This is random, but I think I have two types in terms of genders. I tend to crush on brunettes with green eyes and raven-haired guys with brown eyes.
Originally posted at 16.08.2023
Prompt: Nutritious
Inside a medium-sized kitchen, a small pot with water and cut fruit pieces was being cooked on the herd with the absence of the cook. Behind the arc, that led to the dining room sat a brunette woman by the table playing with the infant, who lied on a cover holding in his hands a round baby rattle. River had been chuckling as she toyed around with the foot of the baby by tapping under it. The boy moved his rattle into his mouth, while watching his mother play with his foot with joy.
"I'm a tiny, tiny thing," River began to sing watching her infant smile brightly upon hearing the voice of his mother, which chuckled upon his reaction. "I'm a tiny, tiny thing….ever flying in the spring….." She chanted while passing her finger under the boy's feet, making him happy and dance with legs making his mother stop and stare in adoration at her son. River stood up, observing the boy amused wriggle, then she stepped aside on the round table to move her head down closer at the boy, which moved his head to his mother, who came to peck him on the cheek. "Long ago I was a king…..Now I do this kind of thing…." The mother sang while the baby smiled at the mother and she leaned her forehead on the baby, which accidentally nudged her with the rattle, shrieking her.
River chuckled upon the situation, then placed her hands under the back of the baby to pick him up gently and lean him on her body.
"Mama's making yummy avocado porridge for you. Something new for you to try out. Maybe you will like it," River spoke to the baby, which moved his arm with his rattle and shove it against River's cheek, making her chuckle. "Oh Robert, you're definitely coming from your father's side," River commented from sensing her son's saliva.
River made her way into the kitchen, then took out from a drawer a fork and stung with it on the cut pieces of the avocado, she had cut to cook. River took it out and analyzed it with her eyes, then put the fork down, beside the herd. River opened the door of a counter beside the oven to take out a plate to put it on the counter and turned off the herd. River began to pick out a few bits of the cut avocado onto the plate and began to squish the warm fruit down with the fork a couple of times to form a porridge. Robert began to play with the rattle in front of his mother's face, making her smile a little and drop the fork down to hold up the boy's arm. "Give me a few seconds, I need to finish your food," Mentioned River having eye contact with the infant, which nudged his mother with the forehead making her smile. "Good boy," Complimented River continuing to squish the green fruit.
"Mom! Mom! Mom! I got an A in Math!" Yelled a voice earning the attention of River, which watched her first daughter Ruby race into the kitchen with a sheet to show the woman the score.
"Really?" Questioned River curious watching the girl with a ponytail show the mother the paper, which River took a look at it. "100%? Ruby, that's amazing," Congratulated the mother, then Ruby embraced the mother, which remained standing in the current position due to being occupied. River smiled dropping the fork down on the plate, then placed her hand over Ruby's head to adjust the hair above her forehead to give it a peck. "Sorry, I can't embrace you. I'm making food for Robert," Mentioned River watching Ruby nod and look up at the mother.
"Do you need help?" Questioned Ruby looking at the porridge the mother had just squeezed.
"If you don't mind. Could you fill the porridge into one of Robert's plastic plates?" Asked the mother making Ruby nod, which opened the door of a counter to take out a green soup plate and placed it next to the plate to scrape down the porridge into the plate. River walked back to the dining room to the corner, where the baby chair stood and she sat Robert in there gently, which was playing with the rattle. River moved the rattle down gently to look into the eyes of the infant.
"We're going to eat now, Robert. I'll give you the toy back when you're done. Alright?" Offered the woman watching the infant pout. The baby moved his arms sad, watching the mother hold the toy closer to her, then placed her hand beside the cheek of her son to cheer him up. "Don't worry, you'll get it back. I promise," Said River, then Ruby came along with the baby porridge and a baby spoon, which she gave to her mother.
"I took the baby spoon as well," Announced Ruby making River nod.
"Thank you, darling," Said River giving her daughter Robert's toy, so she could take the porridge. Robert eyed the sister, who took the toy and began to whine making Ruby sad upon her brother's reaction, then River bowed down to look at her son. "Oh Robert, don't worry. Your sister will give you the toy back. Let's just show her how quickly you eat your vitamins," Professed River taking a scoop out from the plate while looking at the sad boy.
"I will give you the toy back, Robert. I have it right here, in front of you," Said Ruby tapping gently with the rattle on the board of the chair. Robert giggled, then tried to clap with his hands making River smile and lean the spoon closer to the boy's mouth, which opened it up slowly but closed it again preventing the mother to feed him. River shook her head about her son's deed, which amused him actually. River gave it another try but did a slalom with the spoon to earn the attention of the baby.
"Look, here's a little boy sliding on a frozen pond...whoosh….whoosh…..whoosh….." River recounted making the boy laugh and open the mouth, making his mother smile, which shove the spoon into his mouth to taste the new baby food. River pulled up with the spoon, the bit of porridge, that run from the baby's lip up, and returned with the spoon back into the porridge. River took another scoop making the same movement again, but this time the infant moved his head away, not wanting to take it. "What? You don't like it?"
"Nuh uh," Responded Robert making Ruby chuckle, then River held the spoon in front of the baby's mouth.
"Are you sure you don't like it? Can you take a second try for me? Perhaps you haven't fully experienced the flavor?" Suggested River watching the infant cross his arms making Ruby snort.
"Come on, Robert. Avocados are very nutritious. They have….uhm….vitamins…...and calcium?" Guessed Ruby unsure about the exact components of the fruit.
"Your sister Ruby is saying the truth. If you don't get enough vitamins, you won't get as big as her," Stated River, while Ruby nodded and had a different idea.
"Don't you want to be as big as Daddy?" Questioned Ruby making River chuckle for a second. "Or strong as Daddy?" Added Ruby glimpsing at the mother, which shrugged her shoulders about Ruby's change. Robert shook his head, making River shake her head amused, and reached the spoon carefully to her son.
"Come, one more spoon. Do it for Mama," Begged River giving her infant puppy eyes, which responded with slapping the spoon against the mother soil her shirt. "Oh Robert, not again,"
"I will take a new spoon," Commented Ruby picking the spoon up, then River placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"Just wash it off, it's okay," Mentioned River making her daughter nod, which returned to the kitchen and River looked at her son, which had his arms crossed. River bowed down to tap his son on the nose, making him chuckle.
"Boop!" Said River, then leaned her arms above the board to look at her son, enamored.
Ruby returned with the spoon, then handed it out to her mother.
"Can I have a towel? I accidentally wet the whole lavatory by washing the spoon," Mentioned Ruby watching her mother take the spoon.
"It's alright. I have to wash the dish later anyway," Mentioned the brunette making Ruby nod and watch River take the plate to scoop out the porridge. "My little man, you need to fulfill your hunger need. If you don't eat anything, your tummy will be angry," Mentioned River reaching the spoon to the boy's mouth. "Your little tummy will be happy, pinky promise,"
Robert watched his mother lean the spoon closer to his mouth, then the kid grabbed the spoon, getting his hands dirty, making the mother sigh silently. River moved the spoon closer to the boy's mouth, which he allowed to get into his mouth to suck on it. River pulled the chair from the table to sit down next to her infant, which nudged into the plate trying to scoop out food, dropping half of the food on the board.
"Should we have a conversation with Robert, while he eats?" Questioned Ruby. "Aunt Kaylynn told Dad once, she read it in a magazine,"
"Yes, he told me that….Actually, there were other things as well….did you eat already?" Questioned River watching Ruby shake her head. "I remember one of the options being the sitting as a family one. We just do that and have Robert sit by us," Suggested River.
"Yes," Agreed Ruby watching her mother nudge her cheek with her hand before returning into the kitchen.
Ruby tried to entertain her little brother by telling him a story, but the boy didn't give her any ears and used one of his hands covered with porridge to draw on the board. River got out from the kitchen with two cereal bowls and two spoons, she held between her index and middle finger under one of the bowls.
"In case Robert would lose interest in his own food, I took honey and chocolate hoops," Warned River placing the two bowls on each side and pulled the chair in the middle away, then got back to grab Robert's chair. "What about us three eat by the table together?" Questioned River watching Robert smack his hands on the porridge squirting a few stains on his mother's face, causing her to close her eyes out of a reflex. "….I take that as a yes," Commented the brunette then pulled the chair to the table and sat down on her chair.
Ruby returned with a serviette for her mother to clean up her face, then sat down while her mother was across from her on the chair.
"How was your day here at home with Robert?" Questioned Ruby taking the spoon to start eating.
"Robert did take a big nap this morning," Commented River. "He really needed that after last night," Mentioned River guiding her spoon into her mouth while eyeing her infant, which cooed at her.
"Did he cry last night a lot?" Questioned Ruby watching her mother nod.
"About five or six times. The first two times your father got up to check on him and tucked him in again. The third time, I woke up with Maro barking, then I got up to see your dad mixing milk. I stood by his side to help Robert fall asleep, which lasted for perhaps an hour or less. The only luck I had was, that today was my day off and your dad had to go to work despite his lack of sleep,"
"I hope he manages to do his work there," Mentioned Ruby making her mother nod.
"He just won't be energized as usual. Our friends will understand it. We have Robert, who needs a lot of care and attention. This will always consume our power fast,"
"Yes….Did you two do something else?" Questioned Ruby watching her mother ponder.
"I did paint one part of the canvas I started last week. Therefore I took out our family album to stick the photos we ordered to print two weeks ago," River counted down from, what she could remember. "Usually I don't get a lot to do as today when I'm with Robert," Mentioned the mother. "What did you do today at the school? Besides getting a good grade,"
"I had Math, English, Geography, Art, Music, and History today. In English we had to read an essay and fill in a sheet with words, we had listed down to have the entire summary. Art and music we did the usual thing and in geography, we began to learn the capitals of South America,"
"Oh really, can you tell me, what's the capital of Brazil?" Questioned River with a smirk, watching her daughter mirror her facial expression.
"Brasilia," Responded the daughter impressing the brunette.
"Very well. Back when your father and I attended school he had set himself in the mind for some reason, that it was Rio. Believe me, he did not let himself convince, that Rio de Janeiro wasn't the capital for a long while!" Mentioned River making her daughter laugh.
"But how did he always think that?" Questioned Ruby making her mother shrug her shoulders.
"I don't know. I think it had something to do with him knowing, that Rio was the most known place in Brazil. Usually, it's the first city coming into most people's heads, when people ask about Brazil,"
"Okay, but then you taught him it right?" Questioned Ruby. "Dad told me, you helped him a lot at the school,"
"Yes, I did," Commented River, then glimpsed at her son, which slowly shove the porridge into his mouth whilst a few drops of the fluid fell down onto the board and he passed his hand above it to clean it. River smiled about the boy to not have rejected the food at the moment. Ruby shove her last spoon into her mouth, then glimpsed at her mother, that was admiring her son and the daughter moved her hand over the table to nudge her mother's hand.
"Mom…," Spoke Ruby earning the attention of the brunette. "Have you ever wondered, what could have been, if you never offered Dad to study with you?"
River pondered about the girl's question, then shook her head.
"Actually, I haven't ever thought about it," Confessed River. "What are you thinking?"
"Just asking….You know in the movies, when a kid's parents don't meet at that certain moment, it won't happen, that the parents fall in love," Commented Ruby. "I know it's just a movie, but it could have happened similar to us,"
"Who knows, what would have happened if I didn't offer your father help. Perhaps we would have gotten somehow to each other during prom night or at a later point in life…..or we would have gone different ways," Mentioned River making Ruby nod. "One thing I know is, that with the time I got to know your dad better, he began to…..develop himself. He wanted to be better at the school. He learned how to avoid himself from getting distracted…." River explained, then chuckled upon remembering something from the past. "I don't think I ever told you this, but your dad never helped at home with the cleaning or anything else at home. Do you believe, that thanks to me, that changed?"
"Uh…...yes?"
"I know, that 'cause Aunt Kaylynn told me that once, that she usually was the one doing all the work because Grandpa wasn't really an expert in keeping the house clear. That one time I did offer Grandma Iliana to do the dishes for her and your dad saw me doing that and he felt strange about it, then offered me to clean up the dishes. That actually also was the evening Kaylynn told me that, which embarrassed your dad, who just wanted to show he's….well…..not that sort of boy I thought he was. He apologized for lying and I just told him, he shouldn't feel ashamed, I wouldn't judge him if things were different in his house,"
"Uh hum,"
"With the afternoons we spent learning together, we did often the dishes together and he began to lose his chaotic nature. He's still a slob in some aspects and tries to keep things in order,"
"He still does a lot of messes, Mom," Commented Ruby with a chuckle.
"Yes, he does, but you know, each of us has our flaws. Your dad has this problem. Both of us see that. He on the other hand sees, that when I do something, I really, really look into each detail and strive for perfection. I could spend an hour vacuuming the carpet for Maro's fur, trying to get every inch of hair out of there, while anyone else would stop after five minutes or less," Mentioned River making Ruby nod. "With those flaws, your dad and I still stay together. If we really love each other we work together and help us deal with the issue or learn to accept it. You wouldn't stop being friends with Nathalie, just because she can't stand up against bullies but you can, right?"
"Of course not. She's just not used to deal with those kinds of problems. She's very nice, just the bully is an idiot,"
"See? Almost the same thing for me and your dad. Your dad and I have been together for almost 15 years. We never had problems together and if we do we have always found a way to solve them," Explained River. "I would never change a thing about him, it's…." River was interrupted by the infant, which smacked the spoon against the middle of the plate, where he had no food, but the sides of the plate. River grinned, then grabbed gently the spoon to put the porridge back into the middle and handed the spoon back to the infant, which happily tapped with the spoon against the mash making his mother chuckle. "And without your dad, I would have never gotten two of the sweetest treasures in the world," Acknowledged River caressing her son above his head, then glimpsed at her daughter, which smiled in adoration at her mother's compliment.
"Aww Mom," Commented Ruby getting up to go around the chair to hug her mother from the side, which happily accepted the daughter's embrace.