ABEL THOMAS.
Mornings were always the worst. While he struggled to wake himself up, he found it damn near impossible to get Bear up without it resulting in a war. Mornings had always been Ava’s speciality, then again, raising Bear in general had been. Abel tried every trick in the book, or least the extent of his knowledge in an attempt to calm the child. He’d scanned over parenting boards to find a solution, but no method seemed to fix the madness that unfolded in the Thomas household. “Good morning,” he greeted, a single nod all he could give before he handed over the child. “He’s mad that I woke him up. I didn’t want him to miss a feeding time, but I guess I screwed that one up,” he explained, feeling less defeated with her around. “Mom said it’s payback for all the times I did her like this,” he added lightly, accepted that she offered the nurturing touch that his son needed. “I can make breakfast, if you want? You can’t do everything around here.”
Monika’s fingertips stroked the back of Bear’s head, brushing through his bedhead, as he began to settle in her arms. She continued to sway as Abel filled her in on the reason for this morning’s outburst. “It’s best to let them sleep at this age. They’ll wake up and ask for food when they’re ready,” she said, offering him a smile. The parenting books lining the bookshelf in the room ⏤ Ava’s touch, she had to imagine, like most things in the house ⏤ had been a huge help in deciphering the toddler’s differing vocalizations and determining what he needed based on the verbal and non-verbal language he used. “Don’t beat yourself up. You’re looking out for him.” Her laughter at his mother’s joking remark of retribution inspired a similar reaction from Bear, who in the last day or two had taken to mimicry, imitating any major expression or reaction he witnessed around her and his father. He had also taken to hair-pulling, and was reaching for Monika’s ponytail when she intercepted his small hand. “I’ll tell you what: you can have the choice of feeding Bear or making breakfast. He’s already up, so we can get him settled in his high chair. What do you say?”
