Inspired by @riallasheng 's Scott/Alan observation
https://www.tumblr.com/riallasheng/727079051307761664/it-was-just-such-a-cute-little-thing-i-wanted?source=share
Sprout
Lucy rinsed her mouth out in the sink.
Pregnancy was the gift that just kept on giving.
The veteran mom pressed her head against the cool paintwork of the bathroom door.
Only twelve hours until the kids' bedtime.
A distant crash had her acting before she had time to think. She swung the door open and almost collided with a child on the way out.
"Oooh Scottie! I didn't see you there! Everything okay sweetheart?"
Scott nodded, but continued to hover.
Lucy waited. She could tell that he was itching to ask her something...or maybe confess - but what, she had no idea.
A moment passed. Then another.
"Mom, are you poorly?"
That threw her.
Her brain fumbled for words.
"Erm...no love, I'm okay."
She did her best to rally a smile, but she could see that her eldest remained unconvinced.
She squeezed his hand
"Really Scooter, I'm fine."
The young boy hugged her. Blue eyes, so like his father's, drifted up to meet her own.
"But I heard you."
Those eyes challenged hers. Daring her to claim to be fine, when he knew better.
Her little boy wasn't so little anymore.
Usually, it was Virgil who took the title of being the worrier of the family, but Scott had never been far behind. The youngster forever trying to fill the shoes of his legendary father. And forever trying to take care of everyone in his absence.
"Now Scottie, you're the eldest. That makes you the man of the house while I'm gone. I'm counting on you to set a good example for the others and to help out where you can. Make me proud, son."
"I will dad."
"Attaboy!"
Jeff would toussle his hair with a fond smile.
And then he was gone.
For how long, Scott never knew. Time had a habit of dissolving into meaninglessness numbers as a child.
Part of him longed for adulthood so it would all make sense. He'd know exactly how long his dad would be gone for. He'd know exactly when he'd be coming home.
Until then, it would be Mom and him against the world. He had to look after her; she was his constant. As long as he had her, the numbers didn't matter. Mom would always be there to love and reassure. Mom would never leave him.
"Okay, Scottie. Yes I was sick, but no; I'm not ill."
She guided her eldest to a soft seat, where they could have this conversation properly then scooped him up closer for a cuddle on the sofa.
"That literally makes no sense." The child puzzled.
"You're sick, but you're not sick?"
Lucy gave a small chuckle, which Scott emulated without really being sure what he was smiling about.
"I don't suppose you'll really remember before Gordie was born? I think you would have been about six when I was expecting him, seven when he was born."
"You mean when you had the huge belly?"
Scott beamed.
Lucy gave a small laugh.
"Yes. Yes, when I had the huge belly. Well, right at the beginning, I was sick then too. Growing a baby can do that."
Scott pondered thoughtfully for a moment.
"That sucks."
Lucy sighed.
"Yeah. It does suck a bit. But, the payoff is that I got you and your brothers at the end of it all."
She squeezed him in again.
"And, later this year, it looks like you'll be getting another brother - or sister." She watched carefully for the eldest's reaction. Life was already pretty chaotic, though there was no shortage of love.
"But you don't have a big belly now?"
Relief washed over the tired mom.
Scott really was a sweetheart.
"Well, baby's still got a lot of growing to do."
"Oh. So how big is the baby? Is it like...this big?"
Scott roughly gestured the size of a newborn with his hands.
Lucy smiled.
"Smaller Scottie."
"Like this?"
The eldest child closed the span of his hands by half.
Lucy pulled out her phone.
"I have an app on here that can tell us..."
Scott rested his head on his mum's shoulder.
"Let's see...11.5 weeks. Baby is the size of a sprout!"
"A sprout?" Scott said, wrinkling up his nose.
"That's funny."
Lucy kissed the top of Scott's head. He smiled at her momentarily before sliding from the sofa so that his face rested upon her lap instead.
Ever so gently, the young boy placed a hand to her stomach and he smiled.
"Hey there Sprout."
