Page 102 of The Champion
“He does.” I agreed taking him gently from the nurse.“He’s beautiful.” My eyes focused on Sway. I smiled when she smiled at me. “Wemade some cute kids.”
“I was wrong...yourhead can get bigger.”
Later that evening, the kids returned to see the newaddition.
“What his name?” Axel asked holding his newborn brotherlater that night. “He cute,”
Sway and I exchanged a quick glance before I nodded andwinked at her. “What should we name him buddy? Mom and I thought you and Ariecould help us.”
Arie, who’d been squirming around in my arms, finallyrelaxed enough that she’d fallen asleep. I shifted her weight to adjust my holdon her prone sleeping position.
“Re-re sleeping,” He told me. “How we name him then?”
“How about you name him?” Sway suggested. “Arie wouldcall him “no” if she got to name him.”
It was true. My little rusty haired angel replied to mosteverything with “no” or “daddy”. She thought I was the best thing in the world,besides apple juice of course.
Axel, still holding his baby brother stared at him for agood three minutes before looking up at us.
“How about Stagger?”
Sway looked over at me for assistance. She has a hardtime telling the kids no. She once brought home a monkey from the zoo becausethe kids pressured her enough that she caved and purchased it. I didn’t evenknow you could purchase a monkey from the zoo but apparently with enoughpersuasion from a four-year old and a frantic mother, they offered up themonkey.
The monkey Axel named “Mr. Pooter” was adopted by Spencerand Alley a week later when he felt the need to wear Sway’s underwear aroundour house.
“I don’t think Stagger would be a good one. What aboutsomething a little more modern?”
“Modern?” He looked down at the baby again. “How ‘boutCasten?”
I smiled, as did Sway.
My grandpa Casten had passed away this past summer of astroke. It was hard on our entire family, which I knew didn’t go unnoticed byAxel.
“I think Casten is a great name for him.” Sway saidreaching for the baby Axel handed her. The baby whimpered the way Axel and Arieboth did when they were newborns. “Casten Anthony?” Sway smiled over at me.
Nodding in approval, I laid Arie beside Sway and thenpicked up Axel.
“Why don’t we go get mama some ice cream?”
“You read my mind.” He said nodding readily. “I was justthinking that she need owc cleam.”
Once in the cafeteria he confessed what I expected hewould.
“Daddy,” he began with the serious intense stare he hadwhen he wanted to get his point across. I had the same look so I knew this wasimportant to him. “Are you...I stillyour little buddy?”
I stopped walking.
“Of course you are,” I knelt down to his level forcinghim to look at me. “What would make you think you’re not?”
He was silent for a moment before his nervous expressionmet mine. “You have another boy now.”
Instantly, I scooped him into my arms.
“You’re always going to be my little buddy, no matterwhat. Even if Mama and I had another ten boys...you,”I pointed to him. “are always going to bemylittle buddy. Do you knowwhy?”
“Because I race?” he offered.
“No,” I smiled softly. “You and I share something, just us.We understand each other,” I tapped the side of my head. “and we have a specialbond buddy.” I wasn’t sure what else to say to him to convince him that I had aspecial bond withhim. I loved all my kids the same but you havedifferent bonds with each one. Axel and I, well we thought the same, acted thesame and looked identical. I’d always relate better to him for those reasons.Axel also held a special place in my heart that reminded me of Sway and how wegot together in the first place. Something that was complicated as hellresulted in something beautiful, Axel Charles.
