Nova's Universe

Chapter 5 (1999)

Nova

"Mum, when's Daddy coming home?"

Aoede and I were curled up on the sofa, our bellies full of cookies and our eyes glued to the cartoon playing on the telly. Tom and Jerry had just finished their latest slapstick battle, and Aoede's attention had shifted.

"Just a few minutes, sweetheart," I murmured, running my fingers through her soft hair as I reached for another cookie from the bowl.

"Is he late?" she asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

"No, Aoede. He finishes work at three o'clock so he's not done yet."

"I wish he didn't have to wowk so long," Aoede sighed dramatically.

"Oh, I do too, sweetheart. But he has to work most days until five or six. He's actually coming home early today because it's Friday." I jiggled the cookie bowl playfully, hoping to distract her.

"Fwidays and Sundays awe my favouwite days," Aoede declared, a smile lighting up her face. "You know why, Mum?" She turned towards me, stuffing an entire cookie in her mouth.

"Why?" I chuckled, watching the chocolate streak down her cheek.

"Because on Fwidays, Daddy comes home eawly and we have a cuddle day! And on Sundays, we have pancakes for bweaffast!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement.

"It's 'breakfast,' Aoede," I gently corrected her.

"Bwek...fast," she repeated, scrunching her nose in concentration.

"There you go! Perfect!" I praised her, pulling her into a side hug. Since my belly was getting bigger, it was a bit awkward for her to sit on my lap.

"You know what," I said after taking a bite of my cookie, "Fridays and Sundays are my favourite days too."

"Weally? Because of Daddy being home and pancakes?" Aoede's eyes widened with delight.

"Well, yes, the cuddles and the pancakes are definitely part of it," I admitted with a giggle.

"What about Dad?" Aoede inquired, tilting her head inquisitively.

"Meh," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand, trying to sound unbothered.

"Muuum!" Aoede gasped, her eyes widening. "Don't be silly! You love Daddy!"

"Alright, alright, you caught me," I confessed, unable to contain my laughter. "There's no fooling you, is there?"

"You twied to twick me!" Aoede cried, playfully swiping my cookie. "No cookie for you!"

"Hey! I'm eating for two, remember?" I pleaded, giving her my best puppy-dog eyes.

Aoede giggled, unfazed by my attempt at cuteness. "Those twicks only wowk on Dad, Mum," she declared, popping my cookie into her mouth.

"You're much too clever for a three-year-old," I chuckled, shaking my head playfully.

"I'm just good at taking youw cookies," Aoede said with a mischievous grin, her cheeks puffed out with cookies.

"Another episode, or should we wait for Dad?" I reached for the remote, hovering over the buttons.

"Wait for Dad," Aoede declared, her voice thick with cookie crumbs. "I need to talk to the baby."

Charlie's raised voice from that night still rankled me. It wasn't something I was used to. My parents rarely resorted to shouting, and I firmly believed in calm communication.

Even before Aoede's arrival, Charlie had confided in me about his childhood. His mother's constant yelling at him and his siblings left a lasting impression. He made me swear to call him out if he ever began to mirror her behaviour.