It Takes Two

The car idles in the parking lot for a moment. Hearts are racing and tears are being held back as the Carter-Chen family prepares to face a life altering day. 

 “Are you ready for this?” Nate Carter asks his wife, Penelope Chen as they simultaneously unbuckle their seatbelts. Nate checks his dirty blonde hair in the rear view mirror and neatly combs it to the side with a free hand. 

“I don’t think it’s me you should be worried about” Penelope answers as she tucks a strand of dark hair back behind her ear and prepares to wake their five year old son, Dawson in the back seat. A carbon copy of his father but with his mother’s olive complexion and dark eyes. 

Through groggy and still tired eyes, Dawson observes his surroundings. He has no memory of arriving at Toronto Pearson Airport. As he lazily put on his windbreaker to shield him from the howl of the autumn breeze, he looks up between his parents and thinks to ask what is going on. However, he is quick to remember as he looks to his left and discovers a number of tightly packed suitcases. 

Nate squats to meet his son at eye level. “How about one more lightsaber fight for the skies?” the older man suggests with a wink as he prepares to retrieve his lightsaber from his carry-on. The slightest of smiles creeps onto Dawson’s face as he draws his lightsaber and grips the handle firmly with both hands. 

“The force is strong with these two” Penelope laughs behind her phone, capturing the moment for another day. A day when perhaps things are tougher. 

Dawson throws his head back in a fit of laughter with every swing of the galactic sword. When he is certain that his father has lost an arm and both legs, Nate calls a truce to check the time. But Penelope is one step ahead of him. 

“Dad has to go now, young jedi”. 

he once bright smile is quick to fade from Dawson’s face as he looks up at his father. “Why do you have to go?” the boy asks. His dark, tear filled eyes plead with his father not to leave him behind. 

“If I don’t translate for those Ewoks, who will?” Nate chuckles. 

“Okay” Dawson finally replies, with a shrug.

 When the news first came about that Nate was offered to teach English in Taiwan for a year, he and Penelope were overjoyed, while also being concerned about Dawson’s reaction. He and Nate were inseparable since the day Dawson was born. Over time, there were many dinner discussions about it and Dawson refused to acknowledge them. But today, he is finally able to face the truth. 

We’ll talk every day and you can tell me about all of the adventures you and mom go on” Nate says as he wraps his arms around the boy. He then turns to kiss his wife goodbye. At this, Dawson covers his eyes. As the couple breaks apart, mother and son stand watch as the sliding doors consume Nate into the airport. 

                                           ~ 

Two weeks have gone by since Nate left. Dawson refuses to leave his room after school and has gotten a lot more picky when it comes to food. 

“Sweetie, you have to eat something. You don’t want to be a bag of bones when daddy gets back, do you?” Penelope asks as she sets a plate of mac and cheese and broccoli with ranch onto Dawson’s Millenium Falcon bedspread. She crosses her fingers behind her back, praying that this meal is a success; seeing as it contains his favourite things. She then affectionately runs a free hand through his luscious dirty blonde hair. 

The five year old silently reaches for the smallest piece of broccoli in response, not bothering to look up from his figurines which have been set up in battle. Star Wars is the boy’s entire life and it was Nate’s goal to make it so since before he was born. If not for a convincing argument from Penelope, Dawson would’ve been named Lando or Han. 

“Want to go for a bike ride?” Penelope suggests as she watches Dawson pick at his food and swish the pasta around the plate with a disposable fork. Dawson wordlessly shakes his head in response. The thirty four year old knows better than to suggest a lightsaber fight. She knows some things are reserved for Nate. 

“I know things are a lot different without daddy but we can still have fun. What about this?” Penelope asks, selecting the unboxed and unassembled Lego set of Poe Dameron’s X-Wing Fighter from the top of Dawson’s toy cabinet. 

Dawson considers the offer as he continues to clear his plate while also engaging Lord Vader and Luke in the battle of the century. Once his plate is completely devoid of any traces of food, he looks up from his battlefield and says, “well, what are you waiting for, mommy? Poe needs his wing fighter”. 

Penelope sighs as she momentarily looks toward the framed photo of Nate and a newborn Dawson on the boy’s dresser. She and Dawson have quite a bumpy road ahead of them, but she is certain that they will find their rhythm eventually and they will be just fine. 

~

The water from the bathroom sink runs beside him as Dawson brushes his teeth. It is nearly 8:30 - his bedtime. However, Penelope rushes to his side with the news that he can stay up a little later than usual. 

“Someone is on the phone for you” she says, holding the smart phone close to her chest. 

“Who?” Dawson asks as he rinses and turns off the sink. 

“Guess” Penelope replies, unable to wipe the excited grin off her face. 

Dawson goes through the list of people he knows. Penelope vetoes people such as: both sets of Dawson’s grandparents, his best friend, Sawyer from school, his godmother, Kate or his cousins in Texas. 

“One more guess, and I really want you to think about it” Penelope says, shifting her eyes from left to right. 

“I don’t know” Dawson says after a beat, jumping up and down as he cannot contain his excitement. 

As Penelope turns her phone, an all too familiar voice emanates from the device. A male figure in a white dress shirt and emerald green tie turns in his desk chair to face the camera. “Surprise, my young Padawan Learner!” Nate exclaims. 

“I miss you” Dawson says. His cheeks are beginning to hurt from smiling so much.

“I miss you too, buddy. How was your day?” Nate asks. 

The young boy animatedly recounts his day to his father. A day filled with reading, cooking, watching TV and of course, putting Lego sets together. Dawson begins to blush as he admits to building the wing fighter without Nate. He hopes his father isn’t upset with him. 

“Mommy is a way better pilot than you” Dawson teases with his tongue sticking out. 

“That’s my boy and he speaks the truth” Penelope says, her voice a cool and crisp confidence. 

“Looks like we have a score to settle when I get home” Nate replies with a look of determination in his eyes. “Get some sleep, both of you. I’ll call you when you wake up”. 

Once the call has ended, Penelope takes her son’s hand and guides him into bed. Chewbacca tucked under his right arm. Boy and Wookie are wrapped up like burritos in the Millenium Falcon comforter. 

“Mommy?” Dawson pipes up, his voice barely above a whisper as Penelope prepares to shut the door on her way out. 

“Yes, baby?” she asks. 

“I’m glad you’re still here” Dawson confesses. 

Penelope’s heart swells as she takes a moment to absorb her son’s revelation. “Always” she answers as she leans forward to plant a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.”