The Blissful Joys of Growing Up
It was a bright and sunny Monday morning in Elmore.
Nestled away in a nondescript neighbourhood among the peaceful suburbs was the home of the Watterson family.
"Morning already?"Groaned Gumball Watterson, burying his face into his pillow.
He despondently rolled over to avoid the sun slipping through his window. Maybe he could squeeze in a little more rest.
Suddenly, his alarm clock went off, causing his distinctive blue cat ears to twitch with annoyance. So much for that plan...
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, the first thing he saw was a pile of dirty clothes that he had amassed over the week. Well, him and his siblings, to be fair. He could definitely spot one of Anais' socks in there. Speaking of siblings...
Gumball turned his attention to Darwin's aquarium, which was already empty. His fishy foster brother was probably taking a shower. He did like to stay hydrated after all.
"Morning, Gumball!" greeted Darwin, reentering the room with a towel around his waist.
His emerald green eyes cheerfully reflected his ever-present optimism.
"Hey buddy," smiled Gumball, in between a yawn. "Sleep well?"
"Mhm-hmm," nodded Darwin, setting about getting dressed for the day.
The clock read 6:30 AM as Gumball headed to the bathroom to freshen up for the school day ahead.
Some time later, the brothers were all dressed up in their go-to garbs. A beige sweater with grey jeans for Gumball and an orange hoodie with dark green shorts for Darwin.
"Gumball! Darwin!" a shrill voice called out to them. "Come on down for breakfast. We're having pancakes!"
"Be right there, Anais!" Gumball called after her.
His tail swung with mischief, and he gave Darwin a little smirk.
"Wanna race?" smiled Darwin, reading his mind.
"Alright, you're on," grinned Gumball as they headed downstairs.
...
Hard at work in the kitchen was Gumball's mother, Nicole Watterson. As the tall, beautiful head of the household, Nicole could only be adequately described as a super-cat mom. Her children certainly thought the world of her; anger issues withstanding. Who could really blame her, though?
Raising three kids plus a husband was almost too much to ask of anyone. And yet here she was doing just that... Pancakes were not on the menu often, but Nicole wanted to start the day on a positive note.
"This isn't like him at all," mused Nicole. "There must be a reasonable explanation behind all this."
Whatever it was, she would soon find out. In the dining area, the brothers took their usual seats as Nicole arrived with their breakfasts.
"Hi, Mrs. Mom," said Darwin cheerfully.
"Good morning, sweetie," replied Nicole. "I made pancakes for everyone this morning. Bon apetit!"
"Wow! Thanks, Mrs. Mom," said Darwin, adding some maple syrup to his plate.
"Yeah, thanks, Mom," agreed Gumball rather hesitantly.
Something seemed amiss with his mother.
"Gumball..." began Nicole.
Oh no... Could she possibly know about...
"Have you seen your father?" she asked him. "It's not like him to miss breakfast."
Phew! She doesn't know... Gumball inwardly sighed with relief.
"He's in the shower, Mom," answered Anais, approaching the table with her prized Daisy donkey doll. "He really needed one."
"Thank goodness," agreed Nicole, helping her daughter reach her seat at the table.
The little bunny girl might be short in stature, but she was tall in sense. Anais noted how Darwin happily wolfed down his breakfast, but Gumball seemed less than enthused. That was odd, even for him. But for once, she decided she would eat first and ask questions later. They were having pancakes after all.
Nicole joined her kids at the table with a cup of coffee as their large lapine father arrived downstairs.
"Oh boy, are those pancakes I smell!" Richard's loud and cheery voice boomed.
"Yes, Richard," said Nicole, trying not to spill her coffee from all his portly stomping. "I'll get you a plate."
Nicole presented her husband with a huge heaping of pancakes as he rubbed his hands like a hungry cave-dweller.
"Thanks, honey, I'm starved!" replied Richard, wasting no time digging in.
While Richard was busy stuffing his face, Nicole turned her attention to Gumball, clearing her throat.
"So, Gumball, I got a call from Principal Brown telling me that you have a detention today," said Nicole matter-of-factly. "Is this true?"
Her low tone of voice caused Gumball to lose what little appetite he had left.
Oh crap, she does know after all... Gumball sank into his chair and slowly faced his mother; she wore a cold, hard stare. His siblings must have felt it too, as they stopped eating and exchanged looks. Their brother was no stranger to detention, but this time it sounded serious.
He nodded sadly.
"Principal Brown didn't go into detail," continued Nicole. "But he did say that what you did couldn't be overlooked. Care to explain?"
Gumball looked down, toying with his food and avoiding eye contact with his mother. She was not just angry at him; she was disappointed with him. Such a thought could stab his heart as sharp as any sword.
"Gumball, I'm talking to you!" shouted Nicole, raising her voice. "Just what do you have to say for yourself?"
"Gumball sighed before adopting a serious expression.
"You might find this hard to believe," he explained. "But I was standing up for my friends. I knew I'd get in trouble for it, but something had to be done. I'm sorry things got out of hand."
This was quite a shock. Darwin and Anais had never seen their brother acting this stern or selfless before. Likewise, Nicole was equally surprised to see her son suddenly acting so aloof.
Normally, he just smiles nervously and gets all sweaty when he's in trouble. Where was this sudden confidence coming from? And the bittersweet pride of his handiwork?
"Is that so?" inquired Nicole, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, Gumball, what exactly did you do?"
"Promise you won't get mad?" Gumball raised his head and smiled meekly.
"You know, I can't promise you that." Nicole crossed her arms.
All eyes were on Gumball now. Even Richard momentarily stopped eating to hear what his son had to say.
"Alright, it happened the other day..." Gumball frowned. "I kind kinda punched Tina T-Rex."
"What!?" Nicole gasped with total shock.
Getting into fights wasn't like her little Gumball at all. But more shocking was the idea that he picked a fight with Tina of all people. Nicole was at a complete loss for words.
"He's not joking, is he?" Darwin concluded from his brother's grim expression.
"You actually punched Tina?" probed Anais. "Like actually hit her? Even though she's like twice your size?"
"I know how it looks... or sounds," continued Gumball. "But she was picking on Bobert. I told her off and she shoved me to the floor and then I... I just kind of snapped. He's been such a good friend lately. Bobert's been tutoring me for math and science-"
"Wait-wait-wait," interrupted Anais. "Did you say Bobert? As in that robot kid?"
"That's him," confirmed Gumball. "Unless there's any other robot kids named Bobert at Elmore Jr High that I don't know about."
"Since when did Bobert start tutoring you math and science?" continued Anais.
"Since I asked him to. Anyway, I-"
"You asked him to?" Anais repeated incredulously. "This can't be for real."
"My grades are important to me, you know?" huffed Gumball, crossing his arms. "I was... I was trying to improve them."
"Whoa dude, since when do you care about your grades? " asked Darwin. "I thought you went with the flow.
"I did say that, didn't I?" Gumball smiled sadly. "But that was before. Anyway, things change. From now on, I'm going to be responsible, for real. And that means standing up for your friends when they need you."
Nicole carefully processed her son's words of sincerity, but she could still hardly believe it. She had never seen this side of him, and she was his mother!
"Who are you and what have you done with the real Gumball? "Anais eyed him suspiciously.
It was like he had become a completely different person under that same skin. Had her brother been replaced by some kind of shape-shifting clone? Had she entered some bizarro backwards world? Or was she overthinking this whole thing? What a silly thought; it must be the opposite day, Anais scoffed to herself.
"You're looking at him, sis," insisted Gumball. "I'm still me, believe it."
With that said, he patted Anais on the head, right on top of her bunny ears, making her blush. Since when did her brother become so affectionate, especially with her?
Gumball cleared his throat and spoke again.
"Mom, I'm sorry I punched Tina," he confessed. "But I'd be lying if I said I had regrets. Ground me if you want, but I stand firm on my decision."
Nicole pondered her son's words deeply. This was all too much, too soon. Her anger had dissipated, and her motherly concern had taken over.
"Gumball, you..." began Nicole. "You punched Tina? Did she hurt you in any way?"
"Not really," shrugged Gumball, finishing the remains of his breakfast. "I caught her by surprise. Then she called me a dork and just walked away."
"That's it? She just called you a dork?" asked Anais, struggling to contain her laughter alongside Darwin.
"I see..." replied Nicole, regaining her composure. "Well, Gumball, I'm afraid you must be punished. No video games for a week!"
Gumball nodded sadly.
Nicole had tried her best to sound angry, but who was she kidding? Inwardly, she was rather proud of her son, especially after the way he accepted his punishment without any fuss. Not a single groan or sigh.
Having finished his fill of breakfast, Gumball stood up and looked towards the window.
"It's a beautiful day today," he smiled. "I'm going to take a walk outside before school." The others remained at the table as Gumball cheerfully headed outside.
"Mom? What's up with Gumball?" Anais asked her, confounded by her brother's behaviour.
"I don't know, sweetie," Nicole replied. "I think Gumball is just growing up."
Nicole laid back on her chair and looked at her children, who wore looks of concern. Even Richard's expression was very much the same.
"Uh, honey, I gotta ask you something," he began.
It seemed like today was shaping up to be full of surprises. Was Richard actually interested in their son's well-being for once?
"Do we have any more pancakes?" asked Richard with a hopeful grin.
Of course, it was too good to be true.
"No, Richard," sighed Nicole wearily. "That's all we had." The more some things change, the more others stay the same.
"Aw, I was still hungry." Richard dejectedly wandered off to his usual spot on the couch, in front of the TV. Nicole ignored her husband and focused her attention on the others.
"This feels weird," lamented Darwin. "I can't believe I'm saying this but... I kinda miss the old Gumball, already. He seems so serious now."
"Oh sweetheart," assured Nicole. "Gumball's still the same brother we know and love. He's just... maturing. Everyone matures with age, some more than others. And some sooner than later."
Darwin felt slightly better hearing that. Maybe Gumball's new maturity didn't have to be a bad thing.
"I never thought anyone could mature so much overnight," said Anais hugging her Daisy doll. "You don't suppose... that something happened recently? Something besides the fight, that's making him act this way?"
"Good question, Anais..." agreed Nicole.
"But let's not pester him about it yet. I'm sure he has a lot on his mind right now."
"I still can't believe Gumball actually stood up to Tina," added Darwin. "She's huge!"
"His courage was most commendable," confessed Nicole. "But one should never use violence to solve their problems."
Darwin and Anais now wore looks of skepticism.
"No offence, Mom, but you use violence to solve problems all the time," argued Anais.
Nicole blushed with embarrassment at her hypocrisy. It was no secret that she had an explosive temper with a short fuse. Whenever Nicole got pushed over the limit, things would always get ugly and chaotic.
"Maybe he gets it from me," said Nicole, more to herself than her kids.
What a concept! It was no secret Gumball that took after his mother's visage; there was very little of his father in him at all, but perhaps her son shared more in common with her than they both knew. Nicole had been rather distant from her son lately.
When was the last time they did something together? It seemed the only time they spent together was when she was punishing him for acting out. Is that what this is all about? Did he cause so much mischief because, deep down, he just wanted more attention from her?
Suddenly, it all made so much sense...
Nicole's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
"Guys, the bus is here!" said Gumball, jerking his thumb outside. "We gotta go."
"Time for school already?" Anais glanced at the wall clock.
"Yep, we'd better get going!" Replied Darwin.
The two siblings hopped off their chairs and waved their goodbyes to their parents. Richard paid them no mind, already having dozed off on the couch in front of the TV as lazily as ever.
Nicole waved back, ready to close the door, only for Gumball to quickly sneak back into the house. He stood before her with an unreadable expression, fidgeting uncomfortably.
"What's wrong, honey? The bus is here," Nicole soothed.
It was rather embarrassing and he would rather his siblings not see this.
Quick as a whip, Gumball shyly gave his mother a little kiss on the cheek before his own cheeks blushed red.
"Love you, Mom," Gumball said hastily. "Uh, good luck at work today and uh, bye!"
With that said, he ran off towards his school bus. Nicole held her cheek and blinked a few times in succession. She had not received a kiss from Gumball in years. Perhaps Anais was onto something after all.
'Something must have happened recently to make him change so much so soon... I'll have to find out the truth later.' Nicole headed to her room, humming to herself as she got ready for a long day of work. One thing was certain though. Gumball had definitely made her day.
...
Boarding the school bus, the brothers were fortunate to find two empty seats so that they could ride together. Darwin took the window seat while Gumball took the other.
As usual, the bus was nearly full with students who were all lost in conversation. Banana Joe and Tobias Wilson were howling with laughter, probably at some dirty joke or at someone's expense. Molly Collins was in the midst of another one of her 'riveting' stories, while Teri Winkle lectured her on the importance of hygiene. Carrie Kruger was listening to heavy metal music, Ocho Tootmorsel was playing on his phone.
"Uh, Gumball?" Darwin tapped on his shoulder.
"What's up, bro?" replied Gumball.
Darwin pointed at Penny Fitzgerald, who wordlessly boarded the bus and took her seat next to Carmen Verde. Gumball shifted in his seat uncomfortably and avoided eye contact.
"Dude, what's going on between you and Penny?" Inquired Darwin. "Usually she always blows you a kiss or something. So what gives?
"Well, we..." Gumball bit his lip. "We kind of broke up." Darwin's jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide with shock.
"You did what?"
"Shh!" Gumball clasped his brother's mouth shut. "Keep your voice down. I didn't want to make a big deal about it, okay?"
"But why, Gumball?" continued Darwin, his mouth still covered. "You really liked Penny. And I thought she liked you too. So why'd you break up?
"Well..." began Gumball. "She kind of dumped me after our last date. Actually, she dumped me because I didn't make it on time. I had detention that day."
"Detention? But why?" asked Darwin. "Let me guess, Miss Simian is her grumpy old self."
"Well yeah," confessed Gumball. "But I don't blame her, not this time anyway. This was all on me. I forgot to hand in my science report on time. That was the last straw. She had already given me lots of chances."
"Wait, are we talkin' about Miss Simian or Penny here?" Darwin clarified.
"Both, I guess..." Gumball shrugged. "After I showed up late, Penny wouldn't talk to me at first. But then she said that if I couldn't commit to our relationship, then maybe we shouldn't be dating. And then she broke up with me."
"Is that why you decided to become so responsible all of a sudden?" said Darwin. "So that Penny might give you another chance?"
"Well, not entirely," Gumball said, shaking his head. "Losing Penny made me realise something. I wasn't just an irresponsible boyfriend. I was just plain irresponsible, period. If I can't handle something as simple as homework, then maybe I don't deserve to have a relationship after all."
Darwin sank back into his seat. He never thought he'd hear his brother say such a thing.
"I didn't know you felt so strongly about this," muttered Darwin. "It's great that you want to improve yourself, Gumball. But don't you think you're going a bit far? You don't even sound like yourself anymore."
"Then I must be doing something right," agreed Gumball. "I thought I was just a normal kid, Darwin. And look where it got me! It cost me something important. If I don't change myself now, I might lose whatever I have left too."
"Hey now," Darwin tapped his brother on the shoulder. "You've still got me, bro. I promise I'm going anywhere."
"Thanks Darwin," said Gumball with a tiny grin. "That means a lot."
If there was even a sliver of chance he could win Penny back, he had to take it. He would prove to Penny that he could change for the better.
The rest of the bus journey was uneventful. The brothers arrived at their destination and entered the building.
"I guess I'll see you in class," said Darwin, exchanging a fist bump with his brother.
"Cool, see you soon," nodded Gumball as they walked in opposite directions.
Gumball walked down the hallway to find Bobert at his locker talking to Leslie Flowers about solar energy, a topic they both enjoyed. Gumball smiled at them as he approached.
Meeting with Bobert every morning had become something of a routine for him. Although the two students did not have much in common, Bobert was enjoying his new role as Gumball's mentor.
Bobert was not an emotional person, being a robot and all, but he liked feeling useful. It gave him a greater sense of purpose.
"Hey Bobert, hey Leslie, how're things? ," said Gumball cheerfully.
"Things are just fine," laughed Leslie. "Bobert told me you're his new protégé."
"Yeah, I guess so," Gumball blithely replied. "That's a good thing right?"
Leslie just laughed as Bobert chimed in.
"Essentially, it means you're my student, Gumball." Bobert explained. "Speaking of which, I trust that you have completed your assignment?"
"That's right," said Gumball. "I have it right here."
Gumball handed Bobert the papers from his backpack, and Bobert made short work of scanning them with his bionic eye. He whirred and beeped and spat out a sheet of paper, literally.
"So, uh, how did I do?" Inquired Gumball.
"Calculating score..." replied Bobert before making a positive chime. "Good news! You scored 82%. Even higher than your estimated average. Very impressive, Gumball."
"Well, I kind of rushed things towards the end," said Gumball, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Understandable," assured Bobert. "It is still an improvement compared to before. If you keep this up, your grades are likely to increase tenfold."
"You really think so? " asked Gumball, hopefully.
"Guaranteed," replied Bobert matter-of-factly.
"Thanks, buddy," said Gumball, taking the papers back. "I really appreciate you helping me out like this, and I just wanted to say—"
In the corner of his eye, Gumball saw Penny walking in their direction, which made him panic.
"Uh-thank-you-bobby! You're-the-best-see-you-later-bye!" Gumball blubbered hastily and sped off before Penny arrived.
"Did he just call you Bobby?" Asked Leslie.
"Indeed. I must have endeared myself to him." Replied Bobert.
...
The school day seemed to drag on as much as the hours flew by. As things finally drew to a close, Gumball and Darwin stood outside their lockers.
"So how long have you and Rachel Wilson been a thing?" asked Gumball with a smirk.
"What? Who? Me? Her? Us?" Babbled Darwin in rapid sucession. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, dude," laughed Gumball. "I've seen the way you two look at each other. You don't have to hide it from me. If she makes you happy, then I'm happy."
"It's that obvious, huh?" sighed Darwin. "Sorry, I wanted to tell you this morning, but after what you told me about... Well, I just didn't want to make you feel left out or anything."
"Hey, it's cool," Gumball patted him on the shoulder. "Whatever happened with Penny was all my fault. You don't need to worry about me."
"You're my brother, Gumball," replied Darwin. "I'll always worry about you."
"Aw, thanks, Darwin," smiled Gumball. "Same to you."
"Hey Darwin," called Rachel as she flirtatiously walked over with a strut in her step. "I've been looking all over for you. And you must be, Gumball, right?"
"That's me," he replied. "I was just on my way elsewhere, so I'll just leave you two kids alone."
Before he left, Gumball quickly whispered something to Rachel.
"Oh Darwin!" Beamed Rachel.
"You're taking me out for a smoothie after school?"
"I am?" said Darwin confused.
"He sure is," giggled Gumball, slipping a few dollar bills into Darwin's hands.
"Have fun, you two!"
"Great then, let's go!" said Rachel, pulling Darwin away by his arm.
"But wait, Gumball!" Darwin trailed off as Rachel whisked him away.
As they left, Gumball suddenly found himself feeling rather empty and alone. Like a deflated balloon. Playing cupid with his brother like that.
If only someone could have done the same for himself and Penny. And now, the only reward for his good deed was his mandatory detention... Gumball walked into the designated room but was surprised to find it empty.
"Ah, Gumball, you're here," a voice from behind him spoke.
Gumball turned around to face Nigel Brown, the bespectacled, bushy-haired principal of the whole school.
"Please accompany me to my office," Brown continued. "I'm afraid we have some important matters to discuss."
"Yes, Principal Brown," sighed Gumball sadly.
If the principal wanted to chat with him, then things were bound to get worse.
Arriving at his office, Brown shut the door and sat at his desk calmly, shuffling his papers in a professional manner. He gestured for Gumball to take a seat.
"Now, Gumball," Brown spoke sternly. "I understand that you were only defending Bobert, but violence is not the answer. And I think you'll find that Bobert is perfectly capable of defending himself."
"I know that, Principal Brown," replied Gumball grimly. "If Bobert activated self-defence mode and went on a rampage fighting Tina, things could've gotten very messy. That's kind of why I felt like I had to step in."
"You make a good point," nodded Brown. "However, rules are rules, and when they are broken, action must be taken. We can't let such incidents go by the wayside."
"Yes, Principal Brown," Gumball said, lowering his head in shame.
"Listen, Gumball," Brown sighed wearily. "You are one troublesome student, that much nobody can deny. But the fact that the other students speak so highly of you is not lost on me either."
"What? Really?" gasped Gumball.
"That's right," replied Brown. "It also ties into the reason why I called you here today. There's another important matter I must discuss with you."
Gumball shifted himself in a more upright position, seeing Principal Brown putting his two hands together under his chin was the omen for a very serious subject.
"Am I… Am I getting expelled!?" Gumball gasped in shock. "Please, Principal Brown, you can't expel me! What will my mom say!? She'll never forgive me!"
"Oh, heavens no!" Brown threw his hands up. "It's nothing like that." Gumball sighed a breath of relief and was able to relax a little.
Though his heart still raced a mile a minute, Principal Brown cleared his throat before continuing.
"I've already spoken to both Tina and Bobert, and I have decided to let you off with a warning this time. Provided you don't get into any more fights."
"Oh okay," replied Gumball quietly.
Principal Brown leaned back into his chair and continued to explain.
"I called you in here today, Gumball, because I have some concerns about your wellbeing. As you know, Gumball, your family is quite... infamous." Principal Brown presented some newspaper clippings that mentioned some of the Wattersons' notable negative exploits around Elmore.
Most of them involved his father, Richard, but each of them had something to their name, even Anais. Gumball laughed, but there was no humour in it.
"Yeah, I see what you mean," he replied distantly.
"These headlines are quite concerning," explained Brown. "But I've also heard more pleasant reports too."
Principal Brown presented a few more clippings. This time they seemed more pleasant, and as Gumball expected, his mother seemed to take credit for most of them.
Employee of the month, stopping a robbery, winning a karate tournament...
"I must say your mother Nicole is a fantastic person, Gumball," Brown said matter-of-factly. "Keeping your family together despite everything that's happened."
"Yeah, she is pretty amazing," Gumball admitted with a great sense of pride. "Am I to understand that she is still the sole breadwinner of the family?" Brown narrowed his eyes.
"Uh, yeah, she is," confessed Gumball.
"It must be tough for her to have to raise three children. plus a husband."
Gumball took no offence to the last part. Principal Brown was absolutely right. Sometimes Gumball's father Richard caused more trouble than his three kids put together. The newspaper clippings were proof of that.
"Well, she always pulls through," mumbled Gumball.
"Does she do all the house chores?" Principal Brown questioned.
Suddenly, Gumball found it hard to speak up as the guilt inside him began to fester. His ears and tail began to droop and his throat suddenly became very dry.
"Yes... She does," replied Gumball hoarsely.
"And she prepares dinner for all of you every night after work?"
"Yes. Except when… y'know… she's working late…" Gumball was almost on the verge of tears.
Principal Brown took notice of this and leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses with a heavy sigh.
"Forgive me, Gumball," said Brown wearily. "I don't mean to upset you. I just want you to see the bigger picture. Pardon me for being so blunt, but I must point out that your father isn't exactly a good role model."
Gumball nodded but said nothing as Brown continued to speak.
"I doubt he helps with the house chores and teaches you the importance of hard work, being unemployed, and being utterly dependent on your mother. That's what brings me to you. You are the eldest son of the Watterson family."
Gumball made eye contact, blinking away his tears.
"As such, I have a proposition for you," said Brown, putting his glasses back on. "I want you to help your mother out more often."
"Yeah, you do? "asked Gumball. "But why?"
"Your mother is a beautiful and talented woman, Gumball," explained Brown. "Her dedication to her family is most admirable, and I can see that she has raised you well. But even so, don't you think that she deserves time to relax now and then? Let her enjoy her youth while she still has it. Wouldn't you agree?"
Gumball swallowed hard, his chest heavy with guilt and remorse.
"Yes, I do."
"You are the eldest of your siblings, and since you are clearly dedicated to protecting those that you care about, I'm asking you to put that dedication to good use. I'm not asking you to get a job or anything. I just want you to help your mother out more often, alright"
"No, I mean, yes, I mean," Gumball pulled himself together. "You're right, Principal Brown. I promise to help my mom out more often, whenever I can."
"Good," Brown said, pressing his hands together. "That's all I'm asking from you."
"I promise I will," said Gumball, balling his fists and standing up with a determined expression. "Believe it or not, I already promised everyone that I'd be more responsible from now on. And as far as I'm concerned, doing what you told me is the most responsible thing I can do. So I will do just that."
"I'm glad to hear it," Brown chuckled lightly. "Now that's all for today, you may leave."
Gumball was surprised. What about his detention?
"But I—"
"I'm letting you off early. I'm sure you have a lot to think about."
With a thankful nod, Gumball exited the office and went straight home. Principal Brown was right; Gumball needed to be more responsible, not just for his own sake and Penny's but also for his dear mother.
"Maybe this is a sign," Gumball wondered out loud. "That it's not too late fix things. Especially with Mom… How could I not realize how much she does for us, all by herself? Well, not anymore, I'm gonna make things up to her…"
...
Working at the Rainbow Factory office was always grueling but today had been an especially hard day for Nicole. Her watch read 22:30 PM by the time she made it home, walking to the front door on rubbery legs. She was practically wobbling as she opened the door to let herself in.
Her stomach was rumbling but there would be no time to prepare herself dinner. It seems she would have to settle for leftovers, if there were any leftover leftovers. As Nicole locked the door behind her, she was surprised to see Gumball sitting at the dining table with a warm smile on his face.
"Mom, you're back!" said Gumball, hastily making his way over to her.
Before Nicole could even reply he was already next to her, pulling her into his embrace. This was a shock… Nicole had almost been tempted to believe that her son's newfound behavior this morning was just another phase.
But the way he was being so affectionate right now, this was as genuine as could be. And after a long day of work...
Well, she needed some affection like that.
"Thanks honey," whispered Nicole, ruffling his hair a little. "But what are you doing up so late? You have school tomorrow."
"I know, Mom," replied Gumball. "Everyone else already went to sleep but this was important. I wanted to show you something."
"Oh? What is it, sweetie?" inquired Nicole, with great curiosity. Gumball retrieved a plate from the microwave and placed it on the table. "We ordered pizza for dinner," explained Gumball.
"Dad ate most of it but I saved you two slices. I made sure to order all your favorite toppings. I even snuck you this box of cookies too."
He placed the meal before her and began pouring her a glass of soda to go with it. Nicole remained practically speechless. Was all this really happening?
"That's not all," continued Gumball, presenting a basket of neatly folded clothes. "I did the laundry too. Don't worry, I made sure to separate the darks from the lights. See?"
Nicole slowly walked towards the dining room chair and sat on it, staring at her son without blinking the whole time.
"Gumball..." she began, unsure of where to start, "Sweetie, why are you doing all of this?"
Gumball stopped for a second before rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, I figured since I'm the eldest son of the family, I should chip in and help out more around the house. I promised to be more responsible from now on, didn't I?" Gumball looked away shly before continuing. "Besides, you shouldn't have to do everything yourself, Mom. I wanted to make things easier for you, so you wouldn't feel so stressed out all the time."
Suddenly, Nicole felt a great sense of pride in her son. It was enough to make her a little teary eyed. Without a word, she got up and went to embrace her son again, holding him tightly against her.
"Thank you, sweetie," whispered Nicole. "That's very thoughtful of you."
Gumball blushed a little as his face was caught right between her breasts.
"Uh, you're welcome, Mom!" replied Gumball. "But can you let me go now?"
"Not a chance," chuckled Nicole, holding him for a little longer before releasing him playfully.
Embarrassingly, her stomach started to rumble again.
"Here, you must be hungry," said Gumball, pulling up a chair for his mother as if she were dining at a fancy restaurant.
"Oh, honey, you're spoiling me," giggled Nicole.
"Is that a bad thing?
"Nope!" smiled Nicole. "I love it. But you really need to get some sleep, dear. You have to get up early tomorrow."
"I know, Mom," yawned Gumball. "I guess I'll go to sleep now. Goodnight, Mom."
Before he left, he swiftly gave her a kiss on the cheek again and made his way upstairs. Oh, what a rascal he was. He had caught her by surprise that morning, but the same trick wouldn't work twice.
"Wait, Gumball," grinned Nicole. "There's something I want to say…"
"Yeah, Mom?" Said Gumball, turning around sheepishly.
Nicole placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a proper kiss on the forehead. There was no reason he should be the only one so affectionate.
"Thank you for being so thoughtful, my little Gummypuss," Nicole whispered to him, stroking his hair lovingly.
Gumball's cheeks blushed rosy red. How long had it been since she called him by his pet nickname? Being affectionate was something he already found embarrassing, but did she have to rub it in?
Judging by her jovial expression, yes, she did. Oh well, if it made her happy. That's all Gumball really wanted.
"Uh, you're welcome, Mom," Gumball said shyly, twitching his fingers.
"And uh... Goodnight." With that said, he hastily made his way upstairs. Nicole looked at the two slices of pizza on her plate. They looked simply scrumptious.
How long had it been since she ate a proper meal? It felt like ages.
No thanks, in part to her husband's gluttonous appetite. After the day that she had, relief like this felt heavenly. And it was all thanks to her son.
"He's growing up to be such a sweetheart lately." Nicole thought to herself.
As Nicole enjoyed her meal, she had a feeling things would be different for the Wattersons from now on. She looked forward to it.
Author's Note: Based on a much longer fic that has since been deleted. I had hoped to re-write the whole story but for now, this will remain as a one-shot.