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witticasterThis is kind of terrible, but I really wanted it. Um.
"Mummy," came the whisper, along with a tug at her sleeve. "Mummy, wake up."
Beth opened her eyes slowly, blinking in the late afternoon light of her bedroom. Her stomach dropped unpleasantly; she had overslept entirely, in her fatigue, and left poor Amelia and Christopher to their own devices. Poor Christopher was still in his crib, at least, and at least he was not crying, and Amelia did not seem as though she had come to any harm, though she did look very intent. Sitting up, Beth glanced at the clock--nearly dinnertime, they would have to have reheated leftovers tonight--and tried to stifle a yawn. "What is it, darling, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Amelia answered, and assumed a very proud grin. "Guess what I did?"
"What did you do?" Beth asked, hoping the answer was something like coloured or played dolls. She stood, and took Amelia by the hand. "Why don't we get your brother, and you can tell me?"
They were halfway to the nursery when Amelia could not keep her exploits to herself any further and exclaimed, "I fed the kitties, Mummy."
"You--what?" Beth looked down at her. Given what a mess her dark hair was, she could certainly believe that Amelia had been doing something that required some activity on her part, but--"You fed the kitties?"
Amelia nodded. "I helped!"
"So--so you did," Beth said faintly, and reached down for Christopher, who was mercifully awake but not screaming. "Once we've changed Christopher, will you show me?"
She nodded, and when they were all three prepared to go downstairs, Amelia skipped ahead. Beth followed, and when they had reached the kitchen, she found that she was not quite as prepared as she had hoped.
The floor of the kitchen was scattered liberally with dry cat food, with Smudge and Jinx in the middle of it. Amelia turned, smiling broadly, and said once more, "I helped!"
Beth very rarely felt the desire to curse, and almost never had it surfaced while she was around small children. Stamping it down proved very difficult at that moment; the day had been long enough even without sweeping up cat food. She could not help sounding a bit cross when she said, "Amelia, this is too much food for the kitties. We have to clean it up."
The smile dropped from her face.
Beth sighed. "Let me put Christopher down, and we'll clean it up together." And then, she thought, they would have dinner delivered.
"Mummy," came the whisper, along with a tug at her sleeve. "Mummy, wake up."
Beth opened her eyes slowly, blinking in the late afternoon light of her bedroom. Her stomach dropped unpleasantly; she had overslept entirely, in her fatigue, and left poor Amelia and Christopher to their own devices. Poor Christopher was still in his crib, at least, and at least he was not crying, and Amelia did not seem as though she had come to any harm, though she did look very intent. Sitting up, Beth glanced at the clock--nearly dinnertime, they would have to have reheated leftovers tonight--and tried to stifle a yawn. "What is it, darling, what's wrong?"
"Nothing!" Amelia answered, and assumed a very proud grin. "Guess what I did?"
"What did you do?" Beth asked, hoping the answer was something like coloured or played dolls. She stood, and took Amelia by the hand. "Why don't we get your brother, and you can tell me?"
They were halfway to the nursery when Amelia could not keep her exploits to herself any further and exclaimed, "I fed the kitties, Mummy."
"You--what?" Beth looked down at her. Given what a mess her dark hair was, she could certainly believe that Amelia had been doing something that required some activity on her part, but--"You fed the kitties?"
Amelia nodded. "I helped!"
"So--so you did," Beth said faintly, and reached down for Christopher, who was mercifully awake but not screaming. "Once we've changed Christopher, will you show me?"
She nodded, and when they were all three prepared to go downstairs, Amelia skipped ahead. Beth followed, and when they had reached the kitchen, she found that she was not quite as prepared as she had hoped.
The floor of the kitchen was scattered liberally with dry cat food, with Smudge and Jinx in the middle of it. Amelia turned, smiling broadly, and said once more, "I helped!"
Beth very rarely felt the desire to curse, and almost never had it surfaced while she was around small children. Stamping it down proved very difficult at that moment; the day had been long enough even without sweeping up cat food. She could not help sounding a bit cross when she said, "Amelia, this is too much food for the kitties. We have to clean it up."
The smile dropped from her face.
Beth sighed. "Let me put Christopher down, and we'll clean it up together." And then, she thought, they would have dinner delivered.
