Reflections of Light

Lay In

Luci was enjoying her lie in when she heard the door creak open, and the sound of fluffy, cartoon slippers padding quietly across the floor towards her.

She didn't react, enjoying the last few moments of her precious rest, and awaiting to see what was going to happen.

"Mummy, are you awake yet?" Came the hissed whisper.

Well, he didn't sound upset or distressed, which was a relief, moving it down from the category of 'something-to-deal-with-urgently', and down into 'For-God's-sake-it's-the-damn-weekend!'

She turned over, snuggling into the pillow and hoping he'd get the picture and go watch cartoons on the computer or something.

"Mu-u-ummyyy! Are you awake?" He sing-songed, creeping up to the bed and looking curiously at his mother, trying to determine if she was responding to him.

"Oh, okay." He whispered dejectedly, turning around to go, seeming crestfallen.

His sad little voice tugged at Luci's heartstrings.

Suddenly, Billy felt himself being snatched up from behind and bundled up in blankets and pulled back onto the bed.

He burrowed out of the blankets, sitting up against the pillows and looking over at his mother.
"Hello!"

"Hello." She replied, smiling gently down at him, head propped up on one arm.
"And what are you doing on this lovely, sunny morning, my fine young man?"

She poked his stomach, making him squeal with laughter.

"Hangin' wif you." He said, once she let up enough to let him speak.

"We're hangin'." She ruffled his hair jovially, playfully echoing his clipped words. "Just hangin'. Just chillin'. Couple of old pals, just hangin'."

"You're weird sometimes."

"Yeah, but normal's boring; me, I'm much more fun."

She was still fiddling with his hair, scruffing it up in all directions and smoothing it back down again as she pleased.

Billy scowled, reaching up and mussing his hair up into his usual birds nest, smoothing his fringe over his eyes for good measure.

"You need a hair cut. So bad." Luci commented.

Billy shook his head over-emphatically, messing up his hair even more.

"Oh, come on. You can hardly see! We need to smarten you up a little bit, you're starting to look scruffy."

Billy shook his head again, wriggling back under the covers to hide from his mother's reaching hands, which lead to her diving under after him and an ensuing play-wrestle, which Luci won by pining her son and tickling him.

Some time later, Luci was snoozing lightly, Billy cuddled up in her arms, like a mother lion sleeping beside her cub.

However, the little cub, who'd been sleeping so peacefully a moment before, was starting to get restless again.

"Mummy, I'm hungry."

"Well... Go get some breakfast then." Luci mumbled, distorted by her face pressed into her pillow.

"Okay. I'm going to go make omelettes."

"You do that." She replied as he slid out of the bed, going for the door. Then, something twigged, causing her to yank herself out of her exhaustion. "Wait, omelettes? Oh, no. You and eggs? No, no, no."

"Why not?"

"You know why not!" She called after him as he retreated down the stairs, pulling herself out of the tangle of blankets.

Yanking her foot out of a particularly stubborn blanket, she stumbled, suddenly feeling dizzy as she reached for something to support herself.

A wave of sudden nausea washed over her, and she slid to the floor, clutching at the bedside table for support, her limbs feeling weak and shaky.

"William." She rasped, feeling like she was about to gag, eyes wide, hands trembling as she reached for an edge to lever herself up on.