Aaron's Second Word
Well, the reviews I got for Aaron's First Word: wow! Absolutely crazy and so many! And what I always wondered was, why did people add it to their alert list when it was a done-and-dusted one-shot? Oh. Wait. I get it now – you wanted more. Well, in the desperate hope for as many reviews to the sequel, I am writing this. You might want to read the prequel, but it will make sense without it.
Sawyer closed the book, having finished the last page – again. Man, he really needed some new reading material. Sighing, too content in the sunshine to really be irritated about anything, he turned his gaze to the only other form of entertainment – watching Claire, Kate, and Sun cuddle one-year-old Aaron. He smiled, remembering the little conversation he'd had with the baby two weeks ago.
"Sunova," Aaron repeated, grinning broadly. After an uncomfortable pause, Sawyer picked up the baby.
"Let's get you back to your mumma, how about that? And... I wouldn't start talking in front of her."
"Sun-ov-a," Aaron agreed.
So far, the child had kept to his promise, and not said a single thing in front of Claire, or anyone else for that matter. Sawyer hoped he would choose something a little more babyish for his first word to Claire – something like Mummy, or Mango, or Want More.
He was getting a decent kick out of this, though, watching the baby and the three girls – or more accurately, watching Kate. They were at it again, he noticed. Desperately encouraging the baby to say one of their names. Oh well.
He sighed peacefully, and closed his eyes, letting the book slide from his fingers onto the warm sand.
"I am sure he will talk when he is ready," Sun said calmly, weaving several long strands of thick grass together, creating a mat. Kate nodded, though slightly impatiently. Claire, however, glanced cheekily at Sun, and stopped trying to make Aaron say 'Kate'.
"Hey baby," she cooed. "Can you say Sun? Sun?"
Aaron hesitated a moment, then a wide grin broke over his face. Encouraged, Claire repeated, "Say Sun, Aaron. Say Sun."
The baby lips opened.
"Sun," he said. Kate blinked in surprise and delight, and Sun put down her weaving. Claire smiled broadly.
"Good boy," she said.
"He's not a dog," Kate said reprovingly, and Claire giggled.
"Sunva," Aaron said. Sun picked him up, and cuddled him a little, and Claire gazed down fondly. Kate frowned for a moment, then decided she must have imagined it.
"Sunova," the baby boy repeated, and this time Kate's eyes narrowed significantly.
"Claire," she began, then hesitated. After an uncertain pause, she ploughed onwards. "I... don't think he's saying Sun. Not quite."
Hearing the first syllable of his favourite word, Aaron crawled out of Sun's lap and over to Kate, pulling at her loose ponytail. "Sunova," he said absently, as he struggled in vain to pull the brown strands out of the band that held them.
As one, the three women turned to look at Sawyer, sleeping lazily in the sunshine.
Sawyer flipped back to consciousness, wondering what had brought him out of his daze. Then he realised that the sun had mysteriously disappeared from the sky. He opened one eye, and swallowed.
"Hey, Claire," he said nervously, deliberately using her name. His gaze flickered from the boy in her arms to the slightly cold expression on her face. "Something I can do for you?"
"Guess what?" she asked, her tone slightly over-polite. Sawyer sat up, wanting to be better able to defend himself from the mother's wrath. "Aaron just said his first word."
Sawyer knew that with Claire, it was best not to play dumb. He turned accusingly to the infant.
"Hey, come on, I thought we had a deal," he said, pretending to sound hurt. Aaron smiled widely, and started to open his mouth. "No, don't answer that," he said quickly.
Claire raised an eyebrow. "You knew?" she asked, incredulous.
"Uh... yeah. We made a deal, though, that he wouldn't tell you," Sawyer said, sheepish in defence.
"Well, it's not all bad," Claire said, and Sawyer's brain struggled to keep up – wait, they were talking about the same thing, right? Then he noticed the wicked glint in her eye, and felt a chill of premonition sweep over him.
"Oh?" he asked, licking his lips, finding them suddenly dry. Claire placed Aaron in Sawyer's arms.
"Oh, no, there's one fantastic side effect. You're on nappy duty for a week."
And with that, she marched back over to Kate and Sun, the former of which was laughing hysterically.
"What, you don't understand a 'deal'?" Sawyer asked Aaron absently, bouncing the child on one knee. Aaron looked at him, and opened his mouth, about to say something.
"Come on," Sawyer groaned. "It was cute the first time, but didn't Papa Charlie tell you that a one-hit wonder'll never get anywhere?"
Aaron thought this advice over. Then, seeming to make a decision, he said, "Soa."
Sawyer frowned. "What?" he asked. Aaron mimicked his expression, then reached a hand up to poke at the man's cheeks. "Yeah, they're dimples. You might get some one day. Make a lady's man out of you yet. Now, what's that on your tongue?"
Aaron poked Sawyer's nose, and then said, "Soy-a."