The little one was saying something in his own language; Wesley had no idea what his son was going on about.
Everything was fine until the baby's forehead creased, and his face turned red.
A second later, a quirky odor filled the air.
Wesley sniffed and looked around, but was still unsure where it was coming from.
Then, he glanced at the little guy's face again. 'Ah!' Wesley thought and his eyes landed on the diaper wrapped around his son's bottom.
The little guy had been in an incubator for half a month after his birth.
Wesley had been busy moving the base of his organization from Z Country to A Country. While he was home, he usually just hugged his son for a while and then quickly got back to work. So, before today, it was Cecelia who had taken care of the baby's needs.
This was the first time he was facing this "situation."
Even so, he had the basic knowledge to know that it was time to change the diaper. This was a tricky task for the new father.
Wesley hesitated for a while, then called Cecelia on the phone. "Mom, I need a diaper up here."
Cecelia came upstairs with a clean diaper, a pack of wet napkins and a box of tissues.
"Hello, my cutie-pie! Who just poo-pooed, huh?" she said to her grandson with a wide smile.
The baby started kicking and waving his arms because of the discomfort caused by the wet diaper.
Cecelia pushed Wesley aside and said, "Leave it to me."
He didn't move. "Let me." Once the base of his organization was relocated to A Country, he would have plenty of time with his son. There were so many things that he needed to learn. He decided to start now.
Cecelia was worried that he wouldn't be able to do it properly, but after a moment's hesitation, she handed the napkins, tissues and diaper to him. "All right. You're the father. You need to know how to do all this."
Under her guidance, Wesley took off the little boy's pants, revealing his smooth, soft, chubby legs. 'Adorable, ' Wesley thought with a smile. He held those tiny legs in one hand and tore the diaper open with the other. Instantly, the odor hit his nose.
What he saw on the diaper made him wince. This was his first time changing a diaper, and it wasn't a pleasurable experience.
Seeing the frown on his face, Cecelia said sternly, "Your dad changed your diapers all the time when you were a baby. Now, it's your turn to take care of your son. Get used to it, and stop dawdling. My grandson might catch a cold."
Wesley let out a sigh. He followed his mother's instructions and put on a clean diaper for his son.
The baby was so small and soft; Wesley had to be extra careful and gentle. By the time he had put his son's pants back on, beads of sweat had gathered on his forehead.
He was never a thoughtful, patient man. This kind of chore felt more challenging than any of his life-threatening missions.
When everything was done, Wesley grabbed the straps of the baby's suspenders to lift him up. Cecelia was shocked. "He is your son, not a basket! Hold him in your arms, or don't touch him at all."
Wesley gathered his son up in his arms obediently. "There you go."
She was much relieved. Assured that Wesley was holding the baby right, she collected the garbage and went downstairs.
The father and son duo were left alone in the bedroom now.
Looking at his son, who was chewing his hand again, Wesley said, "Let's go see your mom. It's been half a month. I bet she is even thinner now."
Wesley walked towards the door with the baby in his arms, but he had a bad feeling that the baby might fall to the floor any minute.
To keep his little boy from falling, he put him safely under his armpit. Now, he felt more confident and thumped down the stairs quickly.
Cecelia heard the noise. When she saw how he was carrying her grandson, she dashed over and scolded, "Wesley! You can't carry a baby like that!"
Wesley pulled the baby out from under his armpit and held him in his arms again.
Cecelia groaned, but didn't say anything.
"Mom, we're going to take a walk."
She knew where he was going. "Okay, take good care of the baby."
"Hm hmm."
Months passed by, and New Year was around the corner. The seven-month-old baby was now able to toddle.
One day, Wesley came home from work with another man. He introduced the guest to Keith and Cecelia. The baby was playing on the crawling mat in the living room.
Wesley picked him up and said to him, pointing to the guest, "Kiddo, you see this uncle? He is the captain of the honor guard. He is here to train you. Aren't you glad?"
An awkward silence followed. Everyone was shocked and didn't know if Wesley was joking or not. The captain of the honor guard laughed. He took the baby over from Wesley and said, "Wesley, you must be kidding. Your son is still in his diapers."
Giving his own short hair a slight tousle, Wesley replied, "He has a lot to learn, and I'm busy most of the time. When I am not around, I should be able to count on him to protect his mother."
It was only then that the captain realized something. He looked around the room and asked, "Where is Blair?"
The living room went quiet. "In the hospital," Wesley answered solemnly.
Cecelia was already in tears. Keith's lips were tightened into a thin line.
The guest was shocked. "What happened?"
"She has been in a coma for almost a year," Wesley said. 'Time to wake up, babe.'
"Oh God. What's the matter? Is she sick?"
"She took two bullets for me around the time when the baby was due. The doctor performed a C-section and delivered the baby while she was unconscious. She has been asleep ever since. The Spring Festival is coming, and Carlos is about to have his second baby. It's about time for her to wake up." Debbie's second baby was due in a month.
The captain patted Wesley on the shoulder. "You've been playing the roles of both a father and a mother to your son. It must have been difficult for you. You're a good husband and a great father. Don't worry. Blair will wake up soon."
"I barely did anything. I wasn't even around during Blair's pregnancy. My mother has been taking care of this little guy for me. I'm grateful to her." Wesley made himself sound calm. He did not want to waver.
'Blair never shows her weakness to anyone. And she is anything but mediocre. Without her support and patience, I would never have achieved so much in my life.'
He had come face-to-face with life-threatening dangers countless times. She had been the ray of light giving him faith, courage and energy to move further. At every crucial juncture, he thought of her and told himself that he had to survive, because she was still waiting for him. And he still owed her a wedding, a future. Even now, she gave him the strength to move forward. He still held on and overcame every seemingly impossible mission.
No doubt Wesley was a hero. But Blair was the reason behind his every success.
He missed her. He took his son from the captain's arms and said to the baby, "Let's go see if your mom has woken up. If she hasn't, then you and I will wake her up."
The captain felt a pang of pain. He patted Wesley on the shoulder, but left his words unsaid. After saying goodbye to Keith and Cecelia, he walked out of the Li Residence with Wesley.
After the guest's car drove off, Wesley walked with his son towards the entrance of the apartment complex.
For the convenience of visiting Blair, Wesley had her transferred to the hospital near their home.
In the ward, he put his son on the bed next to his mother and told him, "Gifford, say hi to your mom. Say 'Wake up, Mommy.'"
Holding her hand, Wesley took out a ring from his pocket and put it on her finger. She was so thin now that the ring did not fit anymore. But Wesley insisted that she wear it.