Ch 3 - The Hook
The evening before Thanksgiving, another of our daughters, Julie, decided to surprised us. Our other children were not able to visit due to other commitments with work and family. At 3 pm, Dan, Shari, and the baby arrived and introductions were made to our daughters Cindy and Julie. Everyone doted on the baby and just before we sat down for dinner, I took the baby and cradled her where she promptly fell to sleep. Shari attempted to take her and I told her to just let her sleep, she looked so precious and comfortable. To be honest, I was enjoying it more than any of them could have imagined.
Dan looked at me in astonishment and said "You don't mind holding her?"
I chuckled out loud and said "until you experience the joy, frustration, messes, and anger involved with helping the love of your life care for these precious little ones; you are not being a father!" The looks on the faces of all 4 women caused me to burst out laughing which brought Shari to tears for reasons that only I understood at the time. After Sue (my wife) smacked me in the arm, she and our daughters took Shari into the other room to comfort her. I looked at Dan and said "Well, as normal I did or said something wrong. Do you want the baby, or do you want to carve the turkey?"
With fear written all over his face, Dan says "I don't know how to even hold her!"
I chuckled and said "you just took the biggest step by admitting that!" I then place his precious daughter in his arms and showed him how to comfort her. He beamed the first smile I had ever seen on his face and I carved the turkey.
When the women came back into the kitchen, all 4 of them just stopped and stared at Dan and all of them had their mouths wide open. Apparently, Shari had explained the part about Dan never helping with the baby and she must have also told them that he never holds her. I snapped them all out of it by saying "dinner is getting cold and I am hungry." Dan was still smiling away looking down at his precious daughter.
After we all finished eating, I surprised Dan and Shari yet again by insisting that everyone go out on the deck while I cleaned up the dishes. My wife and daughters are used to this when we have big family dinners so they thought nothing of it. Dan asked "do you do that a lot also?"
I replied "I feel that if my wife and daughters are going to spend the time it takes to prepare such a wonderful meal, it is the least I can do to show them how much I appreciate the work that they put into it. We have a HOME because we share responsibilities. I have seen many families suffer because they attempt to make everything about the man does this and the woman does that. I even do laundry since I work from home so much. I am here, I dirty just as much as everyone else, so it is only fair that I help." He was stunned. I sent him out with the ladies and finished.
When I finally joined them, the only open seat was right next to Shari. I was hesitant to sit there since the feelings and attraction had not gone away and, if anything, they had intensified. I did sit so as to not draw attention to the awkwardness. Shari flashed a quick knowing grin and they all kept on talking. I got a wonderful surprise when my wife and daughter offered to watch the baby so that Dan and Shari could go out on a date night and then they accepted. I thought to myself that I would finally be able to put the whole ordeal of the month before behind us.