Gary and Libby - Take Two

Chapter Fifty Five

"You gonna tell me what all that was about then?" I murmur so as not to wake Ethan. The three of us are curled up on the settee, Ethan, having lost his battle with over tiredness after the third episode of Postman Pat, sleeps soundly in Gary's lap, head lolled back against the arm of the settee, arms hanging limply by his sides. Gary turns his head ever so slightly, regarding me with an amused gaze, eyebrows flickering towards his hairline the way they always do.

"What about?"

"I cant tell you.." I drawl, doing my best, and still failing dismally, to mimic his voice. "Its a surprise.."

Gary laughs, a genuine, cathartic, head-thrown-back laugh, but regains composure quickly when Ethan stirs in his lap, two sleepy green eyes revealing themselves. We curse in unison, both of us cussing under our breath.

"Ill take him up." I urge softly, standing before the toddler is fully awake again.

"Ill take him if you want?" Gary goes to stand too, propping a drowsy Ethan up in the crook of his arm.

I shake my head with a smile, "I want to."

Gary concedes, leaning back and allowing me to manoeuvre the slumberous toddler into my arms. There is a gurgle of protest from the small mouth, the kind that causes you to freeze and hold your breath so as not to disturb him any further, but im leant over Gary with a 34 month old child in arms and my sense of gravity is severely compromised.

"Shit!"

Garys hands fly either side of my waist just in time, halting my fall. I suppress the laugh, we've come this far, dont ruin it now. For a moment, we stay like this; me, with Ethan half in my arms, bent over Garys lap and his hands on my waist and the sheer artlessness that is so familiar with new parents makes me want to laugh more than anything else.

"Hes going to wake up." I mutter. "And now we're really fucking stuck."

Mirth pulling at the corner of his lips, Gary shifts his weight forwards. "Pick him up, ive got you."

Throwing him a dubious glance, i move my attention back to the, now half sleeping, toddler.

"Oi." The tone of Garys voice steals my attention away from our son, enough to cause me to look back up at him, only to me met with two serious green eyes, widened slightly and eyebrows raised, mouth set in a straight line. "Lib, ive got you."

Regardless of being thoroughly unconvinced, given our teetering position on the edge of the settee, i reach the conclusion that its my only hope of actually being able to move without waking Ethan. And so, with inelegant grace, i hoist Ethan up to my chest, cradling him there while Gary steadies me with large hands either side of my waist.

"Got him?"

"Got him." I whisper back, blowing my hair from my eyes with a sigh. "Ill go and put him down."

Gary nods, only standing himself when he is sure that im comfortably on my own two feet. "Would you like a cup of tea?" He grins knowingly, stretching an index finger to tuck the troublesome piece of hair out of my eyes.

I grin back; a glass of wine for the tricky gymnastics routine seems like an apt reward. "Yes. I would like that very much."

"Mumma." Ethan whines, tiny fingers curling into a fist, reaching up as i place him in the cot.

My breathe catches, for the umpteenth time, in my chest and I lean down to stroke a lock of his curly, copper blonde hair. "Go back to sleep, baby."

"Mumma.." The toddler gurgles again, cheeks reddening with the same impending awareness as heavy grey clouds after a hot summers day.

"Im here Ethe," I coo again, stroking the side of his burning cheeks with my fingertips, willing the small child to drift back into a slumberous state without much turmoil. "You okay baby?"