Page 101 of Miss Fortune

After pattering into the living room past his bedtime, Henry gave me a shy smile, looking adorable in his dinosaur pajamas. “I couldn’t sleep.”

I scooped him up into my arms, breathing in his sweetness. Hard to believe he’d just started kindergarten. Before long he’d be too big to cuddle on my lap which meant I’d take every moment I could. “How come?

“Johnny made fun of me today at school.”

“What did he say?”

“He said I have a funny mouth cause of my scar.”

Although Henry had surgery to correct both his cleft lip and palate, he’d always have a scar on top of his lip. I thought it gave him character on his handsome little face. “You know what I think?”

I caught the eye of Daisy who was walking in after having put our baby girl down to sleep.

“What, Daddy?”

Was there ever a sweeter thing to hear? “Johnny doesn’t realize how special your scar makes you. It means you had surgery and stitches and are way braver than any other five-year-old I’ve ever known.”

“Did the stitches hurt?”

“Yes, they did, but you were a tough little baby.”

“Like Gabi?”

“Yes. Your baby sister is another tough baby.” Gabrielle had also been born with a cleft lip and palate and had her last surgery two months ago to correct them.

“Am I tougher than Johnny?”

“Definitely. And next time he says you have a funny mouth, you tell him it’s not nice to make fun of people who are different. And you have your scar because you’re special.”

He grinned at his mom, love showing in his eyes. “Special like Mommy because she has two scars?”

“Absolutely. The scar by her heart saved her life, and the scar on her arm marks the day I fell madly in love with her.”

He giggled, the sound making me grin. “You said you fell in love with her when she hit your car.”

“Did I? I fell in love with her so many times I can’t possibly keep track. Now get some sleep, little man. Tomorrow we have T-ball, and then we’re heading to the beach.” Every weekend, Daisy and I still made plans. We just did our excursions with our three kids now.

He threw his arms around my neck, giving me a kiss on my cheek. “Night night, Daddy.”

“Night, buddy.”

Daisy hugged him next. “I’ll be up to tuck you in again in a few minutes, okay?”

He grinned. “Okay, do I get another story?”

“No, but tomorrow you can have two, okay?”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

We watched as he climbed the stairs.

My beautiful wife took a seat next to me on the comfy couch with colorful pillows scattered about. Gone were the museum pieces and in their place was pure happiness from the furniture to the framed pictures on the wall.

“I really thought you’d tell him to punch little Johnny in the face.”

I chuckled. “It was tempting. ‘Whose mouth looks funny now, Johnny?’” I mocked in a child voice. “Sorry, that was wrong.” No one warned you of the fierce protectiveness you experienced for your children or the fact you’d do battle even against other kindergartners if you had to.