One Step Closer(113)

His love of design hadn’t diminished and he and Dex started their design firm. It was grueling at times to be involved with two companies, but design was what he loved, and Dex was a talented mechanic who understood how things worked. He did an amazing job selling their services for industrial design and custom automobiles. Dex ran the day-to-day operations, leaving Caleb to contribute designs and consult when necessary.

Caleb had invited Jonathan and his wife, and Dex and his family to Wren’s matinee performance the coming Sunday. Jonesy would be there as well, and then they were all going to have a barbeque at Caleb and Wren’s afterward.

Caleb and Wren.

Caleb smiled at the thought.

The Goddard preschool wasn’t exactly the most convenient given the awful rush hour traffic. Interstate 25 always seemed to have construction and the backstreets were congested. It was the best preschool in the city, and though it would have been easier to have a live-in nanny, they considered interaction with children to be very important. “Grandma” Jonesy volunteered to babysit, but she still insisted on doing her household duties, even though Caleb and Wren treated her as one of the family.

Caleb got out of the car, and smoothed down his light grey silk tie, unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled the sleeves of his crisp white shirt up to his forearms. He’d removed the jacket to his Tom Ford suit and laid it across the passenger seat of the Infiniti SUV. It was great for family treks into the mountains for camping or skiing and Drake helped him pick it out. He was only three, but he and Caleb were inseparable whenever Caleb wasn’t working, or Drake wasn’t sleeping.

Many parents were picking up their kids and the parking lot was full. When Caleb walked through the door, he nodded to one of the caregivers who knew him. She pointed into one of the playrooms where Drake was playing with cars on a racetrack with two other little boys. He shoved both hands in his pockets in a casual stance as he watched the interaction.

Caleb felt the rush of love he always did when he looked at his little son. Drake’s head covered in hair the same shade of dark brown as Caleb’s, and his eyes were the same light blue of his mother’s. He was busy talking to the other boys, pushing a little red racecar along the plastic track. Caleb watched him push it up a hill and then let it go. His expression was intent; taking the task so serious.

“See? My car is the fastest!” Drake smiled in glee and scrambled to retrieve the car at the bottom of the hill before another little boy got to it first.

“No, mine is!” A little redheaded boy answered.

“Uh uh,” Drake shook his head adamantly and pointed to the other little boy’s toy. “See, that’s a truck. It’s not aerdo-dynamic.”

Caleb chuckled happily at his son’s explanation and the pronunciation.

“He’s very smart,” the teacher said, with a smile. She was an attractive young woman, and it was evident she thought he was attractive in the way she always looked at him. He made a fine specimen dressed for the office; his tailored shirt didn’t hide his broad shoulders or the strength in his arms. His hair was combed and held in place with a light amount of hair gel. He was professional, powerful and confident, which most women found to be a lethal combination.

His smile broadened and his white teeth flashed as he sauntered past her toward his son. “He’s the son of an engineer, and he’s curious. He sits on my lap when I work sometimes and asks question after question.” His fatherly pride emanated from every pore. “Was my wife here earlier?” Caleb already knew the answer but he wanted to remind the woman he was married, and happily so.

“Yes. Around 3:30.”

Caleb nodded. “Good. Hey, buddy!”

Drake’s little head turned and his face broke out in a grin. “Daddy!

Drake struggled to get to his feet and then took off in a run toward Caleb who bent to scoop him up in his arms. He’d just turned three, and was just past the toddler waddle stage, as Caleb liked to call it.

Chubby little arms hugged Caleb’s neck hard, and Caleb rubbed his son’s back as he held him with one arm. “Did you have a fun day?”

Drake nodded. “Yup! We played outside on the slide!”

“Did you see Mommy?”

“Yeah. Are we going home now? I’m hungry.”

Caleb set his son back on his feet. “We’re going to Mommy’s studio. Get your shoes on.” The little boy ran to a cabinet that held row after row of cubbies and pulled one out. His shoes were inside and he came back holding them in his arms. Caleb crouched down on one knee, hoisted his son to sit on his leg and helped him on with his shoes, then scooted him off and took his hand.

“Where’s Yark?” Drake asked on the way out the door, looking up at Caleb questioningly.

Caleb smiled at his pronunciation of his twin sister’s name. She was the spitting image of Wren. Wren let Caleb name them both, and now he had three little birds. It warmed his heart thinking about them. Wren was a wonderful mother. He was so proud of her. She worked hard. She was the lead in almost every production, and no matter how tired she was, she still made time for her children and her husband. The dance class with Lark was a good example. She taught three classes a week in pre-ballet just to spend time with her daughter. They were like two peas in a pod.

“Lark is at the studio getting her dance lesson. Didn’t you see her leave with Mommy?”