Page 103 of Dreams Do Come True
“That’s right, little man, you did say sorry,” I say, stroking his head.
“Shall we change your stinky nappy, dirty clothes and then feed you?” Kean asks.
Lyric nods and sighs, leaning against Kean. “Mama, dada no,” he says softly.
Kean moves and sits cross-legged on the floor, and settles Lyric comfortably down on his leg. “No Lyric. It’s me and Tus.”
“Sad,” he says again softly.
“You’re allowed to be sad and miss them, Lyric. I bet they are missing you as well,” I tell him, moving to the edge of the chair.
Lyric sniffs and holds his hand out to me. I take his hand and kiss the back.
“Oou and Tus no leave?”
“No, little man. Tus and I won’t be leaving. You know mama and dada didn’t leave on purpose.”
“Car bump,” Lyric says.
“Yeah. The car bump hurt them, that’s why you have me and Tus.”
Lyric sniffs again, his eyes swimming with tears and his bottom lip trembling.
I get on the floor and kneel next to them, wrapping my arms around them both. We stay that way for a moment until we hear Lyric’s stomach rumble.
“Was that a hungry monster?” Kean asks, pretending to sound shocked.
“I think it was a very hungry monster,” I say, gently poking Lyric in his tummy, trying to make him laugh. “We need to feed you right now.”
Lyric nods, tears still on his cheeks and in his eyes. “Nack, duce pees.”
“Come on then,” Kean says, standing up, Lyric in his arms. “Let’s clean you up, then find you some food.”
CHAPTER 31
Iwake up Sunday morning wrapped in Kean’s arms and lay there for a moment, listening to the gentle beat of his heart. Kean was up for the night feed last night, so I’ll do this one, which I’m sure is due soon. I gently kiss Kean’s chest and pull out of his arms. Kean grumbles but doesn’t wake up. I would happily stay there, lying against him, but we have children who will need seeing to.
As I stand up, I check the time; any minute now, River will wake up and demand his feed.
I look in on Lyric first, who is fast asleep, with a stranglehold on his teddy and then walk into River’s room to see him just starting to wake up.
“Morning, Baba,” I say as I unswaddle him. “Did you have good dreams?” I pick him up and kiss his little head. He grabs my finger and tries to suck on it. “How about we change your nappy and then I get you your bottle?” I ask. I make quick work of changing the nappy before walking into our kitchen and making the bottle up. “We have the Easter Egg hunt this morning. I know you’re too little to have chocolate, but we can have fun looking with your brother and daddy, plus your cousinsand uncles.” I give River his bottle and go back into his room and sit in the rocking chair, gently rocking back and forth.
I love our time here, just River and me. That’s not to say I don’t love all the other moments with Lyric and River, but this feed somehow feels special. I can’t explain it really, and I'm probably being silly, but still, to me it’s magical.
I hear a noise by the door and look up to see Adhan there. “Morning, you’re up early.”
“Morning. Cam and I are off to hide the Easter Eggs.”
“You should drag Ernest out with you; he can make bunny footprints and the like,” I suggest, grinning.
Adhan laughs. “I’d not thought of that. I might go and do that, thanks.”
I laugh to myself as Adhan walks back towards his bedroom. I decide to give him a helping hand, waking Ernest up, and taking a leaf out of Ernest and Temp’s book, I send my magic out to zap him awake.
I hear a muffled yelp and looking at River laugh. “So Uncle Ernest is awake. Do you think he’ll guess I woke him up?” A few minutes later, River finishes his feed and I sit him on my lap, holding his chin up as I rub his back, burping him. He lets out a loud burp and jumps, looking startled. “Did you really just scare yourself, Baba?”
“Your ugly face probably scared him,” Ernest grumps out from the doorway, looking rumpled but dressed, a laughing Adhan by his side. “There I was in a lovely, and I do mean lovely, dream, and I’m rudely flung out of it, because someone, meaning you, Titus Compton, zapped my arse with magic.”
