mocha #29 + whipped cream + sprinkles
Author: hi_falootin
Prompt: mocha 29. "when all else fails"
Topping: Whipped Cream, Rainbow Sprinkles
Word Count: 564
Rating: PG
Notes: This one takes place when Jason's about one year old, right after Melody dies. Oh yeah, Melody dies. I think I mentioned this before. ANYWAY, it's about Christine and her and Jake's family. Unedited.
Jake's on a spirit quest. Christine stays on the home front.
"He's on a spirit quest?"
Christine can't believe it. She continues to spoon mashed peas into the baby's mouth, oblivious to the fact that most of the food is dribbling down his chin. She shakes her head. "That is what you said, isn't it?"
"That's what he called it, yes..." Her mother sighs deeply, wiping her hands on the dish towel. "We should just feel fortunate that he's out of bed."
"I go away for one weekend and this happens." The baby's fussing and trying to squirm away from the spoon now so Christine sets it down, defeated. "These kids are so screwed."
"Christine! Not in front of your nephew."
"What? It's not like he can understand me." Christine reaches down and tries to scratch some dried, green baby food off of her jeans. "Gross."
"Look, this is hard for all of us!" Her mother snaps, checking the temperature on the oven. "Your father and I were all set to move to Florida when this happens. We're all putting our lives on hold--this is for Jake."
"Um, I know that, Mother...who do you think's been washing his clothes and bringing him food these past two weeks?" Christine makes a sound of disgust. "Christ! Spirit quest! I'm gone for two days and--"
"Christine," her mother says sharply. Christine looks over her shoulder to see her niece standing in the doorway, dragging a blanket and a stuffed polar bear by the neck.
"Deedee!" Christine exclaims, hoping it sounds warm and not just...desperate. "I didn't know you were awake."
"Where's Daddy?" Deedee asks, tucking the polar bear toy under her chin.
Christine looks at her mother for help, almost says "He's gone to see the Great Creator" until she remembers what's they said about Melody after she...oi. "Uh..." Christine manages. "Well..."
"He's on a spirit quest, honey" her mother says. Mom has never been one to talk down to children, Christine recalls. "He'll be back in a few days, honey."
"Spirit quest?" DeeDee looks from her grandmother to her aunt. "What's that, Kissy?"
"He's going to, um..." Christine twists her mouth around. "Talk to the animals. In um, the forest." Sure, why not?
"It's going to make him feel better," her mother adds, "So he won't be so sad."
"But I miss him!" DeeDee protests. Then, her four-year-old attention span in full force, she turns to the baby. "Can I hold Jason?"
"Sure!" Christine says, brightly. This, she can manage. "Why don't you sit down and I'll bring him right over."
DeeDee climbs up to sit on a kitchen chair and Christine busies herself wiping down the baby's face and extracting him from the chair. He's been sort of fussy all day, but when she sets him down in his sister's lap, he seems to calm down a little.
"Hold him tight like this," Christine instructs her niece. "Don't drop him, okay?"
"I won't," she says.
Standing up, Christine pushes past her mother to wash her hands.
"Those kids better get used to looking after each other," Christine says quietly while scrubbing her nails.
"Don't say that," her mother admonishes. She looks fondly at her grandchildren under the glow of the fluorescent kitchen lights. "Jake will be back. And he'll be all right. Everything will work out, you'll see."
"Whatever you say, Mom."
"Don't roll your eyes at me, Christine."
Hey, Christine...you're kind of right this time.
Let me know what you thought? :)
Prompt: mocha 29. "when all else fails"
Topping: Whipped Cream, Rainbow Sprinkles
Word Count: 564
Rating: PG
Notes: This one takes place when Jason's about one year old, right after Melody dies. Oh yeah, Melody dies. I think I mentioned this before. ANYWAY, it's about Christine and her and Jake's family. Unedited.
Jake's on a spirit quest. Christine stays on the home front.
"He's on a spirit quest?"
Christine can't believe it. She continues to spoon mashed peas into the baby's mouth, oblivious to the fact that most of the food is dribbling down his chin. She shakes her head. "That is what you said, isn't it?"
"That's what he called it, yes..." Her mother sighs deeply, wiping her hands on the dish towel. "We should just feel fortunate that he's out of bed."
"I go away for one weekend and this happens." The baby's fussing and trying to squirm away from the spoon now so Christine sets it down, defeated. "These kids are so screwed."
"Christine! Not in front of your nephew."
"What? It's not like he can understand me." Christine reaches down and tries to scratch some dried, green baby food off of her jeans. "Gross."
"Look, this is hard for all of us!" Her mother snaps, checking the temperature on the oven. "Your father and I were all set to move to Florida when this happens. We're all putting our lives on hold--this is for Jake."
"Um, I know that, Mother...who do you think's been washing his clothes and bringing him food these past two weeks?" Christine makes a sound of disgust. "Christ! Spirit quest! I'm gone for two days and--"
"Christine," her mother says sharply. Christine looks over her shoulder to see her niece standing in the doorway, dragging a blanket and a stuffed polar bear by the neck.
"Deedee!" Christine exclaims, hoping it sounds warm and not just...desperate. "I didn't know you were awake."
"Where's Daddy?" Deedee asks, tucking the polar bear toy under her chin.
Christine looks at her mother for help, almost says "He's gone to see the Great Creator" until she remembers what's they said about Melody after she...oi. "Uh..." Christine manages. "Well..."
"He's on a spirit quest, honey" her mother says. Mom has never been one to talk down to children, Christine recalls. "He'll be back in a few days, honey."
"Spirit quest?" DeeDee looks from her grandmother to her aunt. "What's that, Kissy?"
"He's going to, um..." Christine twists her mouth around. "Talk to the animals. In um, the forest." Sure, why not?
"It's going to make him feel better," her mother adds, "So he won't be so sad."
"But I miss him!" DeeDee protests. Then, her four-year-old attention span in full force, she turns to the baby. "Can I hold Jason?"
"Sure!" Christine says, brightly. This, she can manage. "Why don't you sit down and I'll bring him right over."
DeeDee climbs up to sit on a kitchen chair and Christine busies herself wiping down the baby's face and extracting him from the chair. He's been sort of fussy all day, but when she sets him down in his sister's lap, he seems to calm down a little.
"Hold him tight like this," Christine instructs her niece. "Don't drop him, okay?"
"I won't," she says.
Standing up, Christine pushes past her mother to wash her hands.
"Those kids better get used to looking after each other," Christine says quietly while scrubbing her nails.
"Don't say that," her mother admonishes. She looks fondly at her grandchildren under the glow of the fluorescent kitchen lights. "Jake will be back. And he'll be all right. Everything will work out, you'll see."
"Whatever you say, Mom."
"Don't roll your eyes at me, Christine."
Hey, Christine...you're kind of right this time.
Let me know what you thought? :)