Get It Straight, Or Say Good Night

Cover Up

John walked in the front door of the flat, two grocery bags and a newspaper load of fish and chips, Lou was singing quietly so he followed her voice. He didn't get far.
The kitchen table was overflowing with miniature bathtub, fluffy towels, an assortment of ointments and oils, clothes, nappies. The smell was a mixture of sweet soap and Johnson and Johnson baby talc. Heavenly.

Lou was leaning over singing nursery rhymes to the little miss wallowing in the warm bath water, John leaned over Louie's shoulder catching Lou by surprise, he smiled at the wet wiggling miss in the tub and got a swift yet fleeting, gummy gorgeous smile back.

"Did you see that!" John grinned at Lou as she poured water deftly over the bubs head "She grinned at me"

"Probably wind"

"NO Louise, she grinned, was definitely a proper grin" Johns face said it all, he was enamoured with the tiny baby. Lou just wished he was a little more enamoured with the baby at three in the morning.

"I picked up dinner and I went to the grocery store, well I didn't Mal did, but I made the list" John stated, proud of his contribution then proceeded to put everything all over the baby's pink towel which was laid out waiting for the wet wiggly little girl.

"John"

He kept unloading.....
eggs, fruit, Weetabix, tins of Heinz baked beans, bottle of full cream-.

"John!"

"What!"

"Put all that there on the side or in the cupboards, I need to get the baby out now and wrap her up" Lou nodded toward the towel and watched and waited for the penny to drop.

"Oh yea, righto. Sorry" He quickly gathered everything and shuffled it on to the countertop by the sink, shoving the milk in the fridge.

Lou held baby securely and lifted her up and out onto the fluffy towel.

"Here, I'll do that, you get some drinks for dinner" John nudged Lou aside and wrapped the wet baby in the towel. Louise looked at him as he smiled down at the bub, slight scepticism written all over her face, John glanced up with a cheeky grin "I know I know, all the nooks and crannies"

Watching on, he surprised her with how he quickly dried the baby properly and rubbed lotion in, John fidgeted with the nappy and held it up for help, Lou folded it slowly beside him as he watched on so he could do it if there was a next time, he then dressed the baby in a white vest then the warm sleep suit and popped her in the bouncer, grinning proudly.

"I'll tell you a secret" John had noticed Lou's reaction to his deft handling of the baby, he picked up the drinks as Lou filled the glasses with Lemonade. Returning the bottle of soda back in the fridge she turned toward the still, proudly grinning John "I watch you two. Every day I'm home, from right over there" Lou's eyebrows knitted together in surprise as John pointed at the lounge chair, he must peep over the top as she goes about bubs bath-time ritual but now John was off on another tangent "Now" He clapped his hands in anticipation to the dinner "Come on, let's hurry up and eat up, she'll be wanting her dinner next!"

John hustled Lou toward the coffee table and tore open the fish and chip paper gleefully, they ate quickly, the chips were moreish, a mix of crisp and soft ones and all salt laced, some with a drop of vinegar. John jumped back up hurrying to the kitchen then brought back some buttered pieces of bread and they gobbled up two chip butties a piece.

Louise, while dropping half her batter fish messily on the table, tossed her wedge of lemon over to John knowing he loved the juice. Which was quite ironic in fact that when she saw him some days, it was indeed like he was sucking on a lemon .... She looked over at the baby, John was spot on knowing it was only a matter of time before bub needed another feed.