Author: lisa
Subject: Blessings - May 2008 HBX Challenge

A/N: Just a little piece of fluff in honor of the weekend. I wrote this off the cuff tonight and I’m not really happy with the weak transition to the ending. However, I have a very full weekend and just want to get this posted. So please excuse any mistakes.


Blessings

Harm lay on his side, his head propped up on one hand - just watching. Moments like this, he thought, were one of life’s sweetest blessings. The early morning sun filtered through the slats of the wooden blinds, casting abstract rays of light across the bed. The sun had awoken the robins nesting in the tree outside the window who cheerfully greeted the day with their song. And they in turn had woken Harm. He should still be sleeping. It was the weekend, after all, and the last few nights had afforded little sleep.

Yet, he never passes up an opportunity to watch Sarah MacKenzie sleep. He’s watched her sleep under a blanket of pine boughs in the Appalachian Mountains and in a Humvee bouncing along a dusty Afghan road. But by far his favorite place to watch her sleep was in their own bed.

It was a rare occasion that she slept later than he. He’d let her enjoy the added rest while he enjoyed the view. As she relaxed in sleep, her beauty seemed even more exquisite. His good fortune to have her as his wife still amazed him after 12 months of marriage.

Harm’s secret pleasure was short-lived as moments later a pair of sleepy brown eyes blinked open to meet his.

Leaning over, he greeted her with a slow, sweet kiss. “Good morning, Mac.”

“Mmm, good morning. But I’d say it’s wonderful after a kiss like that!”

“You think that was wonderful, let’s see what you think about this one.” As his lips descended, a noise interrupted from the next room. They both reacted, jerking apart.

“Wait here, Mac. I’ll go.”

Harm rose and headed to the newly decorated nursery. Leaning over the wooden cradle, he scooped up a fussing infant. “Sshh, Jacob, it’s okay buddy.” Smiling, he addressed the tiny baby in his arms. “You know, son, so far you aren’t demonstrating your mother’s good sense of timing. Actually, it reminds me more of your Uncle Bud’s. I’ll have you know I was enjoying kissing your mom when you chose to interrupt us. Did you decide you’d been without her long enough? I know just how you feel, Jake. I don’t like being away from her either. But you will have to share her with me once in awhile.”

Jacob voiced his disagreement with that statement by renewing his cry. Awkwardly, Harm shifted the baby to his shoulder, careful to support his head. “I don’t know how women make this look so easy. Sorry, little guy, you’ll have to allow for a learning curve. Your dad is new at this. Let’s go find your mom, she has what you’re looking for.”

Heading back to the bedroom, Mac was now sitting up waiting for them.

“Your son wants his mommy.”

Smiling she reached out her arms, cradling him with a practiced ease that belied the fact that she had been a mother for the grand total of five days. Immediately Jacob began rooting against her breast as Mac opened her nightgown and settled him there. Within moments he had latched on and began to suckle with fervor.

“See, I told you he wanted you.”

Harm had returned to bed to watch. He found the whole experience mesmerizing. Mac leaned back against the headboard, wearing a contented smile like he had never seen before on her. Reaching out he gently stroked the soft cheek of the baby, letting his hand trail up Mac’s breast to caress the cheek of his wife. Mac leaned her cheek into his palm as they relished the connection felt of mother, father, and son.

“I know we’ve only had him home from the hospital for a few days, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this - watching you nurse our son.” Almost reverently, Harm asked, “What’s it like? Breast-feeding.”

“I can’t quite explain it. It’s incredible. I guess I would say it gives me a feeling of completeness.”

Looking at Harm, Mac asked, “Do you resent not being able to feed him?”

“I know there will be times when we’ll have to use a bottle and I’ll enjoy being able to feed him then, but no, I don’t begrudge you this. I’m happy just to watch and I’m glad you’re able to have this experience, Mac.”

“We’ll see how glad I am when he has teeth!”

Harm grinned as he watched the infant continue to nurse greedily. “I don’t think we know yet whose brains he has, but it’s safe to say whose appetite he has.”

“Oh, you think you’re so funny! Just for that, Daddy, the first restaurant we take this kid to will be Beltway Burgers. Might as well get him used to the smell of grease and ketchup.”

“Don’t forget the dead animal, Mac. Speaking of, I’m going to get dressed and start getting the food ready for brunch. Keeter will be here at 10:00 to meet Jacob. I think he’s almost as happy about the baby as I am.”

“I think it’s sweet. I always knew Jack was just a big softie under that aviator bravado.”

A couple of hours later found Harm and Mac putting the finishing touches on the brunch while Jake supervised from his bouncy seat.

Mac stood at the sink washes up dishes from the food preparation. Reaching for a towel, she said,“You know, I should change the baby before Jack gets here.”

“Why don’t you finish what you’re doing and I’ll change him.”

“You sure? You’ve only done it a few times ...”

“Mac, I think I can handle it. I’m learning. It was just that one time the diaper fell off.”

Mac’s eyes danced with laughter. “If you don’t count the time you used duct tape.”

“Hey it worked. First rule of the military - improvise.”

Chuckling, she acquiesced. “Have at it, Harm. Just be ready for a dirty diaper.”

Returning to the dishes, Mac grinned as she recalled how Harm’s large hands struggled to diaper their tiny son the first time. Her grin settled into a sweet smile as she thought about how, with such awe and tenderness, he had held the small baby in those same hands right after he was born. Moments like that, she thought, were one of life’s special blessings.

She was ecstatic at becoming a mom, but Harm had been equally thrilled. ‘He’s going to be an incredible dad,’ she thought.

Mac’s musings were interrupted by the doorbell. Stripping suds from her hands, she went to the door. Obviously, their good friend was eager to meet the baby - he was early.

Opening the door, all she could see was a three foot stuffed panda bear with a large blue bow around its neck.

“Hey Jack, is that you back there?”

As the bear was lowered, Mac was greeted by Jack’s infectious grin. Leaning forward, he placed a tender kiss on her cheek. “Congratulations, Mama. I’m so happy for you - and for Harm.”

“Come on in, Jack, and meet the baby. He’s pretty special, if I do say so myself.”

Keeter handed her the panda, as well as another gift bag. “This is for Jake, too. His first F-14.”

Mac rolled her eyes. Pilots. “Sorry, Jack, it’s his third. His father already got him two. One before he was born, and one right after. Speaking of, Harm’s in the nursery changing Jake’s diaper. Why don’t you go on in and say hello.”

Harm was just getting to the diaper changing as Keeter appeared in the doorway. It had taken five minutes just to open up all the snaps on the little overalls Mac had dressed Jake in. Good grief, he could get in and out of a flight suit in seconds, but he couldn’t undress a baby? This was worse than the buttons on his dress blues.


Seeing Keeter, Harm grinned with pride. “Hey, Keeter, meet my son, Jacob MacKenzie Rabb.”

Keeter reached out to touch the wee baby’s hand and was immediately rewarded with five tiny fingers wrapping around one of his. “Wow, he’s got quite a grip! Congratulations, Harm. You done good, buddy.”

Harm returned to the diaper changing, breathing a prayer of thanks as he opened it to find it was only wet. The one and only dirty diaper he’d changed so far had been disgusting.

“You know what you’re doing there, Harm?”

“Sure.” Once a cocky, self-assured jet jockey, always one. “Piece of cake. You just unfastened these thingies, pull it off, and put another on. You just have to remember that the pictures of the teddy bears go in front.”

Harm proceeded with his task as Keeter asked, “He, uh, has all the right equipment?”

“Of course, he’s my son, isn’t he? He’ll have no problem there.”

Mac, who was shamelessly eavesdropping from outside the door, clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

Harm pulled off the wet diaper and reached for a dry one. Turning back to Jacob. He was startled by something wet squirting him in the face. Harm yelped as his son proceeded to shower him. He vainly tried to find something to stop the flow. “Mac!! Come here!”

Racing in, Mac joined Keeter in laughter as she realized what had happened. Handing Harm a burp cloth to wipe his face, she took over the job at hand. “Harm, with little boys you have to be prepared for that. It’s a good idea to cover him with a cloth until you get the clean diaper in place.”

“Mac, why didn’t you tell me this before?

Grinning, she looked up at Harm. “Need to know?

“Well, I guess I needed to know.” It was just a little embarrassing to fail so miserably at Diaper Changing 101, especially in front of Keeter.

Keeter was still chuckling. “It must be the Marine in him, Harm. You know those Jarheads...”

Harm groaned. He knew he’d never hear the end of getting peed on my his son. He took Jacob from Mac - who had managed to change and dress him in about 90 seconds. “Come on, Jake, let’s go get breakfast ready for these comedians.”

*****

Several hours later, Harm stood over the cradle gently rocking his sleeping son. Keeter had left a little while ago, after spending most of the day talking and laughing and admiring the baby.

He detected a whisper of movement behind him and felt Mac’s arms circle his waist as she came to lean again his side. Slipping one arm around her, he pulled her close, her head resting against his shoulder.

The late afternoon sun filtered through the blinds, reflecting off the shiny airplane mobile hanging above the crib, sending a kaleidoscope of light around the room. Outside, the birds were beginning to sing their evening song. Harm and Mac stood wrapped together - just watching.

Moments like this, they both thought, were one of life’s greatest blessings.

The End