Langour ・❥・Joost Klein・❥・

53.

'You're pushing too hard, Uncle Ghost!'

'No, I'm not! You're just weak!'

'I'm not weak!'

'Annaliese is weak! Everyone! Annaliese is weak!'

Joost drew the attention of many children and their parents at the playground. If his transparent, pink sunglasses and light hair weren't enough, Joost had squeezed himself into the steel structure that most adults wouldn't dare attempt.

Annaliese ran across the wooden bridge towards the slide and her uncle bounded behind her with a cloned giggle. The two ran around the playground and soon made it to the swing set, where Annaliese was being pushed as high as safely possible.

Stepping back, Joost let Annaliese propel herself for a while. He slid his hands into the pockets of his khaki jacket and waited for his niece's swing to slow. When the chains started to prolong their creak, he would lift his arms to push Annaliese, setting another high rhythm that made her squeal.

'Adriaan?'

'No.'

'Casper?'

'Hmm... no.'

'What about Joost?!'

'No way in hell.'

Fenne deflated and her pointing finger fell into her lap. Nanda sat with a disapproving look at Fenne's suggestion all while looking through baby names on her phone.

The two women sat on the park bench while Joost entertained Annaliese. Nanda was able to get a few moments of peace and took the opportunity to break the news.

Nanda was pregnant with a baby boy. She had kept it a secret from Joost and while he was distracted, Fenne took it upon herself to suggest some names. Nanda mentioned that her and her husband were yet to choose one, and with Fenne's poor suggestions, Nanda would hesitate to think of an appropriate name for another few months.

'Hugo already tried that trick. I'm not having a son with the same name as one of my brothers,' Nanda said in distate. 'Maybe a Western name would be better. Something like Arthur or maybe Harry.'

Fenne hummed in agreement. She watched Joost take the swing's chain to pull it to a stop. Annaliese jumped off and circled around at the speed of light. It wasn't long until Joost was being ushered into the seat and Annaliese tried to push him into a rhythm. Purposely sitting still, Joost waited for Annaliese to gather her strength to move him a inch, before calling out loudly,

'Annaliese is weak! Look at how weak she is!'

'He's going to be a February baby,' Nanda pipped up, pulling Fenne's gaze back to the woman beside her.

'A Pisces or an Aquarius?'

'Aquarius,' Fenne nodded along with the answer and leaned back against the bench.

'February seems so far away, but I'll be heaving around a massive belly soon enough,' Nanda said. 'What's your plan for then?'

'February?' Nanda hummed. 'I don't know. It's a long way away. This year's been enough to think about.'

'Nothing you're hoping for?'

'What do you mean?'

'You know...'

Fenne caught Nanda's tilted head and shifting eyes to the man who sat on the swing set. With a groan, Fenne leaned forward and put her head into her hands. The squeak of the swing's chains told her that Joost had started to propel himself back and forth. It powered the wince that Fenne held on her face from Nanda's awaiting silence.