'Love' With You

3. 101 Ways to Use a BB Gun [N]

C H A P T E R  T H R E E -  Noah Rivers

                                                                              

 

I woke up to the sun streaming through my open windows and the clattering of pots and pans.

I groaned and rolled over, smothering my face into my pillow, hoping to go back to sleep. I was just so damn tired and did not want to go into work today. Sleeping at 3am just to wake up at 10am for a seven hour shift? Worst fricking feeling ever.

"Noah! Your butt better be out of that bed before I get up there or I will not hesitate in throwing your little self across my knees and giving you a spanking!" I heard my mother shout from downstairs. I could already smell the delicious scent of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon.

Ignoring her empty threats, I groaned one last time before throwing the covers off and jumping out of bed. I stretched a little and yawned a yawn so big my jaw popped a little.

Rubbing my slightly sore jaw, I fiddled with the door handle and walked out of my room just to be greeted with a collision around my knees almost making me fall backwards. And I would have if I didn't grab onto the doorframe at the very last second.

"Matthew! How many times have I told you not to do that?" I scolded my little brother, frowning slightly at the sight of the pesky three year old.

His large blue eyes that everyone in my family seemed to posses were staring back up at me with a false innocent twinkle in them. His curling mass of black locks were still messy and sticking up in odd places and he was still in his Batman pajamas.

Still gripping my knees in a surprisingly tight grip for a three year old, he gave me a toothy grin, "Mommy told me to come make sure you were out of bed," He stated in his little voice with a slight lisp.

"Well, I'm awake as you can see," Gesturing to myself. I couldn't help but smile at his little face.

He nodded shyly before saying quietly, "Morning, Noah."

I laughed and ruffled his locks, "Morning, Matty." I pried his chubby hands from my knees and started making my way down the corridor.

I heard his little feet's pitter-patter, running to catch up to me.

He stopped and prodded my thigh with his finger; I looked down, an eyebrow raised. His chubby cheeks tinged a cherub pink before he raised his arms and wiggled them a little.

I laughed at his infrequent bouts of bashfulness and bent down to scoop up his little figure into my arms. Settling him onto my hip and wrapping my left arm around his pudgy soft waist, "Better now?"

"Yup!" He grinned, his eyes sparkling as he wrapped his arms around my neck, snuggling into the crook.

I chuckled softly and made my way downstairs, vaguely listening to Matty's description of his latest Batman-infested dream where he was being chased by the Joker before Batman swooped in and saved him.

"-nched him and then he turned to me and said that I could be his second sidekick because him and Robin said I was a good boy!" I tuned into the last part of his excited chatter.

"Really? Wow, Matty! That's great!" I exclaimed, placing him into his chair around the dining table before turning to my mom.

She was looking at us with a warm expression of love shining on her face.

"I'm so lucky to have such good kids like you. Makes me so happy that you never argue and you all get along."

A comment like this was ordinary for my mom and was given out on a regular basis. I used to feel embarrassed and would grimace and cringe every time she said something like that. But, after a short and quiet, 'You're lucky' from Hunter, that I'm pretty sure he thought I didn't hear; I learnt to appreciate and even come to love the way my mom openly expressed her love for us through those little comments because not everybody's parents did and for that reason, I was extremely lucky to have a fantastic mom like her.