Mommy Mouse (sequel to City Mouse)

Chapter 34: Truer Words

AN: Just a couple more chapters, okay? Fair warning...

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"Uh, guys?"

Lottie, who was cooking at the little pretend stove, and Brina, who was reading a story to the doggy, looked over at Leo.

"I, uh, gotta go," Leo said, rolling his eyes a little bit.

"You're leaving already?" Lottie asked. "I thought you wanted to live here for a little while."

Leo just shook his head, unable to make eye-contact.

"No, Lottie, he means he has to go," Brina elucidated, putting emphasis on the last word.

"Oh! Potty? You gotta go potty?" Lottie's countenance cleared as comprehension dawned.

Leo nodded gratefully.

"Okay, hold on, let me go check if anyone's out in the hall," Brina continued, rising and setting the book aside.

She stuck her head out the door of her bedroom, looking both ways. She could hear her parents talking in their bedroom.

"The coast is clear," she declared in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Great," Leo said, walking quickly to the door.

Lottie took his hand and walked with him down the hall to their bathroom. Brina and Della the dog followed, with Brina looking over her shoulder .

Leo went in and headed for the potty, feeling incredible relief. He'd had to go since he woke up, but he was too embarrassed to say anything. Things became dire, though, after he ate the breakfast the girls had brought him, and drank the juice.

While he was in there, he heard a woman calling the girls, and he heard their footfalls heading away from the bathroom.

He knew that no one was guarding the door, and that he'd better hurry. He pulled his pajama bottoms up quickly and flushed. Then he went to the sink to wash his hands, using the convenient stepping stool that was pushed up against the vanity.

They had a fun soap dispenser, with the spout shaped like an elephant's trunk. Leo laughed when he pushed on it, because it made a little whooshing sound, kind of like an elephant, and the soap came out all frothy and bubbly.

He was rinsing his hands with gusto when the door to the bathroom opened, and a man stuck his head inside. He looked at Leo, standing on the stool in front of the sink, and his eyes widened. He opened the door the rest of the way and came in as Leo stood motionless in front of the sink.

Leo didn't know what to do.

The man was wearing sweat pants like his daddy liked to wear, but this man wasn't wearing a shirt. Leo's daddy always wore a shirt. And this man had a pretty picture on his chest, of a bunch of flowers. Leo had never seen anything like it. He didn't seem scary, but Leo was scared anyway. He couldn't move.

"Let me guess. Are you Leo?" the man asked with a smile.

Leo nodded, watching the man carefully.

He stepped over to the sink and turned off the tap, then handed Leo a towel.

"Are you Brina and Lottie's daddy?" he asked politely.

The man nodded. "Yes, I am. Are they the ones who let you in here?"

Leo nodded again. "I'm sorry." He blinked and swallowed. "Are they going to get in trouble?" When the man didn't say anything, Leo rushed on. "Because it isn't their fault. I found their talkie-talkie and asked them if they'd help me but keep it a secret because my mommy and daddy needed a break and they said they would. And they've been really nice," he finished, nodding for emphasis. "They brought me food, and juice boxes, and they let me play in their closet, too."