Mommy Mouse (sequel to City Mouse)

Chapter 25: Rolling Right Along

"Maybe it's better because you're having a sister." Dominick nodded his head of curly hair.

They were perched at the top of the jungle gym, their usual meeting place before school started. Kerry, Noah, Dominick and Kenny were all looking at Leo.

"What do you mean?" Leo wanted to know.

"Maybe a sister won't take a much time as a brother, maybe they'll still have some time for you," Dominick clarified. "We got a brother, and he's a pain in the butt."

Leo nodded.

"We're having a sister, too," Kenny put in. Leo remembered that Kenny's mother and new father were having a baby in February, in just a couple months.

"I don't know, you guys, I have a sister, and she's icky," Kerry declared. Her skinny, white braids twitched as she looked around. "She lies, and takes my stuff."

"But she's a big sister," Dominick said. "Older ones are all icky. I have cousins like that." He looked around at the gathered kids. "A baby's different. They cry, all the time, and everyone wants to be with them, and calls them cute, even when all they do is poop and barf." He thought for a moment. "My mommy never needed a break from me until my baby brother was born."

Leo shivered, even though he was wearing his coat. He had never been so scared. And he was so confused, too, because he felt so much love for Beanie, and she wasn't even born yet. He loved knowing that she was growing in his mommy's tummy. He liked to imagine that Mommy would eat something, like broccoli, and Beanie would reach out her little baby fingers and grab it so she could use it to build her lungs, or grow some baby hair. Or, if Mommy ate something like Toblerone, Beanie would think that there wasn't much she could build with chocolate.

He didn't want to think that his mommy and daddy wouldn't want him anymore after she was born. And on the heels of that thought came the other one, the huge one that he tried so hard not to think about, ever.

He didn't belong to his daddy.

Leo's not mine.

The words, spoken in his daddy's terrible, sorrowful voice, echoed in his ears.

That could never happen to the little bean, could it? Because his parents somehow knew, even without the Q-tip in the mouth thing, that she was theirs. They said they'd always love her. Leo was glad that at least Beanie seemed to be safe from the possibility of not belonging to anyone, and of not being wanted in their house. Even if they didn't want him, Leo, to even live in their apartment anymore, Beanie would always have a home. They would never need a break from his tiny baby sister.

The bell rang, and they climbed down, grasping the steel bars of the jungle gym, which were cold from the December wind. Noah put a comforting hand on Leo's shoulder as they left the playground.

"Don't worry," he said, brown eyes serious. "You can come stay at our apartment if you need to."

Leo thought about this all morning, during centers, and snack time, and even during lunch and resting time.

Maybe he should have a plan, like some place he could go in case his parents needed a break, especially after Beanie was born. He was grateful that Noah said he could stay at his house.

He saw Amya as he was walking home with Mouse. She was perched atop a street lamp, her purple-scaled tail curled around the pole for support. Leo was glad to see her, and wished she were real, so he could jump on her back and fly off, away from his problems.

That night, he pulled out the Channel Master to talk to Lottie and Brina. As usual, they were giggling, still enjoying the clandestine nature of their talks with him. They were telling him about how their baby brother Finn, after being speechless for so long, had suddenly started spouting words all over the place.