Dude Looks Like a Lady
Chapter 35: Breakfast With The Ways.
We woke up to the door bell being rung over and over again. I glance at Mikey, who’s still sleeping soundly on top of me. I roll him over and gather my nightie, pulling it over my head and grabbing my dressing gown. I ignore the bell and run my hands through my cropped hair, feeling the waves and curls forming from the sweat. I head towards the nursery and see Lizzie playing by herself in her cot.
I smile and gather her up into my arms, kissing her softly. “Morning, Lizzie.” I whisper against her skin, stroking the small crop of bright red hair she was born with. I head down the stairs with Lizzie perched on my hip; she plays with her toys against my shoulder as she gurgles away to herself. The reason for chopping off my long locks apparent all of a sudden. I answer the door sleepily and humming softly to a tune that I was randomly making up as I went along.
“Morning.” I mumbled as I opened the door. I don’t hear a reply and I open my eyes, to a site that I didn’t really want. I stepped away from the door, “Come on in.”
I lead the person into the kitchen, putting Lizzie down in her cot where she preceded to grizzle at me. I sighed and switched on the coffee and pulled out a chair for our visitor. “Don’t grizzle, Lizzie. What do you think Uncle Gerard thinks of you?” I tell her as I walk past her cot to grab some milk from the pantry. She continues to grizzle and I sigh again, I really didn’t want to feed her in company, and she didn’t like her bottle. I made her some warm milk and put into the bottle, before setting her on my knee. “You can sit, Gerard.”
He blushes and pours the coffee into the cafetiere and puts sugar and milk on the table along with three cups, “Sorry for intruding so early.” I shake my head and glance at the cot. 10 am.
“It’s ok… I’m slightly surprised Lizzie didn’t start grizzling earlier than this. She usually does.”
He smiles and watches me persuade Lizzie to suckle from the bottle as she nuzzles her face into my breast. “Doesn’t she like her bottle?”
I shake my head, “But my breasts are sore, so she’s gonna have to put up with it today.” Gerard raises an eyebrow and I sip my coffee before replying, “Dirty bastard!”
He smirks, “I can’t help it. Sorry.”
“It’s ok. With just me, Jam and Lizzie here it’s been a dirt fest.”
“Are you and Jamia dirty minded?” He asks slightly shocked.
I nod, laughing at his facial expression, “Yeah.” Lizzie settles to her bottle and gurgles at me about it. I shake my head, “She’s very talkative…”
“She doesn’t speak yet…” Gerard tells me confused.
“I know…” I pause thinking of the best way to explain it, “She makes lots of noises. You know how when you were younger you would run about pretending to be an aeroplane with your arms as wings and you’d make the noise?” He nods, smiling, “She makes those sorts of noises… for five months that’s talking.”
“Can I make you guys breakfast?” Gerard offers, starting to get up. I shake my head and pick Lizzie and her bottle over.
“You wanna feed your niece?”
He looks really worried, “You won’t break her. And it would be the first interaction she’s had with you…”
Mikey stumbles through the doorway and sits at the table. He mechanically pours himself a coffee and Gerard stumbles over a refusal. Mikey drinks the coffee and holds out his hands, “I’ll take her.”
I smile at him and get up, carrying Lizzie on my hip and feeding her still I walk over to Mikey’s seat and kiss him good morning whilst passing him Lizzie. She immediately stops feeding and shrieks.
Mikey’s eyes widen and I mouth ‘instincts’ at him. He nods and puts the bottle down on the table, before picking Lizzie up and putting her over his shoulder and walking about with her singing quietly at her. I smile as I watch him bond with her. She quietens a little to listen to him singing to her. She shuts up in two minutes flat, so Mikey sits back down and represents the bottle. She backs away from it, and Mikey gently changes her position so she can’t back away.
“Come on, Lizzie. Drink your milk for Daddy.” Gerard watches him, gobsmacked.
“I’d never have known what to have done.” Gerard whispers. I hear him as I pass behind him for the fridge.
“Come and help me cook breakfast.” I tell him, as I open the fridge and grab some bacon. He gets up readily enough and heads into the kitchen type area. “Mikey’s not thinking about what he’s doing, he’s just doing it. That’s half the knack of being a parent at this stage.” I tell Gerard. “The first time she grizzled at me I panicked… I had no idea what to do. As I got more wound up she shrieked more. In the end Jamia had to take over, and then I nearly had to phone up Mikey and I say I couldn’t hack parenting. This was the day I’d been discharged from hospital.” I tell Gerard as I cook enough bacon for three and half a people. Lizzie got what we were eating, mashed up.
“Really?” Gerard asked, pouring our orange juice and unloading the dishwasher. I nod and look up at him.
“Parenting changes for each child and each parent. But it all comes down to how you deal with a problem. You panic and the child panics. It’s like handling animals… or a crowd at a show.”
He nods slowly, “I’m sorry I was an ass before.”
“I’m sorry I encouraged it.”
He hugs me and we laugh, “Do you know why?” He asks me suddenly, I shake my head and wait for him to continue, “It’s because I was worried that I would lose the one person who’d always loved me for me. I mean my parents loved me, but Mikey was always there showing me his love.”
I nod slowly, “I can understand that.”
“I didn’t realise that he’d love me whatever, and that by being nasty to you I was pushing him away.”
I smile and hug him, “You got carried away by emotions?”
He nods, blushing before helping me serve up breakfast, “Can I go and hold Lizzie?”
I nod, “But she has breakfast with us.”
“What does she eat? You haven’t got out any baby food.”
“She eats what we eat, in small amounts really mashed up.”
He smiles at that and carries the orange juice out to the table with three glasses; I follow with three plates and a bowl. Mikey’s still talking to Lizzie and making her belch. I smile at the scene, my fears put to rest. They were bonding just fine.
I smile and gather her up into my arms, kissing her softly. “Morning, Lizzie.” I whisper against her skin, stroking the small crop of bright red hair she was born with. I head down the stairs with Lizzie perched on my hip; she plays with her toys against my shoulder as she gurgles away to herself. The reason for chopping off my long locks apparent all of a sudden. I answer the door sleepily and humming softly to a tune that I was randomly making up as I went along.
“Morning.” I mumbled as I opened the door. I don’t hear a reply and I open my eyes, to a site that I didn’t really want. I stepped away from the door, “Come on in.”
I lead the person into the kitchen, putting Lizzie down in her cot where she preceded to grizzle at me. I sighed and switched on the coffee and pulled out a chair for our visitor. “Don’t grizzle, Lizzie. What do you think Uncle Gerard thinks of you?” I tell her as I walk past her cot to grab some milk from the pantry. She continues to grizzle and I sigh again, I really didn’t want to feed her in company, and she didn’t like her bottle. I made her some warm milk and put into the bottle, before setting her on my knee. “You can sit, Gerard.”
He blushes and pours the coffee into the cafetiere and puts sugar and milk on the table along with three cups, “Sorry for intruding so early.” I shake my head and glance at the cot. 10 am.
“It’s ok… I’m slightly surprised Lizzie didn’t start grizzling earlier than this. She usually does.”
He smiles and watches me persuade Lizzie to suckle from the bottle as she nuzzles her face into my breast. “Doesn’t she like her bottle?”
I shake my head, “But my breasts are sore, so she’s gonna have to put up with it today.” Gerard raises an eyebrow and I sip my coffee before replying, “Dirty bastard!”
He smirks, “I can’t help it. Sorry.”
“It’s ok. With just me, Jam and Lizzie here it’s been a dirt fest.”
“Are you and Jamia dirty minded?” He asks slightly shocked.
I nod, laughing at his facial expression, “Yeah.” Lizzie settles to her bottle and gurgles at me about it. I shake my head, “She’s very talkative…”
“She doesn’t speak yet…” Gerard tells me confused.
“I know…” I pause thinking of the best way to explain it, “She makes lots of noises. You know how when you were younger you would run about pretending to be an aeroplane with your arms as wings and you’d make the noise?” He nods, smiling, “She makes those sorts of noises… for five months that’s talking.”
“Can I make you guys breakfast?” Gerard offers, starting to get up. I shake my head and pick Lizzie and her bottle over.
“You wanna feed your niece?”
He looks really worried, “You won’t break her. And it would be the first interaction she’s had with you…”
Mikey stumbles through the doorway and sits at the table. He mechanically pours himself a coffee and Gerard stumbles over a refusal. Mikey drinks the coffee and holds out his hands, “I’ll take her.”
I smile at him and get up, carrying Lizzie on my hip and feeding her still I walk over to Mikey’s seat and kiss him good morning whilst passing him Lizzie. She immediately stops feeding and shrieks.
Mikey’s eyes widen and I mouth ‘instincts’ at him. He nods and puts the bottle down on the table, before picking Lizzie up and putting her over his shoulder and walking about with her singing quietly at her. I smile as I watch him bond with her. She quietens a little to listen to him singing to her. She shuts up in two minutes flat, so Mikey sits back down and represents the bottle. She backs away from it, and Mikey gently changes her position so she can’t back away.
“Come on, Lizzie. Drink your milk for Daddy.” Gerard watches him, gobsmacked.
“I’d never have known what to have done.” Gerard whispers. I hear him as I pass behind him for the fridge.
“Come and help me cook breakfast.” I tell him, as I open the fridge and grab some bacon. He gets up readily enough and heads into the kitchen type area. “Mikey’s not thinking about what he’s doing, he’s just doing it. That’s half the knack of being a parent at this stage.” I tell Gerard. “The first time she grizzled at me I panicked… I had no idea what to do. As I got more wound up she shrieked more. In the end Jamia had to take over, and then I nearly had to phone up Mikey and I say I couldn’t hack parenting. This was the day I’d been discharged from hospital.” I tell Gerard as I cook enough bacon for three and half a people. Lizzie got what we were eating, mashed up.
“Really?” Gerard asked, pouring our orange juice and unloading the dishwasher. I nod and look up at him.
“Parenting changes for each child and each parent. But it all comes down to how you deal with a problem. You panic and the child panics. It’s like handling animals… or a crowd at a show.”
He nods slowly, “I’m sorry I was an ass before.”
“I’m sorry I encouraged it.”
He hugs me and we laugh, “Do you know why?” He asks me suddenly, I shake my head and wait for him to continue, “It’s because I was worried that I would lose the one person who’d always loved me for me. I mean my parents loved me, but Mikey was always there showing me his love.”
I nod slowly, “I can understand that.”
“I didn’t realise that he’d love me whatever, and that by being nasty to you I was pushing him away.”
I smile and hug him, “You got carried away by emotions?”
He nods, blushing before helping me serve up breakfast, “Can I go and hold Lizzie?”
I nod, “But she has breakfast with us.”
“What does she eat? You haven’t got out any baby food.”
“She eats what we eat, in small amounts really mashed up.”
He smiles at that and carries the orange juice out to the table with three glasses; I follow with three plates and a bowl. Mikey’s still talking to Lizzie and making her belch. I smile at the scene, my fears put to rest. They were bonding just fine.