The Lion King

An excerpt from my first novel, on which I am currently working. The main character tries to understand love.

“Daddy?”

“What is it, bean?”

“Where do babies come from?”

Eddie Lennox tensed, every muscle in his body anticipating the question he had hoped his wife would answer for his young daughter.  But she wasn’t there, and she wasn’t coming back.

“Uh…well, it’s complicated, bean.”

“Com-pluh-cay-ted?”

“Yes, good job.  You sounded it out.  Complicated.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means it’s hard to understand.”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s just a feeling, you know?”  He thought, searching for an analogy.  “Remember the time you were convinced there was a monster in your closet?”

“I think so.”

“Well, what made you think there was a monster in your closet?”

“Because I heard funny noises in there.”

“Well, okay, but did you see anything in there?”

“Ummm…no…”

“And did you see any signs there was a monster in there?  Did you see any dripping goop, or fuzzballs, or anything like that?”  He animated more toward the end of the sentence.

His daughter laughed.  “Nooooo.”

“Well, then it was just a feeling you had, wasn’t it?”

“I guess so.”

“Well, that’s what the beginning of the process is like.  To get a baby, I mean.  It’s just a feeling that you get.”

“I thought you had to have a boy and a girl.”

“You do, sweetie.  But before you can just have the baby, there has to be some kind of feeling.”

“You have to have a monster in your closet?”

Eddie’s turn to laugh.  “No, sweetie.  But it works the same way.  You may think it’s a monster in your closet, but more than likely, it’s just a feeling that you get in your heart.”

“Like saying ‘I love you?’”

“Yes.  Exactly, bean.  You say ‘I love you’ to someone when you get that feeling in your heart.  The feeling that you love them.”

“How do you know you love somebody?”

Another deep breath invaded Eddie’s lungs.  “You just…do, sweetie.  It’s like, if they’re not around, you’re worried about them.”  He stopped, thinking more.  “If they’re not acting good to you, you still care about them.”

“But why would you do that?  If they’re bad to you?”

Eddie shrugged, his daughter leaned against him on the couch.  “You don’t know why, bean.  You can’t explain it.  It’s difficult.”

Finally, he retreated.  “You’ll know when you’re older.”

Mari lay her head against her father’s arm on the couch.  It was late, almost Mari’s bedtime.  She was in her pajamas already, watching The Lion King on TV.  

“Daddy?”

He was scared to answer, given the tenor of the previous conversation.  “Hmm?”

“I’m sorry Mommy died.”

The silence aged the two in the room.  “It’s not your fault, Mari.”

“I know it’s not, but you always said you loved her.  So I’m sorry.”

Eddie stared at the TV, aging more.  Then, he kissed his daughter on the top of her head.  “Go on, get into bed.  It’s late.  I love you, bean.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

Her long legs scooted off the front of the couch, and she raced upstairs.  In the dining room, the table was set for two.  

She’ll be here any minute.  Eddie’s brain tried to trick itself into happiness, but it wasn’t working.  Lorraine stayed on his mind, a flagpole standing strong against the onrushing floodwaters.

Author's Note

Keep in mind--this is a scene from a larger work, but it's (probably) not going to make the final version. At least, not in this form.

Hope you enjoy, and feel free to comment/review! Thanks!