Dedicated to the very lovely ladies at MMEPAC- you're all incredible to me and I wouldn't be writing this much fic without you all. But especially to Sarah xxx
He tiptoed into the hallway and stood outside his parent's bedroom. Balancing the tray on one arm, he leaned in toward the wooden door for any signs of them being awake. He could hear the faint murmurings of their morning conversation.
He'd left them strict instructions last night to not leave their bedroom until he told them to. This left them both puzzled when they kissed him goodnight the night before, but they wore an amused grin on their faces.
He decided, with the help of Sister Julienne, that as he was now old enough to be allowed to use the cooker at home, he would make them an anniversary breakfast. It had taken lots of practice in the Nonnatus kitchen, and a whole list of time-keeping written by the Sister herself.
Placing his hand over the door knob, he was about to twist it to open when he heard a mewing noise coming from the next room.
If his parents heard the first signs of an awoken Angela, there would be no doubt they would come out. So thinking quickly, he put the organised tray of food in front of their bedroom door and silently sprinted in his dressing gown and slippers towards her room.
In the dimly lit bedroom stood two pieces of furniture- The dresser and her cot. Walking towards the small cot, he tried to remember how he had seen his parents pick her up in the few months she had been with them.
Sliding his hands around her wriggling body he lifted her smoothly up and into his arms. Her head lie close to his ears, and her sniffling began to calm down as she felt protected in her brother's arms.
Swaying Angela gently back and forth to get her back to sleep, he began to worry that the breakfast he had cooked with such care would go cold. Finally, however, she seemed drowsy enough to place back inside her cot. Timothy was about to leave the room when he heard a crash of plates and a loud groan. His breakfast!
This awoke Angela again who this time started screaming.
Timothy decided that his young sister was the most important thing to tend to rather than the parent who had found the home-cooked meal on the floor.
He shifted her head slightly further away from his ear this time, but tried calming her with the gentle rocking and swaying motions once more.
When Angela's cries lowered to the occasional loud sniffle he turned his attention to the quiet conversation happening in the hallway.
"Why was it there?" He could hear his father hiss
"I don't know! I was in bed with you...remember?"
There was a moment of silence, and all he could hear was slight shuffling followed by muffled laughter.
"I think it was" Was all he heard, Angela's cries gradually increasing once more.
Finally the door opened. Shelagh was silently staring at the back of her son, and her daughter in his arms. He turned and watched his mother's eyes start to dampen over. He could see her motion for his father to come to see, and Timothy saw the opportunity to shift the sleepy Angela and her heavy head to a more comfortable place on his shoulder.
His father reached the door, but immediately his expression changed from that of frustration with the bean juice on his pajama bottom, to love and tenderness.
Shelagh placed her arms around Patrick's dressing gowned body, and held him close to her. Patrick held her with one arm, but the other he held out waiting for his son and daughter to join them.
Timothy walked over and leaned into his father's side.
"Was that breakfast you?" Patrick whispered into Timothy's ear.
Timothy nodded in reply and saw the exchange of proud glances between his parents.