Bath Time
Bubbles. Tons and tons of glistening and glittering bubbles in the cream coloured bath-tub.
That was the sight which greeted the 5-year-old Dean in the mirror above the basin as he stood on the foot stool washing his sleepy face in the washroom on a chilled Sunday morning.
Filled with absolute delight, Dean rushed out of the washroom, straight to his mother's room.
He jumped on to the bed, bounding lightly on his dad's belly, in his excitement.
"Daddy...Daddy…
There are so many bubbles. Can we play with them? Please?" Dean asked earnestly with eagerness.
John Winchester just slightly groaned at the pain that his son's excitement was causing him. Instead of scolding Dean for his jumping, John happily smiled, straightened up from the bed and ruffled his son's soft, dirty blond hair.
"Dean you can play in the bubbles, but only if you take care of Sam as well," Mary Winchester said as she carried the giggling, chubby toddler from the nursery to their bedroom, while tickling his sides.
The minute Sam saw Dean, he was bouncing in Mary's arms.
"De…De…De…!" Sam blabbered while reaching for Dean with his pudgy fingers.
Mary smiled at this.
Sammy was always reaching for Dean.
He was his favourite person.
The minute Sammy saw Dean, he forgot whatever toy he had in his hands or who was holding him. His whole body would gravitate towards Dean. He would try to say Dean's name too, but couldn't form the complete word.
And Dean was no better either.
He too forgot everything in his happiness and enthusiasm to meet Sammy. Sammy was his favourite too.
Every morning, as soon as he woke up, he would ask if Sammy was up and he could play with him. He shared his action figures with Sammy and often she would hear him telling him stories of pre-school too.
Dean also brought home his chocolates and candies from pre-school and stored them in a box for Sammy, as he was too small to have them now.
Mary and John loved the fact that their little boys adored each other so much already.
Today Mary wanted to see her boys play in the bath. She thought this would fun for both.
She placed the joyous Sammy into Dean's waiting arms and went to the nursery to get Sammy's toys and his trunks.
John took Dean and Sammy to Dean's room to get him to change into his trunks.
"Mom can I enter the bath-tub now?" Dean asked once he was dressed in an eager voice.
Mary who was putting a squirming Sammy in his red trunks smiled sweetly at her older son. She nodded her assent to Dean who rushed towards the bath-tub.
"Slow down Dean! You don't want to trip up…" John said from next to the bath-tub as he saw his older son racing over.
Dean slowed down but the excitement in his limbs had not died out. He had a huge million-watt grin on his face as he made his way into the warm bubble bath.
"Ah… so many bubbles. Bubbles are the best!" Dean stated as soon as he entered the bath.
He moved around a little in the bath-tub, so he could drag his toys which John had placed next to the tub in to the bath with him to play.
"Mom, can Sammy come and play with me and the so-soldiers now?" Dean asked excitedly as Mary walked in to the bathroom.
"Dean, Baby, Sammy is too young to play with your soldiers," Mary said softly.
"But Mom…" Dean pouted.
"You can splash around in the bubbles Dean, with Sammy. And you can also play with Sammy's rubber ducky and dino," John said soothingly to Dean.
"Okay Dad," Dean said with a large grin, stretching his hands out to catch Sammy and abandoning his soldiers for his brother.
Mary lowered Sammy in to Dean's outstretched arms.
"Be careful Dean. Don't splash the bubbles on to Sammy's face. They might go into his mouth," Mary warned as cherubic Sammy all but started thrashing his hands as soon as he sat in Dean's lap.
Dean just nodded absently at Mary as Sammy held his undivided attention.
John moved to the door of the bathroom to watch over the boys while Mary rushed to get the camcorder from her room to record Dean and Sammy playing.
As she returned and started recording, she saw Dean holding Sammy's pudgy fingers and giving him the rubber duck to throw around.
Sammy kept giggling while Dean kept tossing the duck and dino in to the bubbles.
After a few minutes of playing with the toys, Dean sat back, and slowly started to scoop the remaining bubbles and water into his tiny hands. He cupped his hands and tried to put as much of the bubbles on Sammy's belly. This had Sammy trying to catch the racing bubbles in his tiny hands. Dean repeatedly scooped the bubbles and put them on Sammy's belly. The bubbles tickled Sammy's soft skin and had him erupting in fits of giggles.
Mary and John just loved to see their sons so happy and carefree.
Mary realised the bath was getting cold as both her sons started shivering a little. She switched off the camcorder and went to the bath-tub.
"Time for a quick rinse Dean, Sammy," Mary said as she took some body wash to scrub on Sammy's body. John leaned forward to do the same for Dean.
After both the boys were cleaned and dried off, Mary wrapped Sammy in his green dinosaur onesie and Dean was dressed in his Batman T-shirt and jeans shorts.
"Time for breakfast Dean. Let's go eat some pancakes kiddo," John said as he picked up the toys from the bath-tub.
"Yay! I want syrup on my pancakes Mom. Please Mom, please!" Dean pleaded Mary with pouty lips and a sweet expression.
Mary just nodded as she sat Sammy in his high chair while she started making pancakes and John fixed some milk for Sammy.
As she was making the pancakes, Mary wished with all her heart that Dean and Sammy had more fun-filled days and more entertaining bath sessions.
She knew in her heart that their love for each other would only grow over time and she knew the memories she had stored today would forever be etched in her and John's mind.