Toddling

Kneel

TODDLING -CHAPTER 5
I
Fess up for the last time

Courtney walked to Noah's bedroom door which was left only ajar, where he sat near the corner of his room which confused his mother. He was babbling, which made her smile. When she heard crinkling, she peered inside. He held a stuffed teddy bear he'd had from when he was an infant where he was telling it to enjoy its candy. Courtney noticed he had some wrappers of his own.
"Noah?" She knocked on the door, seeing her son suddenly throw the bear over his wrappers and stand, his hands behind his back.
"Mommy!" He called, scared.
"Are you playing with your toys?" She smiled, examining where he could've had a stash of candy.
"M' looking for my action figure! It's downstairs?" He asked, walking closer as if to gauge her attention elsewhere.
"I don't know my son, why don't you have a look?"
"I am... Can you go look?"
"Why don't I have a look in here while you go--"
"No mama! I already looked in my room!"
"Alright then Noah Miller, but don't have any more sweets." She grinned as her son's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry mum," he whispered.
"Show me your stash and clean your garbage off the floor," she playfully scolded.
"Not mine," he whispered. "Mari's candy I took," little Noah stifled to laugh.
Courtney kissed the top if his head, "lead the way."

They sat on the floor beside the closet in the corridor. Courtney had noted that it was Mari's and kissed the top of her son's head.
"Noah?" She asked as Noah doted with his hands from where he sat. He hummed. "You know how... Everest has a mom and a dad?" Noah looked up and nodded. "And how... You have Mari and me?"
"Mommy and Mari!" Noah exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air with a beam on his face that stretched ear to ear. Courtney gestured for him to come closer so she could hold him.
"Exactly Noah. Do you ever wonder about your dad?"
Noah shook his head, he stared with his beautiful brown eyes to Courtney. "Mommy and Mari," he stated.
"Well, do you ever wonder why you don't call Mari mom too?"
"Mari's a mommy too?"
"Not exactly Noah, she... biologically isn't your mom."
Noah hummed in question, not understanding that word.
"It just means she isn't your real mom, like I am Noah--"
"Who's my other real mom?" Noah asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"You only have one real mom, and that's me. But, you have a biological dad. A real dad instead, with a mommy and a daddy."
"Why's Mari here?"
"Because I love Mari, just like she was a daddy. Do you understand?"
Noah shrugged. "I have mom and Mari, but also dad?"
"Yes! Yes, that's right Noah. You just haven't met him."
"I can meet him then?" He perked up.

"Do you want to meet him?" Courtney asked, smiling at how well this was going.
"Mm," he hummed in question. "No," he replied.
"Why not Noah? You don't wanna meet daddy?"
"Why I have two moms and one dad and Everest only has one mom and one dad?"
Courtney's posture visibly dropped. "It's hard to explain, Noah. Your daddy and me loved each other enough to have you, except I love Mari now to raise you. Do you get it?"
"No," Noah shrugged. He kept playing with the hem of his shirt.
"Noah... Your daddy didn't know you were born... That's why you don't know him. If we were still together when you were, maybe Mari wouldn't be here."
"Hm?" Noah looked up. "Mari's not s'posed to be here?"
"That's not what I mean, baby."
Little Noah huffed. "I can call Mari mom?"
Courtney sensed he was finished with the conversation. Maybe she should've waited to try to explain to him, it's a hard concept to suddenly drop onto a 4 year old.

"I think if you ask, it would make her really happy."
"I can call her dad?" Noah tried.
"I think she'd rather be called mum, Noah. Are you sure you don't want to meet your dad?"
"He knows I'm born?" Noah questioned, his tone small. He met Courtney in the eye and she noticed that he looked scared.
"He does know, is that okay? He would like to meet you but only if you want to."
"Daddy wants to meet me?"
Courtney tugged him a little closer to hold him easier.
"Only if you want to meet him, okay baby?"
Little Noah huffed again, letting go of his shirt and looked up at his mom. "It's okay with Mari?"
"Mari doesn't know your dad too, but she has no problem with it. Okay?"
"Not meeting dad."

Courtney frowned. "Why don't you want to meet your dad?"
"Not meeting dad!" Noah shouted. He stood up, pushing away from his mother and walked back into his room. Courtney didn't get up. She sat there, and waited for Mari to come find her.

II

Lovers

"He doesn't want to meet Matt," Courtney said stressfully to her girlfriend. Mari had guided her to their bedroom after checking on Noah who only played. "I don't know what to do, he loves making friends. I don't know!"
"Court, it's okay, it's new to him. He's only four, gaining another parent is a lot to take in."
"He wants to call you mom," Courtney said. Mari was surprised, but she took Courtney's hand in her.
"Just let him get used to the idea of having a dad. He'll come around," she replied.
"I don't know what to do."
"Do you think Shayne can watch him for a while? It looks like you need alone time," Mari suggested. Courtney wasn't opposed to it, so she didn't stop Mari from calling.

"I would love it if he called me mom."