Every time you make a move

Kintsugi-part 1

"When I'm not with you," Freddie gently sang into his son's ear. "I think of you always... I miss you"

Little Johnny laughed and clapped as he watched his dad's hands dance steadily across the piano.

"When I'm not with you," the man continued, kissing his head. "Think of me always, I love you..."

Johnny grabbed his dad's t shirt and joined, "I wuv ouuuuu..."

He let out a chuckle and bounced him on his knee, "Good boy."

"Daddeeeeeeeee!" Roshni came running into the drawing room, completely bottomless wearing only her wooly jumper with a picture of a duck knitted on the front of it.

Freddie gingerly got up from his stool, lowering Johnny onto the ground as the boy limped away, "What is it, darling?"

She tugged his trouser leg eagerly, "Look what I did! Look what I did!"

"Alright, alright...." he patted her head affectionately, giggling at the sight of her pink, bare bottom.

He let her tug him through the house, the kitchen where Monica was finishing up, and to the downstairs toilet.

"There!!" She pointed into her plastic potty and jumped up and down, where there was a fresh log waiting.

"Eugh!" Repulsed, he scrunched his face up and headed for the doorway in disgust.

But right then Monica appeared upon hearing the commotion and gasped, "Oh, Roshni, you learned to poo! Oh, my big girl!" She picked her daughter up and kissed her cheeks. "You'll be able to go to the toilet all by yourself now!"

Freddie simply shuddered, "Thank god for that. One down, another to go."

"Let's get you dressed and cleaned up, mummy needs to leave" she ignored his sass and left the room with her daughter on her hip.

"Wh-What about her mess?!" Freddie called after her, bemused.

"Just chuck it in the toilet and rinse it!" Was all he got in response.

In a way he was was proud for her too but, being the one who didn't want to be left with the dirty work now that Phoebe was away on holiday for a week, he rolled his sleeves up with a huff and leaned down, holding his breath.

There were worse things, such as the time he had to change her nappy in the hospital.

That was two months before, now Johnny's leg was estimated to be healed up and the cast ready to be sawed off.

After washing his hands three times (to be sure), he went looking for his son before he and Monica headed off to the hospital.

He found him sitting at the child safety gate at the bottom of the stairwell, waiting for his mother.

"Wrap up, love," he grabbed his hat and scarf on the coat rack and leaned down. "It's chilly out there."

Johnny giggled as his dad tucked the scarf around his neck and his ears under his small hat. He already had a thick Wellington boot sock stretched over his cast to protect his small toes from the cold weather.

"I'm coming!" Monica called from upstairs, buttoning her camel coat up as she emerged.

"Right" he trailed off as he watched Roshni speed off around the house anxiously, since he was the one on child-monitoring duty for the next hour and a half, a job he'd rely on Phoebe for.

"I'll call when we leave the hospital." Monica briefly pecked his lips, and propped Johnny in her arms.

"Wouldn't you be better off bringing him in the stroller?" Freddie smoothed a short brown lock of hair behind her ear.