FOURTEEN - PARENTS
Jack carried Teddy down and in to the kitchen. Eliza was still in her rocker as Rose talked to her, she looked up as Jack and Teddy came in. "Hey" she smiled, Teddy yawned and rubbed his eyes, Rose laughed and Jack kissed his head and put him down. Teddy walked over to Rose and put his arms up to sit at the breakfast bar besides her. "What do you want for breakfast, Ted?" Jack asked as he gave him some juice "toast please Daddy" "coming up" he smiled.
"Did you sleep OK?" Jack asked him, he nodded in response "Rose slept in my bed, Daddy. She was in your bed but I had a bad dream so she lay with me" he nodded "that was nice of her" Jack smiled gently "Daddy?" "Yes?" Jack looked at him "is Rose my Mummy now? Because my Mummy isn't here & everyone else has a daddy and a mummy… and Rose was asleep in your bed and you and mummy used to sleep in the same bed" Jack stood there, trying to process everything Teddy had just said in such a short space of time "OK- erm" Jack walked over and stood on the other side of the breakfast bar and took Teddy's hands in his "so, you do have a Mummy. Your Mummy is in heaven. But you could have a mummy that's here with you… if you'd like… Rose can be your other mummy… but that's only if you want her to be-" he went to continue "I do" Teddy nodded, Rose smiled "will you be Liza's Mummy too?" He looked at Rose and frowned "if you're my mummy you have to be Liza's mummy as well" "of course" Rose laughed, noticing again how protective Teddy was of his sister "I'll be both of your mummy" she stroked his cheek and he held his arms out to be taken off his chair and lent forward. Rose took him and sat him on her knee, holding him close. Jack walked over and put his hand on Rose's back and kissed her's and Teddy's head. Eliza began to whine from the rocker "oh I'm sorry, did we forget about you little Miss?" Jack chuckled and went to pick Eliza up before re joining Rose & Teddy. Rose looked up at him from the breakfast bar and kissed him gently. "I love you" "I love you too" he said.
"Wait-" Teddy said, looking sad almost "does this mean I can't come and sleep in your bedroom when I feel sad or poorly because you'll be there too?" Teddy looked at Rose
"No darling" Rose lifted his face to look at her "you can come to us when you have a nightmare, or you feel poorly, for absolutely anything. Alright?" Teddy nodded, reassured. "But remember Ted, you still need to go to sleep in your own bed at bedtime… and try and stay in your bed at night, OK?" Jack said "But Liza sleeps in your room!" He whined
"I know, but that's because she's a baby. Another month or so and she'll be going in to her own bedroom, just like you. I promise" "OK" he looked at him, not convinced. "What do you want to do today?" Rose asked, trying to change the subject and cheer Teddy up but he just shrugged "we could bake, or go for a walk or the park, but it is a little cold, read some books? Whatever you want to do" "can we bake?" "Of course we can" Rose nodded and smiled as Jack handed him his toast. "Eat your breakfast and we can bake whatever you want"