The benefits of speaking

Once the young fella was home, he was visibly exhausted but could not help but talk with no end about all he had seen and done that day, while his parents listened to him with full fascination despite having seen most of what he was telling in the pictures and video's they had received throughout the day. Seeing the look of joy on his face, made them even happier with their decision to have him go there instead of the two of them and made all their tiredness from their days disappear completely.

Aside from his happy expression, his enthusiastic storytelling was also a good reward for them. After he spoke his first sentence on his birthday he continued to bless the people around him with the sound of his angelic voice but the words he would use were scarce and few. He would speak occasionally but since it wasn't his most favourite activity, it was still far less than Jenny desired from the little boy. Despite him reserving most of his words for the person who cared the most about them, which was of course Jenny. Meaning she had heard most of his speaking voice by far but this didn't mean that it was enough.

So, while Charlie was mostly treating his words the same way he treated his affection. As something that was only intended for those he deemed 'worthy'. Jenny wasn't willing to back down. Now that she had finally gotten him to speak, she did whatever she could to have him continue to talk and speak more as time moved along. And after about a month of trying, she had seemingly succeeded. Seeing as he was now at a stage where he would voluntarily talk about his day if he had enjoyed it, even with all the eyes pointed at him and even with Jenny not being the single witness. Meaning he wasn't doing it to please her but because he genuinely felt like using his words to express himself.

She had already noticed that just by talking to her he got more used to using his words. Just two weeks after his first sentence, he started seeing the benefits of speaking. Among which gaining the ability to stop people from touching them before they got the chance to get close by using the short, simple word "No.". Combined with a single hand gesture, made it enough to keep most new people at bay. Now he was seeing another benefit of speaking, which was relating good things that had happened to him to those he cared about. Bringing both joy to him and those who listened to his words. Making it a clear win-win.

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With all of their lives being as busy as ever, time seemed to be moving as fast as ever as well. In what felt like days, months had passed. Henry was shining at school and being as popular as his kind heart deserved and Charlie doing great in his own way as his vocabulary development was remarkable. Perfectly on time, little Sam had begun speaking his first proper sentences as well after talking with short words and simple sentences for a while already. As the first batch of mini-members of their group were doing great, the second batch were well on their way.

Not only was Sophia's belly growing beautifully, this time containing a little girl, Julia too had found herself on the way of joining the first-time parents' club. With her nearing graduation, she didn't mind the news though it had certainly caught her off guard. Surprisingly, it was Harry who was the most affected by the news of his impending parenthood. Where Julia is almost done with her academic life, Harry is still very much in the middle of it all. Making him feel the pressure of having to combine being a father with being a student. Something he had hoped he would be able to avoid but it appeared that fate would have all the couples in their friend group face that difficulty. Though some longer than others.

Another piece of good news came in the form of Jason's graduation. A moment which seemed to have finally arrived after multiple busy and stressful months. But despite it being such an impressive accomplishment and such a joyous occasion, Jason didn't even attend the graduation ceremony. Accepting his diploma from someone from the postal office in the form of a registered parcel. Though Jenny and his parents were quite disappointed that he wasn't willing to participate in a proper graduation ceremony and despite Jenny putting in a lot of effort to try to convince him to go, Jason stood firm in his decision as he was far too busy with things he found more important. Holding more value in what the diploma would bring him instead of the ceremony that came with it.

In his mind he focused on the joy he would feel from finally leaving this part of his life behind. He focussed on the two remaining and more important aspects of his life that he would now be able to give pay more attention to. This being, growing the family business and investing more time in his home life, which consisted of both his relationship with Jenny, spending time strengthening the bond with his young son and their time as a family. But he did agree to give them the joy of seeing him graduate from what would be his last real educational phase of life with a proper ceremony once his schedule had calmed down. Jenny giving him until the end of the college year to get everything in order and allow their son to see his father walk on the stage. A type of stage she hoped to see their son walk on some day in the future.