crying?" She grabbed the baby monitor besides her. "I don't hear anything."

"Gohan's fine." Goku knelt before ChiChi. He turned on a lamp by the sofa. ChiChi's eyes were red and tears streak her cheeks. "ChiChi, what's wrong?" After a moment of silence from his wife, Goku shook ChiChi's left knee gently. "ChiChi."

ChiChi exhaled. "I want to be the best wife and mother to you and Gohan and I can't do it. I'm terrible!"

"What?" Where did ChiChi get that silly idea? "Why are ya talking nonsense, ChiChi?"

He didn't mean to but her words trigger her tears to return. "I can't keep the house clean! I'm not making you full again! I can't make Gohan full!"

Oh. It was true the house wasn't as clean before Gohan was born. Gohan's toys were on the floor in his room. Their clothes baskets in the bathroom were piling with unclean clothes. There was a basket of clean clothes in their bedroom but ChiChi hadn't folded them yet. Whenever ChiChi tried to clean, Gohan cried, needing to be fed or a diaper changed and she had to hold him until he went to sleep otherwise he'd cry. Gohan's constant crying and demands to be cared for had ChiChi functioning on little sleep. When she did sleep, other things around the house didn't get done like cleaning. ChiChi also wasn't making enough food that filled Goku's belly. It didn't bother Goku. He would always hunt afterwards. He thought he was helping ChiChi by not voicing her food wasn't making him full anymore.