Mummy

Written for https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2024/04/20/story-starter-saturday-mix-20-april-2024/

There was no chance he was doing it, and that was that. What did she know anyway? She always wanted him to brush his teeth before going to sleep. What if he got hungry? Bob stomped his feet.

His teddy bear hung in his right hand and he agreed.

‘No,’ he said.

She smiled at her son, knowing what to say was easy. ‘That’s okay. Grandad was the same, and he is now wearing false ones.’

‘What are they?’

‘Let’s put it like this. Every night he puts them in a glass of water to clean them.’

He chewed the side of his lip. Perhaps it wasn’t such a terrible deal. His mummy read him a bed time story and there was nothing in his plastic tippy cup but liquid. ‘May I have the strawberry flavoured one? Mint tastes disgusting.’

‘Yes, and tomorrow before you clean them, I will make you a hot chocolate.’

‘With marshmallows?’

‘Yes, and the milk you like.’

‘Okay, I’ll do it, but only if teddy does too.’

She smiled, if only talking to her dad was that easy.