16

"Boys can do anything too!"

"So … it's not silly?" Ben asked, watching Penny wander past with the doll pram being lovingly pushed as he sang a nonsense song to Muncher who sat inside it with a pompous look of glee.

"Look at Taddy. A clever man. A doctor. An accountant sort of. A builder or building maker... ah ... he drew it all ya know. A cook, a Taddy, a mayor and an author. I mean … not much Taddy can't do even with his silly body problems. His brain is cleverer than any other" Ton said as he smiled softly at his friend and …well…nephew, pulling him in for a hug, "If Penny wants to be a Taddy today, so be it."

"But …but …he has a dress on and stuff. Like … a mummy!"

"Dude! You've seen my Taddy in a dress, don't be a divvy." Ton scolded with a rare frown, "Clothes do not make a woman. If you marry a nice woman who makes oodles of money, why can't you stay home and raise the kids. Eh? She might want to wear a suit and tie! Maybe you would be better at it than her, being the parental. Being a girl does not make them better at baby caring. No. That's a silly thing for people to think and we know better. A skirt does not make Babs a girl any more than having a doodle still makes him a boy. Babs is Babs because it's how it is. I am a Ton. You are a Benji-man and Penny … Penny is in the bloody chickens again! PENNY! THE BIRDS WILL POO ON THE WHEELS!"

Muncher started to bark, backing up his bud as Badger sat back and sighed softly. He was just glad he was not in the bloody pram thing. So bouncy when it was nice and warm in the patch of sun he had found.

Grub meandered past and stopped to touch noses, then continued on. The three ducks following almost unnoticed.

Almost.

Muncher flew from the push chair and slammed against the chicken wire, searching for a way out as he eyeballed the ducks calmly waddling past.

"DAD!" Ton called happily "THE DUCKS ARE BACK!"

"Come on boys, let's get the ducks to the new pond Dadda made" Ton said with glee, "We can take the All Terrain Toner!"

"YAY!"

The pushchair game was forgotten and Penny kicked off the skirt to reveal little saggy-bum underwear, plonking Muncher into his basket then clambering onto the old cart with knobbly tyres Ton was allowed for the horse paddock rides and they took off, Grub following with his ducks.

"See?" Ton said as he watched the dog sink into the water followed by the ducks "Second year in a row they've come back. Remembered their mama doggie. So what if he is not a girl. Or a duck. They love him for his own weird self!"

"Cool." Penny said happily as he leaned out, the undies flopping and slipping to let a little arse cheek explore the open world "Dogs can do anything!"

"Agreed" Ton patted the bare arse affectionately and wondered if he needed to sunscreen that.

Had some in the back somewhere.