Choni Family Oneshots

Withering

i

It all started when Nessa began insisting that Cheryl was carrying her baby brother when they were getting ready for bed. Toni and Cheryl were surprised to say the least, Nessa had never even shown an interest in babies before. She never asked for dolls and when she was given one she never played with them. They sat in discarded corners of the house and the ends of her toy chest.

Other kids in her playgroup liked to push their dolls around in strollers with their mothers as they went for walks together through the park. Nessa would always insist on scooting (slowly) on her scooter whenever they left the house.

Each scooting endeavour ended with Cheryl carrying a crying Nessa with scraped knees and elbows and Toni carrying the purple and pink scooter.

So when they were getting ready for bed and Nessa poked Cheryl's stomach asking how long would it be for her baby brother to come out both girls were understandably confused.

"Sweetie we aren't having another baby." Toni had told her as she patted down her curls. Nessa laughed at her like Toni didn't understand and shook her head.

"Yes we are. It's in Mo's belly." She laughed.

Cheryl furrowed her brow and looked to Toni. Neither girl really knew what to say to their daughter.

"There's no baby in my belly, Nessa." Cheryl told her sweetly. Neither party wanted to upset the girl but it was just something that wasn't a reality for them. Both girls were pretty content with a hyperactive three year old, neither of them really longed for another child. The thought of having another baby hadn't even crossed Toni's mind until Nessa had asked them that.

"Yes there is. That where my brother is." Nessa reiterated.

"There is no baby." Cheryl repeated, a little sterner this time. Should she take this as an insult? Is this her daughter's way of calling her fat?

"Yes there is." Nessa repeated, growing frustrated with the back and forth. "That's what happens. The baby isn't in Mama's belly, it's in Mo's."

"Honey, we aren't having another baby. Mo and Mama would have to go to the doctor for us to put a baby in Mo's belly and we haven't been to the doctor have we?" Toni asked. She had beant down to Nessa's level and was looking her directly in her eyes. Nessa's bottom lip jutted out as she whimpered out a pathetic ' no.' "See, so Mo can't have a baby in her belly."

Neither party expected Nessa to burst into tears as she repeated "No fair." again and again. She flopped down on the floor in perfect tantrum manner and hit her fists and kicked her feet.

"Why isn't it fair sweetie?" Cheryl asked her once she'd stopped her wailing and was instead heaving in her breaths dramatically. Toni blames Cheryl for most of their daughters dramatics.

"'Cause Eloise has a baby brother and auntie Ronnie is having a baby and Rosie has a little sister and I'm all by myself." She sobbed.

Cheryl cringed at that. She had never known the only child life this young, she didn't think her daughter could miss what she never had. Toni was an only child but growing up in such a close knit community Sweet Pea and Fangs were basically her brothers. She never felt a longing for any siblings.

"You aren't all by yourself baby, you have your friends in playgroup. You play with Rosie every day." Toni told her as she wiped Nessa's tears from her cheeks.

Nessa sniffled and shrugged. "I want a brother." She cried, sadly.

Cheryl frowned and looked to Toni. Cheryl didn't know how to handle this situation. This was all so unexpected for her.