At this point in time, I already have two sons. Theyre a whirlwind of energy, ploughing through the house like tiny hurricanes whove just discovered how much fun breaking things can be but, frankly, theyre delightful souls. One moment theyre accidentally clonking heads and dissolving into tears, and the next, theyre embracing each other as if nothing ever happened. Observers, inevitably, tut and cluck, pointing out their less angelic moments and offering pearls of wisdom on how to raise boys properly. Im convinced, though, that little lads simply need freedom if theyre to grow into well-adjusted adults someday.
People often say that my William is exceptionally well-behaved and calm, while Adam is the poster child for clumsiness all bouncing off the walls and barely staying upright doomed, apparently, to disrupt his brothers life forevermore. I just nod and reply with a smile. Maybe theres a grain of truth in it, but the fact is, those two are peas in a pod. They cant exist without each other, truly. The pair keep begging for a dog, but given my canine-induced nerves, Im holding out for something like a tortoise placid, slow-moving, and with its own built-in security system, just in case.
Honestly, my husband and I had no inkling how dramatically our lives would change with Adams arrival. When we learned Adam was born ill, for one brief moment it felt as if all the brightness had drained away. Thered been no warning signs; the pregnancy was textbook, each check-up better than the last.
Ill admit, after that dreadful scan, the thought of ending the pregnancy flashed through my mind fleetingly but I quickly pulled myself together and knew I would go through with it. Save for my husband, no one supported my decision, not even my own parents. My husband was at a loss himself, but in the end, he gathered his resolve, declaring, Shes having this baby, and thats final! Eventually, my family started to come around, albeit cautiously. And when Adam arrived, to everyones astonishment, he took to learning like a duck to water. His older brother William would hand him things, and Adam would give them names as if hed been doing it all his life. It was then that I truly believed everything would turn out all right and, as luck would have it, it has.
