Peanut Prompt: Peanut's first word shocks the whole family.
-This is going to be my PeanutWeek contribution for Milestones everybody.-
Laura is a chubby faced ten month old when Roland’s plan formulates in his brain. He’s sitting with his baby sister, listening to her squeal and coo, and he thinks, for the first time- “When is she gonna talk?” he asks his father, who does not stop jangling the giraffe toy in front of Laura’s flailing hands.
“Oh, it’s different for all babies,” Robin responds, “maybe a month or two though, I’ve heard Regina already trying to teach her to say ‘Papa’.” Robin grins, leaning in close to Roland as Laura’s little fingers finally pry the toy from him, “you can keep a secret though?”
Roland nods his head, so hard that his curls, curls that Laura has too, a riotous head full of strawberry blonde hair, Roland’s curls fly about.
“I’ve been teaching her to say ‘Mama’.
“So,” Roland thinks hard, he’s nearly in the first grade now and he is very, very smart, his teacher tells him all the time, “you’re having a competition?”
Robin tilts his head slightly, eyebrows raised, “I suppose we are,” he chuckles and moves to stand up, socked feet solidly underneath him before he reaches down to lift Laura into his arms. “Don’t tell Regina though,” Robin warns, holding a hand to Roland after the baby is secure, “I want to surprise her!”
“Okay,” Roland replies, his master plan already turning the gears in his head.
-
Roland’s seen Pongo do tricks for treats, he figures babies can’t be that different. That very night he snatches a piece of banana bread from the kitchen and goes into Laura’s room after bed time. She’s awake in her crib, awake and standing against the bars, she bounces wildly when she sees him. Screeching and smiling.
“Hi,” Roland whispers, trying to hush her, he’d closed the door, and he knows his parents won’t come unless it’s crying they hear, and he certainly does not intend to make the baby cry.
He holds the banana bread for her to see.
-
His hopes have not diminished, even a week of late night practice sessions, Roland can see the way Laura intently studies his face, the way his lips move, she’s trying hard, night after night, and he believes in her. He has too.
-
Another week and his hopes, well, they have dimmed slightly. His Papa had said it could be a month, or two, and that does seem an extraordinary amount of time to Roland. Perhaps he just started too early, but he still goes with a treat nearly every night, or when he remembers to more like, when he isn’t sleepy himself. He finds time in the day too, to find time with his sister, very short amounts of time when neither of his parents are with earshot.
-
Roland is eating a bowl of Lucky Charms when it happens. It’s breakfast, everyone is still in their pajamas, but Regina has a tablet in front of her, scowling and saying strange things like ‘economy’ and ‘GDP’ to Papa, who hmms and uh-huhs to her words. Roland doesn’t think Papa really knows what she’s talking about either, but Roland is really far more concerned about his bowl and spoon really.
He doesn’t notice Regina reach for the banana bread that sits in the center of the table, next to the carton of orange juice and the jug of milk, doesn’t notice the way Laura stops nomming on her cheerios and gunky oatmeal.
“Puppy!”
Roland drops his spoon into his bowl, head shooting up to look at Laura next to him at the table.
Regina and Papa both gasp, Papa’s chair scraps against the floor as he shifts away from the table, to look at Laura better, and then at Regina.
“What did she just say?” Henry says, looking up from his eggs, “Did she-”
“Puppy!” Laura says, more forcefully then before.
“Oh my god!” Regina says, she suddenly looks close to tears, “It’s her first word,” she fumbles with the tablet, lifting it and getting to the main screen, starts to record, “say it again, baby!”
“Why is she saying puppy though?” Henry asks, and is interrupted by another shout from Laura.
Laura is starting to look quite angry though, red faced under her curls.
“Wooow,” Roland says, “she wants a puppy!” he exclaims, looking about all the people around the room, “Did you guys hear that!”
Laura throws her gunk covered spoon on the ground at Robin’s feet, fists flailing, screaming the word over and over, until Roland reaches for his own piece of banana bread and gives it to her, “She wants a puppy! Maybe we should get one, today?!” Roland says.
Regina is narrowing her eyes behind the tablet. Papa is laughing.
