Falice

Beard

Charles ran his little feet into the living room and jumped onto FP's lap. "Hey there kiddo," FP exhaled. The child kneed him on accident. "Be careful there. You might want some siblings in the future." FP sat him up straight in his lap and fixed the newspaper he was reading. Charles looked up at him as he focused on the paper. He pressed his hands on his beard. The child loved playing with it.

"Charles!" Alice yelled from upstairs. "Baby, it's nap time. Where are you hiding?"

"Daddy shh," Charles covered his mouth. FP chuckled and the child hushed him again.

"Babe, have you seen Charles?" Alice came down the stairs. She couldn't find him upstairs.

"Al, what's black and white and read all over?" FP hinted without Charles knowing.

"What?" Alice was confused by his comment. She walked around the couch to face him. FP guided her with his eyes. She heard a small giggle come out of Charles' mouth and she caught on. "Well who am I supposed to give all my hugs and kisses to without my little baby?"

"We could always get another baby. We've been practicing already." FP earned an eye roll from Alice. Charles gasped and popped up. "Me the baby!" He was offended.

"There's my baby," Alice picked him up and pecked a kiss on his cheek.

"I guess we could just keep on practicing for now," FP sighed loudly. Alice wacked the back of his head and went to the staircase. He laughed and watched them go up the stairs.

"It's nap time for you mister," Alice tickled Charles and he giggled.

"No nap."

"Yes nap." It took a few minutes to get him to settle into bed but she did it. Charles was peacefully sleeping. She quietly exited the room and left the door only an inch open. She walked down the hall to her bedroom. She heard humming coming from the bathroom. She pushed the door open and found FP shaving off his beard after his shower. "Someone's all cleaned up." Alice teased. She embraced him from behind. He quickly turned his head to kiss her forehead. He was careful so he wouldn't get shaving cream on her.

"Fred and I are meeting with potential business partners tomorrow and he wanted me to shave."

"Why? I think you look sexier with a beard."

"Well he doesn't think my sexiness will get us the partnership," FP chuckled.

"Well tell him he can shave off his own beard and leave you out of it."

"It will grow back," FP continued to run the razor down his cheek. "I hope it's soon because my face feels naked."

"So are you under this towel." Alice ran his hands down his chest and towards his waist.

"Does someone want to practice again?"

"Oh shut up," Alice he hugged him tighter.

•••

Charles woke up from his nap and went to go look for his parents. He found FP's legs coming out of the attic. "Daddy!" He yelled up the ladder as he came down.

"I see you're up. Watch out, baby. I'm coming down." FP carefully stepped down. Charles had moved to the side to his behest. FP finally faced him and Charles began to cry. "What's wrong?" FP crouched down to his son's level. Charles cupped FP's face. He was missing his beard.

"Why is he crying?" Alice heard the cries from the other room. She came to see what happened.

"Daddy!" He pointed at his face. He ran to his room wailing.

"I think he misses your beard too." Alice couldn't help but laugh at how cute that was.

"Well I can't just grow it back right now. It's going to take time."

"Well you have to do something. He's going to be crying for it."

Charles came back with a black marker in hand. He ran up to FP and drew on his face. FP backed his face up and took the marker from him. "What are you doing?"

"I think he's drawing the beard back onto your face." Alice could not stop laughing. Charles yanked the marker back and continued pressing the ink all over FP's cheeks and chin.

"I can't just have black in all over my face."

"Well then grow it back," Alice shrugged. "Just let him finish and wipe it off later."

"Fine," FP sighed. He sat down on the floor so Charles could easily finish the rest of his art work. Alice snapped a picture with her phone. She never wanted to forget this or let him forget it.

•••

FP spent the following morning trying to wipe the ink off again. It wouldn't come off when he washed his face before bed. He was now panicking. Fred would be there in a few minutes so they could carpool together.

Fred knocked on the front door and Alice opened the door. "Hi, Alice. Is FP ready to go?"

"He's getting there," Alice chuckled.

"Al, it's not coming off!" FP yelled from the bathroom.

"I see you shaved off the beard," Alice took note of the clean shaved Fred too.

"Had to look presentable for the clients." Fred touched his face. "I don't know how I feel about it though."

"Oh, I can assure you FP would have wished he didn't."

"Why is that?" Fred questioned. Seconds later FP appeared at the top of the stairs to reveal his face. Fred's jaw dropped. He couldn't help but laugh. "Did you miss your beard that much?"

"Oh it wasn't me," FP said.

"Who then?" Fred took a look at Charles in the living room. The boy had a marker in his hand and a face full of ink. "Oh now I see." He pieced it together.

"Charles! No, baby." Alice noticed what he had done and went to go confiscate the marker.

"You know what, maybe next time we keep our beards." Fred told FP after seeing this fiasco.

"I wonder what made you come to that conclusion."

"Nothing in particular," Fred opened the front door. "Bye Alice. Bye kiddo."

"Bye honey," FP kissed Alice on the lips. "Bye little man." He tickled Charles. "Next time you punish uncle Fred not me, alright?"

"Uncle Freddie!" Charles clapped.

"Good luck at your meeting," Alice smiled.

"I'm really going to need it."