Here comes Teddy

Facts of life (Twenty-One)

Teddy PoV

11 months later...

Ro and I had moved out of Nana's house at this point in time but we still visited her on a regular basis, because Nana was a very important person to us, obviously.

It was the day before Ro's 5th birthday, you know how most kids want to be older than what they actually are, at least when they are really little, because they don't understand the real world around them yet, yeah, well Ro wasn't ever one of them, if anything she wanted to stay the same age forever, not that I knew about that before she asked me the question.

"Daddy, why do I have to get older?"
"What was that Baby?"
"Why do I have to get older?"
"That's what I thought you asked, if you're asking that at 5-"
"I'm not 5 yet!, I'm 4!"
"You're 5 tomorrow Bambina"
"But I'm not 5 yet Daddy"

Ro crosses her arms like a stubborn person would, or an Addams, being both is a deadly combination for me in that moment.

"Fine, if you're asking that at very, very, very nearly 5, how are you going to deal with being older?"
"I'm going to find a way to stop getting older"
"I hate to be the one that breaks it to you but that's not going to happen Sweetie"
"Why not?"
"Because there's no way to stop ageing"
"How do you know that?"
"Because people have been trying to stop ageing for thousands of years, and they haven't found anything"
"They haven't found aliens yet, but doesn't mean that they don't exist"
"They've only been trying to find aliens for 40 years Ro"
"But I don't want to get older Daddy"

I picked Ro up, so that I wasn't straining my neck from looking down, that and it looked like she really needed a hug.

"Baby, (sighs gently), it doesn't work that way, why don't you want to get older?"
"Because it means that I'm closer to being an adult and I don't wanna be an adult, it seems scary Daddy"

I start laughing because it was just so bloody adorable.

"Daddy I'm being serious, it's not funny!"
"(Laughs), I know Baby, I know but you don't have to worry about being an adult for a quite a few years yet Ro"
"That doesn't mean that you can laugh at me Daddy"
"I'm not laughing at you, you're very funny though Sweetheart"
"No I'm not!"
"Yes you are, you're adorable too"
"Can I just not celebrate my birthday tomorrow?"
"Why not?"
"Because then I won't get older"
"But it doesn't work that way Baby"
"So I have to get older?"
"Yes Sweetie, that's how ageing works, though if there was a way to stop you from getting older, I would've already done it"
"That doesn't help me very much Daddy"
"I know Baby, I know"

I walked to the couch, because I was kind of tired, anyway holding someone in your arms is easier when you're sitting down.

"Daddy"
"Yeah Baby"
"Were you scared when you became an Adult?"
"I wasn't as scared as I thought I would be"
"Why?"
"Uh, well, because I was kinda acting like an adult before I actually was one"
"How come?"
"Well, I became a Daddy before I was an adult"

You may be thinking that I shouldn't be talking about these things with a (nearly) 5 year old, but I wouldn't want to lie to her about anything like that, also she'll find out eventually so I'd rather be honest with her then tiptoe around the fact.

"What!, that doesn't sound right?!, are you sure about that Daddy?!"
"Yes Baby, I am very sure about that"
"So is that why you stayed with Nanny?"
"Yes...?"
"Oh, I just thought that you were broke and that houses were pricey"
"You're not entirely wrong Buba, houses are expensive, but that's going off topic a bit-"
"Wait, if you were a child still when I was born, how old were you and how are babies made?"
"I was 14, and I don't think that I should answer the baby question yet Sweetheart"

I stirred the fucking pot, I didn't realise that it would stir the pot but it did.

"Why not?"
"Because it's adult information"
"But you weren't an adult when you made Baby me"
"Uh, yeah, well, that's because when Nanny told me, I was way too young to know that information, anyway, I thought that you didn't want to be an adult?"
"I don't, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to know things Daddy"
"Mhmm mhm"
"Daddy"
"Yes Sweetheart"
"What age do you even become an adult?"
"You become an adult at 18"
"So you haven't been an adult that long"
"No, I haven't, where is this going Baby?"
"You're not as old as I thought you were"
"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"
"It's not a bad thing"
"I'm glad to hear that Sweetheart"