Yesterday was massive, this isn't what I had planned for this chapter but I felt like writing something light and fun…Enjoy :D
"Sing Mama!" Shay demanded from her car seat.
"What song baby?" Erin asked, making eye contact in the rear view mirror.
"Sing!" Shay repeated.
"Radio?" Erin questioned as she pressed the button and music filled the car.
"Next" Shay requested, Erin hit another button and the radio station changed. They went through half a dozen stations then Shay settled on one playing an upbeat song Erin had never heard before. Careful to pay attention to the lyrics she continued to drive, almost certain the GPS directions were wrong. Shay sang away, babbling tunelessly as she kicked her legs energetically. Feeling frazzled and completely disoriented Erin was massively relieved to see the massive yellow and blue IKEA sign. Finding a car space near the door was difficult but after a few laps she stalked a family to their car and took the space they vacated.
"Ready to go baby?" Erin questioned, knowing that turning the music off without Shay's permission was an easy way to start a tantrum.
"Waaaiiit…" Shay said slowly, as the last of the instrumental music faded out. Erin turned off the car before the next song could start and got out. Shay knew she wasn't allowed to walk in the car park so she didn't fuss about being carried. This didn't last long when she spotted the escalator inside, transfixed and desperate to touch it.
"It's not safe baby" Erin explained, keeping a firm hold on Shay. One of her most terrifying childhood memories involved an escalator. She wouldn't have been more than eight years old, spending afternoons at the local mall to avoid her mother's latest boyfriend. Distracted by the massive Christmas tree she hadn't noticed her loose shoelaces until they got caught, the escalator pulling at her shoe hungrily. Another shopper had pressed the emergency stop button and freed her trapped shoelaces, but not before a security guard had arrived. He meant well and refused to let her leave without an adult. She still remembered the terror she had felt when Derek, the boyfriend, had showed up to collect her. Realising she was standing in the middle of the walkway she put the memory out of her mind and stepped to the side, turning her attention to Shay. Letting the toddler loose amongst the crowd probably wasn't the wisest decision but Erin did it anyway. Following along as Shay navigated the displays, drawn to bright colours and handles.
"Mama please?" Shay asked, holding up a bright green cushion, textured to look like scales.
"We're just looking" Erin informed as she helped Shay put the cushion back, a week ago Shay would have been upset by this but today she didn't even pull a face.
"Can I have a dragon?" Shay questioned next.
"I don't think they sell dragons here, sorry baby" Erin apologised, taking Shay's hand to keep moving through the bedroom section. Taking the time to point out interesting shapes and colours.
"DRAGON" Shay yelled as she pointed at an elderly lady wearing a textured green jacket.
"Shh, no Shay. That's not a dragon" Erin quieted quickly, convinced everyone had heard and was judging her parenting ability.
"Mama!" Shay scolded in return, sounding as if she'd explained it a hundred times before.
"Shay, which sheets do you think Aunt Katie would like?" Erin redirected, releasing Shay so she could assess the options.
"Aunty Katie likes dragons" Shay informed as she climbed onto one of the beds to feel the sheets.
"No more dragons today baby" Erin said, wondering how many times Kelly had read the book with the dragon.
"Yes Mama" Shay agreed reluctantly.
"Which ones?" Erin asked holding up two sets of sheets, one a ghastly pink floral and the other a print of Paris at night.
"Yuck" Shay complained.
"You choose then" She laughed watching as Shay donned a serious expression and looked at the options.
"Aunty Katie likes eating" Shay said resolutely as she picked the sheets that looked like the top a pizza.
"Will you tell her you picked them?" Erin asked.
"No" Shay answered.
"Cheeky" She laughed, no doubt Shay would blame her for the sheet selection.
"Monkey?"
"Yes, you are a cheeky monkey!" Erin agreed lifting Shay onto the bed before tickling her.
"I pick them" Shay surrendered between giggles.
"Good girl" Erin praised, tucking a set of the pizza sheets under her arm.
"Next?" Shay asked, practically dragging her mother away from the beds.
"Well Katie's room only has a bed so far" Erin explained, leading the way to the bedside tables and chests of drawers.
"Red" Shay declared, picking a locker style bedside table, the bright colour and latch demanding her consideration.
"What about this one?" Erin asked, seriously considering a plain white bedside table.
"Yucky" Shay concluded.
"Why?" Erin questioned.
"Too square"
"Okay, round then?" She asked, pointing to the next one over.
"Yes" Shay nodded. Not quite believing she was following the advice of a one year old Erin wrote down the details and checked the price, definitely affordable. As they moved away Erin froze for a moment then turned back to the table, after closer inspection she decided it would be fairly easy to assemble. Satisfied, they moved on to drawers, Erin looking with both Katie and the new baby in mind. Tossing up between two very similar sets she momentarily lost track of Shay.
"Shay?" Erin called when she noticed her mistake, scanning the immediate area for the purple shirt Shay wore.
"MAMA!" Shay answered, popping up out of a drawer suddenly.
"How did you get in there?" Erin asked as she lifted Shay out.
"Monkey" Shay reminded.
"Which drawers does the monkey like?" Erin asked pointing to the two options. Shay considered it for a moment then decided on the ones on the left, slightly taller with deeper drawers but also cheaper. "I think you're right" She nodded, noting down the information carefully. Having found the three things they had been looking for in that section they moved quickly through the lounge room, kitchen and office sections. Watching Shay carefully Erin rounded the next corner, revealing the entrance to the children's section. Erin put her down and let her approach at her own speed, eyes wide as she tried to take in all the coloured toys.
"Mama look" Shay squealed as she stopped and pointed.
"What is it?" Erin asked, following Shay's gaze to a pile of stuffed dragons. Shay shook her head, knowing she wasn't supposed to talk about dragons any more. "You can say it."
"DRAGONS!" She yelled, running straight at the toys. She grabbed one and cuddled it to her chest before discarding it for another, identical, one. After cuddling a few she realised there were too many, collapsing amongst them with a satisfied sigh.
"You can have one" Erin smiled when she crouched down in front of Shay.
"Please" Shay nodded, struggling to pick only one. Then she spotted something hanging on the far wall that she wanted even more. Leaving her mother behind she raced over to the plush dragon costumes, patting the strange fabric lovingly.
"Does it fit?" Erin asked, selecting one of the costumes then helping Shay into it. They only came in one size and it was big on Shay but seeing her in with wings and a tail was too cute to resist. Erin decided Shay had to have one.
"Fits" Shay insisted, pulling it tight around the middle.
"You can have one if you promise to be a good dragon, no setting anything on fire" Erin said as she reached across to undo the zipper, Shay pulled away quickly. It wouldn't hurt to let her wear it for the rest of the shopping trip.
"Promise" Shay agreed.
"You still need a friend, dragons always have friends" Erin explained as they moved back towards the stiffed dragons. Dressed as a dragon, pointed ears on the hood, with a dragon tucked under her arm Shay couldn't help but grin. She didn't even mind as her mother wandered through the baby section, choosing a packet of embroidered bibs that was on special. Next they reached the section Erin was most interested in, children's beds. "Shay, do you want a big girl bed?"
"That one" Shay decided immediately, pointing to bunk beds.
"No, one of these" Erin instructed moving to the more age appropriate section, small brightly coloured beds with guardrails. Shay looked conflicted for a moment then climbed into the nearest bed.
"No" She shook her head before moving to the next one. Erin wasn't sure why she smiled every time Shay decided a bed was no good. There weren't that many options and soon Shay had ruled all of them out.
"We don't have to pick one today" Erin concluded, for herself as much as for Shay.
"Mama, hungry" Shay said, pointing across to the food court. Checking her watch Erin noticed they had missed morning tea and were now on time for lunch.
"Let's get some lunch" Erin nodded, taking Shay's hand. It was difficult to walk past all the toys and fun furniture but Erin assured Shay they would come back after food. At the top of the stairs Erin grabbed a bag, stowing the items they had found so far. Trailing her little dragon they joined the queue to get lunch. Erin had already decided to give up being a serious parent and didn't bother to negotiate when Shay asked for green Jelly, using her manners. Selecting a chocolate pudding for herself and a fruit salad for the baby she laughed, eating for two definitely had benefits. Fish, chips and salad was the daily special so Erin ordered one, the portion big enough to share with Shay. Adding juice to their tray they bought their food and went to find a table. Loving how family friendly everything was Erin made sure to write down the name of the chair Shay sat on, not a high chair but a normal looking chair with extended legs so she was at the right height for the table. "You are a genius" Erin commented when she followed Shay's lead and dipped a chip in her dessert. Unlike Shay who was simply testing the surface strength of her Jelly the chocolate pudding, potato and salt combination was actually good.
"Genius monkey dragon" Shay smiled.
"Is that your new name?" Erin asked, glad she grabbed extra napkins.
"Yes"
"I don't think he's hungry" Erin said quickly as Shay aimed a wobbling spoonful of Jelly at her stuffed dragon's mouth.
"SHE" Shay corrected.
"Sorry, she's not hungry" Erin rephrased.
"More for me" Shay said as she lifted the spoon to her own mouth in a rush, tipping the Jelly into her lap.
"That's what Daddy says" Erin nodded, Kelly often used the phrase when Shay wouldn't eat her food.
"Daddy's a dragon" Shay informed.
"He can be" Erin agreed, handing Shay another chip.
"You too" Shay guaranteed.
"Really?" Erin questioned.
"Yes" Shay said with great certainty.
"How?" She asked, wishing she paid more attention to the dragon in the storybook Shay was presently obsessed with.
"You are" Shay answered, as if it didn't need explaining.
"Okay, keep eating" Erin replied, handing over the last piece of fish.
"Not hungry" Shay decided, pushing the fish away.
"But you haven't even finished your jelly" Erin reminded.
"You eat Mama" Shay said, handing the cup to her mother with a smile. Having already eaten most of the fish, chips and salad, along with the chocolate pudding and fruit salad she really didn't need anything else. The jelly did look quite appealing though and she convinced herself that it wouldn't hurt. Half an hour later she was regretting eating anything at all. Trying to play with Shay made difficult by the persistent low level nausea that was morning sickness. The children's section had so many great toys and ideas that it was hard not to want to buy one of everything. Erin and Shay played with felt finger puppets, cardboard dolls houses, and massive rolls of paper, then settled in a miniature circus tent for a few minutes. Shay ran off to play on a spinning chair while Erin found a bed to sit on. Just watching Shay whirling on the chair made Erin consider her escape plan, the bathrooms were just around the corner so she wouldn't have far to go. Taking Shay would be inconvenient though.
"What's wrong?" Erin asked when Shay approached, frowning slightly.
"Mama play" Shay complained.
"Mama doesn't feel good" Erin explained, hoping Shay would be understanding.
"Better when you sleep" Shay encouraged, Erin always told her she would feel better after a sleep if she wasn't feeling well.
"Not yet. More shopping and then we'll go home for a sleep" Erin said, taking a deep breath as she stood up. Shay nodded and didn't fuss over leaving the toys behind. Downstairs they got a trolley, making their way quickly through the remaining displays, stopping briefly to choose more bathmats and a toothbrush holder. Erin added a lamp, photo frame and potted bamboo for Katie's room then moved through to the warehouse section. Using the information she had written down she found the flat pack bedside table and chest of drawers. Rushing through the checkout she was thrilled to almost be done.
"Need some help?" A man asked, watching as Erin took Shay from the trolley and moved to put her in her car seat.
"Uh…No I'm fine" Erin replied, looking at the trolley. The flat pack furniture was right on the edge of what she considered a reasonable weight to lift alone.
"It's no problem" He insisted.
"Okay" She agreed after a moment, opening the back of the car so he could load the heavier items.
"And that's my random act of kindness for the day" He nodded when he was finished.
"Thank you" Erin smiled, always cautious of strangers who were unnecessarily kind.
"I'll take this back too, only because it's on the way to my car though" He added, taking the trolley.
"Thanks" She repeated before getting in the car. Shay was very fussy about music on the way home, indication that she was due for a sleep. Erin left everything in the car when they arrived home, feeling dreadful and preoccupied by getting Shay down for her nap on time. Feeling lazy she simply settled in bed, turning Kelly's pillow sideways to form a barrier so Shay couldn't roll off. They napped together, waking feeling refreshed and energised. With Shay's help she unpacked their purchases, leaving the furniture for Kelly, and got Katie's sheets on to wash. The finger puppets she had snuck into the bag provided effortless entertainment for Shay as they lounged around on the couch all afternoon. After dinner they fought over removing the dragon costume for bath time. Erin agreed that Shay could sleep in it afterwards, Shay acted out the dragons roll in her bedtime story then settled herself to sleep. Erin hung out the sheets then took a shower and crawled into bed. Just thinking about the next day made her yawn, a full day at work followed by Katie moving in.
Nothing purposeful, just cute Mummy/Shay time. If it wasn't already obvious I love IKEA… And I'm pretty sure IKEA stores all have the same basic layout (at least they do in Australia). Jelly = Jello.
HELP: I need to come up with a gender and name for the Dawsey baby in this fic…suggestions? They aren't a major part of the story but I'll still need to refer to it by name and I'm feeling really lazy so if I don't get suggestions I'll probably just pick a top 10 name.
