28

Walter was in the garden taking photographs of the new flowers starting to bloom, the trumpeting of spring as Taddy likes to call it.

He was aware of someone next to him and looked down, expecting to find Ton or Babs but it was Ren standing there silently regarding him with a look of sorrow.

"Hi" he smiled, "You're up early."

Ren nodded, his hands wringing his PJ top as he looked at the flowers Walter had been framing for a good shot.

"They probably have a fancy name, most flowers do but Taddy always called them onion flowers because if you crush them they smell like onion" Walter started to talk softly, "They are a weed that most people pull out of the garden and throw away. Taddy says they are as pretty as everyone else and they deserve a spot on the garden. Who gets to say a daffodil or snowdrop is any better."

Ren looked at where Walter was pointing and touched the bright yellow flower with an orange trumpet, "Daffodil?"

"That's right, well done!" Walter praised, "And the wee white ones like these, see? They have little green spots on them, they are called snow drops."

"You seem a bit worried today" Walter continued as he changed out his lens for a wide angle, "Wanna talk about it? I have my Taddy's ability to listen well."

Ren shrugged and looked back at the house still sleeping and unaware that one of their babies was loose in the next door garden.

"Worried? You think they will be mad with you?"

A nod.

"Why? Coz you came to say hi?"

A shake.

"You did something?"

A nod.

"OK? Is it something I can help fix?"

Ren looked at him like he hadn't thought about tht option and Walter smiled, "You have met the Ton Monster, right? Not much goes wrong that I can't fix."

Ren was wringing his PJs again and Walter had a sudden thought.

"Renny, did you wet your bed?"

A lip wobble and eyes filling as he nodded.

"I know where the sheets and stuff are, we can change it. Make it all better. Right?" Walter placed the camera in its bag as he packed up, "Come on. I'll help you buddy."

Walter followed him into the house and found the little girl had been moved to the cot and he touched her, finding her warm and dry as she slept.

"OK, first we choose some sheets" Walter said as he pulled open a cupboard and pointed at the pile of sheets.

"Aliens!" Ren gasped as he looked at a pair of blue sheets with little green men in the fabric.

"Good choice. These were mine, ya know." Walter grinned, "Babs didn't like them and Ton wants everything Dino these days. He's a bit mad ya know. Right, so we put the pillows over here and we pull off each blanket, folding it as we go so we can put them back on right."

Walter soon had the bed stripped and was pleased to see the plastic sheet his Taddy had given them had worked and he gave it a quick spray and wipe with some stuff from the laundry and then attached the fitted sheet, showing Ren how the corners worked.

Ren had never seen anything so clever and his bed was soon made up with fresh bedding like nothing had ever happened.

"Walter?" Carl said softly from the doorway, "Hey. You're up and about with the birds."

"Hi Uncle Carl, I wanted the first light for filtering, the sunrise can really make the background glow." Walter smiled as he handed Ren the last pillow, "Look Uncle Carl. We made the bed all by ourselves."

Carl glanced at the wadded bedding and PJs, guessing what had happened, "Well done Walter. Ren, you clever boy. I am so proud of you for making your bed. You are so grown up."

Ren's look of fear disappeared as he looked up at Carl and Carl knelt to embrace him, "Did you have an accident baby? Don't' worry, I used to have those too. Lots of children do. I used to cry though; I wasn't as clever as you to fix it. What a lovely made bed."

Ren's shaking stopped as he burrowed into those warm arms.

"Thank you Walter" Carl said softly.

Walter shrugged, "That's what family does."

Carl nodded, so thankful for the one he had been blessed with.

In both houses.