Tommy quietly closed the door to the master bedroom and made his way back down the hall to the living room where his daughter was still crying. He used to think he was capable of sleeping through anything, but that had all changed once Jenilea had come home. Kristin, however, was so exhausted that Tommy swore she would be able to sleep through an earthquake.

“You know,” Tommy said to his daughter as he leaned over her bassinet. “I do believe you’ve inherited your mother’s lungs.”

Tommy picked up his daughter and laid her on the couch as he swaddled her in a tiny pink receiving blanket before picking her up again and cradling her in one arm.

“There you go,” Tommy cooed at his daughter. “All cozy.”

Jenilea didn’t act like she was very cozy; her screaming seemed to be getting louder by the minute.

“Your mama says I can’t do things,” Tommy said to her. “Let’s prove her wrong, huh?”

In response, Jenilea simply continued to cry just as loud as ever.

“What is it going to take to get you to calm down and go to sleep, baby girl?” Tommy said as he gently bounced his daughter and paced back and forth across the living room floor. “Are you going to cry all night?”

For the next hour, Tommy tried everything he could possibly think of to get her to calm down. He bounced her, he rocked her, he put her in her swing; nothing worked.

“Would it help if I put some music on for you?” Tommy asked her as he walked toward the stereo and switched the CD player to one of his favourites. “Maybe that would calm you down.”

I Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley began playing as Tommy laid his daughter over his shoulder and put his cheek against her little head.

Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can’t help falling in love with you

Shall I stay, would it be a sin?
If I can’t help falling in love with you

Jenilea’s cries had slowly stopped as Tommy swayed gently to the music as if he were dancing with her around the room.

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things, you know, are meant to be

Tommy listened to the words and sang them softly to his daughter. He meant every single one.

Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can’t help falling in love with you
For I can’t help falling in love with you

By the time the song finished, so had Jenilea’s crying.

“Now why didn’t daddy think of that an hour ago?” Tommy said as he cradled Jenilea in his arms again.

“Hey,” Kristin said with a yawn as she slowly walked down the hall into the living room.

“What are you doing up?” Tommy asked her.

”The silence woke me,” Kristin said with a little laugh. “How did you get her to stop?”

”Elvis has powers,” Tommy informed her.

“I’m sure,” Kristin replied with a smile.

“Why are you awake, anyway?” Tommy asked her. “Go back to bed.”

“It’s one o’clock in the morning,” Kristin told him. “It’s been 4 hours since she last ate.”

“Oh,” Tommy replied. “I guess I can’t really do that for you.”

”Not unless you’re planning on having drastic surgery,” Kristin replied as she took Jenilea and sat down on the couch.

"That’s not really something I see in my near future,” Tommy joked as he sat down next to her and passed Kristin a pillow to put on her lap.

“Good,” Kristin told him as she found a comfortable position and adjusted the pillows behind her back. “Because you wouldn’t be nearly as hot with boobs.”

“Thanks for that,” Tommy laughed as an image formed in his mind.

“Any time,” Kristin replied with a smile as she began to feed Jenilea.

“Hot,” Tommy commented.

“Oh, grow up!” Kristin laughed.

“That’s not half as much fun,” Tommy informed her.

“I’d imagine not,” Kristin replied.

“Give me a break,” Tommy told her. “How many times do you just sit around the house with your shirt unbuttoned?”

“Every four hours,” Kristin said sarcastically. “Next question?”

“No fair,” Tommy replied.

“All’s fair in love and war, lover boy,” Kristin said before giving him a quick kiss.

“Spoil sport,” Tommy pouted.

“What a baby,” Kristin giggled.

“I have no problem at all with being a baby if I get to do that!” Tommy told her with a twinkle in his eye.

“You have issues,” Kristin told him as she looked back down at Jenilea.

“Are you going to have to punish me, mommy?” Tommy said with a mischievous grin.

“Shut up!” Kristin said as she pushed him away with her free hand.

Tommy loved to see Kristin laugh. On the day they were married he had whispered a joke in her ear while they were posing for pictures outside and the photographer had captured the image just as Kristin burst into laughter. That was Tommy’s favourite photograph of Kristin and he saw it every day on his desk at work.

“Tommy,” Kristin said, waking him from his daydream. “What on earth is going through you head? You’ve got the goofiest grin on your face.”

“Nothing,” he replied as he kissed her cheek.

Tommy just watched his daughter for a minute before kissing the top of Kristin’s head and leaning against the back of the couch.

“How did you really get her to stop crying?” Kristin asked.

“I told you,” Tommy replied. “Elvis has powers.”

“The real reason, smarty pants,” Kristin told him as she looked up at him.

“You don’t believe me?” he asked her. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to prove it too you.”

Tommy reached over to the coffee table for the stereo remote and pressed play before relaxing against the back of the couch again and putting his arm around Kristin.

Love me tender,
Love me sweet,
Never let me go.
You have made my life complete,
And I love you so.

Kristin relaxed against Tommy as he took her free hand in his and kissed it.

Love me tender,
Love me true,
All my dreams fulfilled.
For my darlin I love you,
And I always will.

Tommy whispered the last two lines in Kristin’s ear and kissed her softly on the forehead.

Love me tender,
Love me long,
Take me to your heart.
For its there that I belong,
And we’ll never part.

They shared a look that spoke more than a million words ever could before Tommy leaned down and gave his wife a tender kiss.

Love me tender,
Love me dear,
Tell me you are mine.
I’ll be yours through all the years,
Till the end of time.