milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

cj,
shufti

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It's been a quiet winter morning back home, and now the Manackle-Johnson gathering are sitting near the fire, working on letters to Father Christmas*.

Leah, being only four months old, is more interested in eating the paper than writing on it. Shufti is trying to encourage Jack to take an interest in letters though, so the nearly three-year-old is doing proper writing with mummy.

"What would you like for Christmas?" She prompts him.

Jack considers the question.

"A bucket. Wiv an octypus in."

Beat. "Um... what about a fire truck? You like fire trucks."

As Jack nods enthsiastically, she starts to write it down for him.

[tinytag: Jack and Leah Manackle-Johnson]

[*Between him and the Hogfather, they decided he gave a better deal]

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CJ joins his family, smiling to all. "A big red firetruck? If you are very good, Jack, I can take you for a ride in a real one."

Betty gets a kiss. "Hey love."

"Nee naw nee naw!" Jack says, bouncing. Leah gives a smily gurgle to Daddy, and passes him her bit of wet paper.

"Hey." Shufti says, grinning and kissing back. "How do you spell fire truck?'

CJ greets the kids frist, smiling, before sitting to answer Shufti. "Hmm... F-I-R-E, T-R-U-C-K." CJ has to know, he drove one for a while.

Shufti writes it down. Leah reaches up for a cuddle, though she's not able to move over to Daddy just yet.

"Daddy can I have an octypus?" Jack asks.

Leah is picked up and held close. "Hmm... I don't think so, Jack. I mean, where we would keep it? And those things grow quick..."

"In a bucket." Jack says. "Fulla water!"

"I don't think they make good pets." Shufti says gently. "They like to swim in the sea."

"Have to agree with your mom, Jack. It would not be a good pet." He smiles, leaning down to kiss his son's forehead.

Jack pouts.

"Now Jack, remember you've got to be a good boy for Father Christmas, don't make that face." Shufti says gently but firmly.

Jack throws the crayon at his sister, who wails at the injustice.

"Jack! NO!"

CJ is speechless... but that lasts just a second. he lets betty deal with Jack, while he checks on Leah, and tries to calm and comfort her.

Jack gets time out in an appropriate corner. Shufti returns.

"Thank goodness the terrible twos are nearly over." She says, kissing Leah. "He's getting better in time though... Jack Theodore Manackle sit on your bottom, you are in time out."

CJ frowns at Jack, having managed to calm down Leah. "Yeah, but he needs to learn that hitting people because he is upset at something else is not cool. And learn that no, is no."

"Of course he does." Shufti says, frowning slightly. "But he's two, he probably doesn't even understand that hitting people hurts them. Of course we have to punish him but it doesn't mean he's a bad boy underneath, he's just a toddler, that's what they do."

"I hope Leah will go easy... and Jack goes easier from now on." CJ gives a small sigh, relaxing again, keeping an eye on his son.

Jack approaches after his two minutes time out, kisses his sister on the forehead, and says "Sowwy."

"That's better." Shufti says.

And CJ smiles to him, drawing his son into a hug. "That is good, Jack. Very good."

Nobody ever said parenting was easy. And if someone did, it was a serious mistake or an outright lie.

"Me be nice boy for Father Christmas." Jack says.

CJ lets Betty hold Leah a bit, stroking Jack's hair, speaking seriously but gently to him. "No Jack... we gotta be good, always. Strong is being good, mean is for weak."

"You are my big, strong son, right?"

"Yes."

Beat.

"But sometimes me forgets."

"But you remember. And that's good." He nods, holding jack a moment.

"Me is good boy."

Beat.

"Can I have an octypus?"

Innocent grin.

"Hmm... no." He pokes Jack lightly. "But that's because one of those is not a good pet, jack. You can have a toy truck for Xmas, and if you behave, I can take you for a ride in a real firetruck."

"Not... not a weel octypus."

CJ holds his son, pondering... "Hmm... we will see."

Shufti snuggles Leah and watches father and son.

And CJ snuggles Jack, holding his son close.

No, being a parent is not easy, but it does have its rewards.

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