Waddell spends his time downstairs while Peri gets to know her grandson. He loves Kai as if he were his child, so he can’t help but think of Wade as a grandson. But knowing that he’ll never actually father a child still brings him some pain. Waddell has some things to work through before he meets Wade. He’s just glad that Peri understands.
Meanwhile…
Prosperity: Hey there, Wade. I’m your Gran, Peri. And I want you to know that I love you so much.
Wade: *smiles*
I wake up from my nap still feeling tired, but I’m not willing to sleep all afternoon. So I go downstairs to find a cake, already fitted with candles.
Kai: *to Me-Me* Did ma bring this?
Melisa: I think my dad made it.
I don’t need to make a wish because all of my wishes have already come true. What else could I possibly ask for? I blow out my candles and age up.
The cake is so good. I finish up way too quickly, then get up to start cleaning the dishes. Ma sees me and isn’t too happy about it.
Prosperity: Let me do that, Kai! Get some rest.
Kai: I’ve got it, ma. I’m almost done.
Prosperity: Don’t be so hard-headed! Go back to bed so you’ll be ready to take care of your son when he’s up all night.
I guess you never get too old to be told what to do by your mother. And I’m not about to try and find out what’ll happen if I don’t listen. So I let her take over the dishwashing and go back upstairs.
Prosperity sends Me-Me upstairs as well. She can already tell that she will be spending a lot of time around here helping, or else they will never get any rest. She and Waddell decide to support Kai and Me-Me by going out back and helping with some farm work. Waddell doesn’t have much gardening experience, but he does know a weed when he sees one. So he begins pulling every weed he sees while Peri helps out by fixing the broken sprinklers.
Peri can see why Kai is exhausted by the time she finishes. Craig passing down this farm to Kai is both a blessing and a curse. She’s glad that Kai finally listened to her and hired a gardener, but she’s still worried about him.
Me-Me wakes up right on time to say goodbye to Peri and Waddell as they leave in the early evening.
Melisa: Thank you for your help.
Prosperity: No problem. Call me if things begin to get overwhelming around here.
Melisa: I’m sure we’ll be fine.
Prosperity: Please listen to me because I’m worried. Kai will do any and everything for you and that boy. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not sustainable over the long run. Being a parent, running a farm – it’s a lot. If he’s not careful, he’ll work himself into exhaustion. So please make sure he asks for help when you see that he’s doing too much.
Melisa: Okay. I will
Prosperity: Thank you!
Me-Me knows that Peri is right. Kai always insists on trying to take care of everything – the cleaning, the cooking, the farm work. She doesn’t know how to make him understand that he doesn’t need to. She can handle some of it too. But, for some reason, he seems to feel as if he has to do it all.
I finally feel well-rested, so I get out of bed just as Me-Me walks into the bedroom.
Kai: Is ma and Mr. Washington still here?
Melisa: No. They just left. Did you get any sleep?
Kai: Yep, I’m feeling brand new again.
Me-Me goes back to bed just as Dub starts to cry again. Ma was right, once again. I needed to get some rest so that Me-Me could get hers. Now it’s just my son and me. So many thoughts and questions go through my head as I stare down at his little eyes and count his tiny fingers and toes. I wonder what type of man he’ll be and what I can do as a father to guide him. But I also wonder how any man could turn his back on his child. It couldn’t be an easy thing to do.
One night-time bottle later and Dub is finally content. I place him back in his crib, but he’s still wide awake. So I decide to tell him about his namesakes.
Kai: Your name comes from an exceptional man – your great Pop-Pop, Quincy Wade Jr. He was named after his dad. I just want you to know that you come from a long line of strong, quality, hardworking men. So I have no doubt that you’ll have those characteristics too. Maybe we can work together to make them proud. What do you think? You’re already there, but is there any hope for me?
(Generation 3 Chapter Summaries)
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