Hello,
thank you for the beautiful feedback :)
Was your week lousy? I have something for you. Whipped cream with a cherry. ;)


The weekends were always reserved specifically for John. Now that Rosie knew it, the rest should also realize that the rumour was true.
"John played with your ink today," and handed Jack his scotch. Both sat in a quiet minute alone in the parlour. "It took a long time to get the ink from his hands and knees. Dot is an angel." Jack frowned.
"I saw nothing when I saw John earlier." Phryne nodded. "We have to hold her. She has magical hands."
"Dot will stay with you voluntarily." Jack said with a grin and leaned back. "Tomorrow is Saturday." Jack said. "The beach would be perfect for John," said Phryne and sipped.

***
Arrived at the beach, no one turned to Phryne or Jack. It was natural that people spend their day on the beach on a weekend. John wore his new breezy knickerbocker and wanted to break free of Phryne's hand when he saw the waves on the beach.
"Mommy," John said, pointing to the waves. "He loves the adventure," Phryne said with her parasol in the other hand. "From which side he will have that?" Jack asked. Phryne grinned. "Let's go to the beach."

Phryne sat with her matching parasol on her blanket and watched Jack as he played with his son in the water. John ran alwasy to the waves and sometimes disappeared inside. When the waves pulled back, John chuckled.
Jake's pants and shirt were wet even though he had pushed his pants up to his knees. The first women took notice of the inspector and the little boy in the water. When John saw a plate full of Waffle, he ran to his mother on the blanket. Phryne ripped off a piece of waffle and handed it to John. John wanted to get back to his waves and was about to get up.

"Waffle or play in the water?" Phryne said and looked at her son. John sat down and nibbled his waffle.
Phryne stroked John's hair under the cap back from his forehead. He grinned at his mother with powdered sugar on his face against the sun. Phryne never thought her life would look like this. Most of all, she was glad that Jack was his father.
He gave her all the freedom she needed and brought her back on the ground when needed. Jack sat down on the blanket next to Phryne and looked at his son. John licked the powdered sugar from his piece of waffle.
"Men with toddlers, affect women ..." Phryne looked at Jack grinning from the side.
"Do you think that's the real reason?" Jack asked, taking a waffle from the plate. Phryne grinned and wiped the sugar from her son's face. "It has always been like this." Phryne said. "Just because it's always like that ..." Phryne started to laugh. "That's my sentence."
"I'm learning from the best," Jack said, giving Phryne a quick kiss. John was still busy with his waffle.

Phryne looked over her sunglasses after a while while Jack took a nap next to her on the blanket. Phryne noticed that John was standing next to a young couple. Because John was actually sleeping next to her on the blanket.
A feeling which Phryne did not know rushed through her body. Quickly she laid her book on Jack and went to her son without saying anything. Jack, who had woken up, sat down and watched Phryne vigilantly.
"John, do not bother strangers," said Phryne to her son. "Do not be angry," said the young man and Phryne looked over her sunglasses at the young man lying on a blanket in front of her.
"He just proudly showed me his stone collection." and smiled at Phryne. The young woman lying next to her friend opened her eyes when she noticed Phryne's voice.
"Is that your child?" the man asked. "Yes," answered Phryne, and saw how his companion swallowed the lemonade.
"John," said the young man. "You have a very pretty mother," Phryne grinned.
"Thank you, you look very handsome," Phryne said. "Thank you for the compliment." Phryne nodded took her son by her hand and left.
Jack, who had watched everything, grinned at Phryne. "Women with toddlers are attractive to men," and lay back on the blanket with a grin."After all, it's your mini me and not mine." Phryne splashed Jack with water from John's bucket, which stood beside the blanket.
"What do you think, how the men will look at you when they see a wedding ring on your finger."
The picture of it was still too surreal for Phryne, so she did not even think about it.
Phryne played with her son in the water. The skirt Phryne wore was already wet up to her knees, so that the skirt stuck to her calves like a second skin.
Men walked by, interrupting their conversations just to watch Phryne. John ran while his mother splashed him with water to his father and giggled.

***
The back door opened and Cec and Bert stood in the doorway.
"Where is John?" Cec and Bert asked in the kitchen. Dot grinned with the coffee pot in her hand. "He's on the beach with his parents, Miss Phryne thought that would be a great idea for John." Bert sat down at the kitchen table. "It'll be fun, I'd like to see." Bert said over his shoulder.
"Bert, leave the little family alone, you will have enough possibilities to show John the world." Dot said with with serious eyes.
"The world, we'll teach him all the important things for life," said Bert, grinning. I do not know if Miss Phryne will find that great. "And Dot put a plate of biscuits on the kitchen table.
"Miss Fisher is one of us," said Bert. "If we do not prepare John for life, Miss Fisher will and you know Miss Fisher Dot." Dor nodded.
"You are right, there is no difference. But you have the Inspector against you." Bert picked up a biscuit and pointed to Dot.
"But we have Miss Fisher on our side." Mr Butler and Cec just looked at each other laughing.