Paul nodded “I’ll keep that in mind”
The children were being generally unusual. Claire was only eighteen months and was one of those children who was constantly being handed off to different relatives. Gabrielle found her slobbery ball of fluff and pink skin cousin being shoved into her arms. Claire started crying and Gabrielle did her best to shush her making all those daft cooing sounds you make and very aware of Paul grinning at her.
Then there was Tommy, three, who seemed to Paul, to be Bipolar.
“All right mate?” he asked the little boy, clutching a stuffed rabid.
Tommy sniffed and shook his head “My mummy had to go to go to hosicle”
“Hospital?” asked Paul
Tommy nodded and tears welled up in his eyes “I fink she’s sick”
“Aww, no. She’s not sick, she’s all right. And when she comes home in a few days you’ll have a new brother or sister”
Tommy sniffed a few times and then started wailing “That’s what they keep saying! But she was all fat and swollen and I fink she’s gonna die!”
Paul patted the little boy’s head in a comforting manner. “I promise, she’ll be all right”
Tommy stopped crying “Weally?”
“Really” Paul told him “Now what kinds of games do you like?”
“I like football! Can we go play that in the garden?”
“Sure” Paul looked up at Gabrielle “I’m gonna go play football” he told her
She whimpered and continued to rock the baby in her arms “Fine, and if you see a little ginger hair kid out there, be sure to get a hold of her”
“Is that the other one?” he asked, following Tommy towards the back door
“Yeah” Gabrielle called after him “Jen. She’s five and hyperactive”
Paul nodded and went outside. Gabrielle sighed. Maybe her theory about kids being a de-aphrodisiac or whatever you would call it was right. Claire was still crying. It was getting to the point where your ears just went woah woah woah with the sound waves.
Gabrielle exhaled heavily and turned the little girl around in her arms. “Are you hungry?” she asked
Still crying
“Thirsty?”
Still crying
“Do you miss your mummy?”
Still crying.
A little red head poked out from behind the couch. Gabrielle jumped and then rolled her eyes “Hullo Jen, how are you”
“Hi Gabby” said Jen, she held her hands in her lap “Who was that boy?”
“Paul. He’s helping me take care of you” Gabrielle sighed “Ah, come on Claire, what’s wrong”
“Is Paul your BOYFRIEND” asked Jen, in that quite evil little girl way.
“No, Jen. He’s just my friend”
Jen sniffed “Ewww… Claire’s done a big poo!… Ewwww!”
Gabrielle groaned “That’s what’s wrong”
“Ewww, ewww, ewww” Jen carried on, she started jumping around in circles singing “ewww, ewww, ewww”
“Jen, cut it out. Did yer Auntie Maude leave things to change your sister?”
“Ewww eww eww, big poo, big poo! Eww eww eww Big Poo, Big icky Poo!”
Gabrielle hung her head “Fine” she grumbled and started for the stairs. She then checked every room until she found the one the three kids were staying in. A crib in the corner and what looked like a makeshift changing table on the floor. Gabrielle sighed in relief and set about taking care of her cousin.
She liked kids all right. When you were surrounded by so many relatives you just sort of knew what to do with them. Claire stopped crying and just started gurgling as Gabrielle set her up with a fresh diaper.
“feel better?” she asked the baby girl”
Claire laughed and giggled and then popped her thumb in her mouth. Sucking on it ravenously.
When did kids start talking? Gabby wasn’t sure. This baby didn’t talk obviously.
“Can you say Gabby?” she asked testily
Claire giggled insanely like this was the funniest thing she’d ever heard
“Go on” Gabrielle grinned and tickled her belly “Gab, Gabby, you can say it”
Claire had a fit of laugher and Gabrielle found herself giggling as well as she tickled her little cousin “Mummy, can you say that?”
“Ma!”
“Mama?” she asked “You can say mama? How about Dada?”
“Da!”
Gabrielle swung Claire up in her arms and continued to ask a series of questions on the way back down stairs. The extent of words was mostly gurgling two syllables. Mama, Dada, Baba (which Gabrielle assumed was bottle) and then there was a slurred word she kept saying over and over again. Gabrielle assumed it was ‘hungry’ so she plodded down to the kitchen to find Paul standing in front of the fridge, holding Tommy by the hand, and in Tommy’s other hand was the stuffed rabbit.
Gabrielle felt her heart speed up. Perfect picture, where’s yer fucking camera. She had a point and shoot in her bag. She could fix all the lighting and angles in the Art School’s dark room so she quickly ran for her purse in the family room.
Claire seemed to love her running so she grabbed and handful of Gabrielle’s hair and squealed loudly.
“Yes, that’s my hair. I’m quite attached to it”
As if she got the joke Claire busted up. What a happy baby. And she only screamed and cried when she was sitting in her own shit. Gabrielle nearly wanted one.
Paul and Tommy were still standing there when she got back
“Well” Paul was saying “Then I guess they’ve got butter, eggs, cheese… do you like omelets?”
“I like eggs!” Tommy cheered
Gabriele snapped off a few rounds, awkwardly holding the baby under her arm as she tried to get around the light. Paul turned around and looked at her “What are you doing?”
“Nothing” she snapped one more and then tossed it on the kitchen table. “I was inspired”
He grinned. She knew instantly what he would say. “Would you like to inspire me later?”
“I’m hungry!” Came a tiny voice from behind her. Jen.
“Do you like eggs?” asked Paul
“I like eggs” Jen nodded “But who are *you*”
“I’m Paul”
“You’re Gabby’s boyfriend!” she squealed and started dancing around in circles
“He is not!” insisted Tommy “And he’s really nice Jenny, he’s in a band”
“A band” the little girl sneered “What’re you called”
“The Beatles!” cheered Tommy “With an A! And a man on a flaming pie told John that in a dream when he was twelve. He said, You are now the Beatles with and A and so it has been!”
Jen looked unsure of what to say to this. But then a smile bubbled up on her little lips and she clapped her hands together “Gear!” she laughed “Wanna see me play twinkle twinkle little star on the piano?”
“I’d love to” said Paul “That is my favorite song you know”
“Mine too” she giggled. Jen ran over to Paul and grabbed onto his other hand “The best part is when it goes ‘Like a diamond in the sky’ That sounds really pretty too me”
Gabrielle heard him ask her “Would you like to be in the sky with Diamonds?” before the kitchen door swung shut. Gabrielle looked down at the baby in her arms
“Just you and me Claire” she sighed and set the baby down in her high chair. “I suppose you don’t want an omelet, hmm?”
“No!” the little girl laughed and banged her chubby fists on the tray in front of her “Peas! Peas!”
Tommy stuck his head in the door, he was giggling “Gabby” he said “I’m supposed to tell you that yer a really bad cook and if you need help to have….” he paused and looked thoughtful “Hang on, what Paul?”
There was whispering. Gabrielle crossed her arms and tired not to look offended.
“Oh yeah” he giggled “Erm… if you can’t cook eggs, Paul will help you.” He giggled “Oh, and Claire’s food is in the fridge. She likes Peas”
Gabrielle nodded. She could hear Jen singing along to her one finger-piano playing.
She was not such a bad cook… Maybe she was, but still, there were three things she could make. Cereal, Tea, and Eggs. So there. That was all you needed.