FIRST BORN
Tommy stepped into the house. It was exactly how he remembered it whenever he thought about his childhood home. The smell was the same but there was a mix of cookies in the background. Tommy stepped into the kitchen and found his mother reading a magazine, a plate of freshly-baked cookies in front of her.
"Hey baby," Didi smiled, putting down her magazine, "You're later than I expected. Was the traffic coming out of the hospital heavy?"
"It was," he nodded, sitting across from her, "and I had to go home first. I haven't showered in two days, and I had to get the mail. Thankfully Dil is coming over with a buddy later to do the grass. I was about to mow when she called," Tommy smirked, grabbing a cookie. He'd eaten too while he was home but he wouldn't admit it. Besides, who didn't have enough room for a few cookies?
"Well babies don't exactly keep to a schedule. At least he was only a week early," Didi smiled. "I got down the box from the attic like you asked. I feel like I have to tell you this, but you know he won't be ready for those toys until he's at least a year old, maybe sooner, but probably not. I waited until eighteen months for Dil with most of them."
"I just wanted to have them for later. It's not every day you have your first child, your first son. It's really special, but…doing this is one thing I know how to do. Everything else is a blur. Diapers and putting cribs together? It's like rocket science," Tommy smirked.
Didi nodded, "I was terrified when I had you, and even when I had Dil. But the kids you grew up with? Their parents were similar to me, but we helped each other. You make sure David has that too, for your sake and his. I hear the internet is a decent place to meet people, but it's better to just go to the park or the library. It's easier to make sure you're dealing with the right kind of people."
A few years ago, he would've called her paranoid. Why not meet your kids' friends online? That's how you met your own sometimes. But now that little David was here, he wanted to know where he was at all times, and he wanted complete control over every situation. Even now he was wondering if the nurses were legit, but his wife was okay with them, so that meant he was okay with them too…but he still needed to get back.
Didi watched him put the box in the back of his van. It was new, just a few months old. He'd just gotten the plates for the vehicle, and Didi knew it was a good choice for his first family car. David would not be an only child for long.
Tommy decided to take the toys home first. He took them up to the attic, where he'd built a shelf to store them. He didn't tell his mother but the toys weren't for David, just inspired by him. He yearned for those early days, with diapers and Reptar. His beloved screwdriver, chipped and worn, was there too, and he put it on top of a small tool box he'd gotten for his fourth birthday. Two Reptar stickers and a Reptar toothbrush were still inside.
Each item had distinct memories, and while he wanted the same for his children, especially his first born, he couldn't give him these toys. They meant too much to him, and they always would.
~End
Theme 51: Old Toys
A/N: Theme from my Infinite Theme List Challenge, which you can find on my profile. Hope you guys enjoyed this little one-shot, and let me know if you have any ideas or if you'd like to attempt the themes.
