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"No, Al. I'm convinced he will say dada first." FP buckled Charles in as they were getting ready to go visit Alice's parents. "Right, kiddo? You're going to say dada first." FP tickled the baby. Charles giggled.
"He will say mama first. Sweetheart, can you say mama for me?"
"Mama," FP said as he climbed into the driver's seat. Alice smacked his arm. "Not you."
Charles gurgled in the backseat instead. He kicked his legs in excitement. "That's it, kiddo. We'll work on saying dada first. Dada, Charles, dada."
"Don't listen to him, honey. It's pronounced mama."
"I bet you twenty he'll say dada first." FP pulled out of the driveway. He looked through the rearview mirror for any upcoming cars.
"Forty, he'll say mama first." Alice challenged him.
"Fine fifty for whoever he says first," FP proposed. "Might as well just hand it over now, baby."
"I will win, Forsythe." Alice was very confident in herself. "I always win."
When they reached her parents' house they parked in front of the house. "I'll get Charles. You can go knock on the door." FP said pushing the car door open.
"You're still scared of my parents," Alice teased. He didn't like being criticized by them every time they visit.
"I am not," FP huffed.
"Then you go and I'll get our son."
"I already have him," FP unbuckled the baby. He cradled him in his arms and followed Alice to the door. Alice knocked on the door and her mother greeted them. "My baby!" Her mother squealed excited to see them. Alice opened her arms ready to hug her but her mother went straight to FP to grab Charles.
"Gee, mom, that's alright. The one you birthed will just stand right here." FP laughed and put an arm around her shoulders.
"Come in, baby." Alice's father came to the door. "Daddy," She hugged him tightly. "Your mother's just excited to see our grandchild."
Everyone walked in and left FP alone at the door. "And then there was one." He let himself in and shut the door behind him. "So Alice and I have a bet and I'm going to need you two to convince her I will win."
"What's the bet?" Her father asked.
"He really thinks Charles will say dada first but we all know he's going to say mama first. Right baby?" Alice kissed her baby's cheek. She put a lot of emphasis on the word mama for him.
"I'd like to get in on this bet. He'll say papa-" Her father patted his own chest. "-first."
"No he'll say nana first," Alice's mother joined in on the bet.
"That's a lot of pressure for the little guy, don't you think?" FP chuckled. He reached for him but his grandmother turned away. She wasn't going to give him up that easily. "Al, she's doing it again. She won't let me hold our child."
"No, I'm not not."
"Then let me hold him," He crossed his arms.
"He loves nana. Right, sweetie. Nana." She was trying to get him to say it first.
"I'll be taking him," Alice's father grabbed Charles so his wife and son-in-law could stop fighting over him. "He loves his papa Smith the most anyway."
FP, Alice, and her mother started to argue about Charles. They were very confident in their answers and were adamant to think otherwise. His first word surprised his grandfather. The other three were too busy arguing that they didn't hear. "No," Charles said softly. His grandfather laughed and clapped his little hands for him. "That's right. That's all they say, don't they?"
"No," Charles repeated. He squealed and repeated it again. "No no no."
"What?" Alice stopped bickering with her mother and husband to listen to him. She silenced the other two.
"You missed his first word," Her father laughed. "Go ahead bud. Say it again."
"No!"
"Oh my, his first word is no." Alice's mother covered her face.
"We all were wrong," Charles' grandfather chuckled. "He learned to say no with all your fighting."
"No no no!" The word was stuck in Charles' head.
"Yes," Alice grabbed him. "Yes." She pecked kisses all over his face. "Yes."
"No," Charles babbled.
"Oh he's a Jones-Smith alright." FP finally said something everyone agreed with. "You cost me fifty dollars, boy." He tickled him just to hear his sweet laugh.
