Friday 18 December 2009

#Fridayflash - Night Feeds

The shrill sound pierced the night air, dragging him, reluctantly, from the kind of thick, black sleep, one could only enjoy after working a double shift. Aidan lingered a moment in twilight, before layered veils of consciousness fell away, and he awoke to find his wife’s arm still draped limply across his chest. Sarah’s breath was deep and even beside him, her body heavy and still, and he wondered, as she slept peacefully on, if perhaps he had dreamed the noise. When seconds passed without the high-pitched assault taxing his tired brain further, he willingly accepted this analysis.

Turning his head, Aidan breathed Sarah’s warm scent deep into his lungs, and was immediately soothed by it, welcoming the return of rest. His eyes closed contentedly…and bounced open again when the pitiful howls recommenced…this time, persisting. He sighed, the most animated and exasperated sigh he could muster, but despite her close proximity to him, Sarah didn’t flinch. It was no use…she hadn’t heard it. The baby was crying, and once again, she had slept right through it.

He rolled from under Sarah’s arm and the blanket of quiet and warmth offered by their bed, trying hard not to be angry. It wasn’t like they hadn’t talked about the baby before she arrived…well, mostly Sarah had talked about the baby. It had been Sarah who really wanted one, but still, they had agreed beforehand that all responsibilities would be shared. They had tried to be sensible about it; planned the baby’s arrival, timed it, been sure they were both ready… But now that Bella was here, there was no getting away from it, Sarah just wasn’t pulling her weight. Apparently, Aidan’s wife wasn’t nearly as maternal as she’d thought!

He scowled resentfully as the tiled kitchen floor chilled his bare feet, but the sound of helpless, hungry, cries emanating from the smallest bedroom, forced him to the fridge to retrieve the milk. He was cold, he realised. He’d been reluctant to leave the warmth of his bed. Perhaps the baby was cold too? On his way to the bedroom, he took a warm blanket from the shelf above the hot water tank in the airing cupboard.

Bella’s big green eyes met his as he pushed open the bedroom door, her howls immediately ceasing at the sight of him, and the sight of her melting his heart.

“Were you lonely?” he whispered, bending over and reaching to stroke the baby’s head as she trilled and cooed contentedly in her bed. “Were you cold?” Putting his fingers to the baby’s neck, just under her chin, he tested her temperature. She felt warm, but another blanket couldn’t hurt. Reaching into her bed, he retrieved the ticking clock Bella liked to sleep with and made sure it was still wrapped and padded, before tucking the extra blanket up around her shoulders. Finally, he poured a little milk into the bowl beside her bed.

Bella stretched her neck out from under her new, warm blanket and lapped at the creamy liquid. Aidan smiled ruefully and massaged the tiny kitten with the flat of his thumb, just behind her left ear.

“There’s no way Sarah and I are ever having kids,” he told her, as Bella pushed her soft head against his hand. “If you’re anything to judge by, I’d be on permanent night-feeding duty!”

23 comments:

  1. Ha! Great twist!

    This is wonderfully spot on... pets make perfect trial runs for children.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Perfectly-timed surprise. Fantastic reveal. I love your work.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Both funny and heartwarming. Great reveal!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ha, so true! Thanks for the nightma...ahem, I mean newborn flashbacks, lol. Me, I'd just put the darn thing in bed with me so I wouldn't have to get up in the cold anymore. Anyway, Great story, loved the kitten twist.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very true. I'd be in the same boat, I'm sure, if my wife and I ever had kids. Before we lost our cat, I was up every night at 3 AM to feed it. Every. Single. Night. Good story!

    ReplyDelete
  6. lol
    Not at all where I thought tone of the story was going to take me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hah! I wondered why Sarah could sleep through her baby's cries.

    Surprise ending made me smile.

    ReplyDelete
  8. haaha you got me - great twist. loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Brilliant! Brought back memories for me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You brilliantly capture the frustration of being woken from a good night's sleep.

    I enjoyed the twist, and how the "tiled kitchen floor chilled his bare feet"

    ReplyDelete
  11. "...Finally, he poured a little milk into the bowl beside her bed."

    Brilliant twist in the tale/tail! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for great comments, guys. Fortunately, I do not (yet) have to struggle from my bed at 3am for pets or children! But when I do...what else are husbands for?!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Agree, the milk bowl is a nice revelation. I started wondering before that, just enough foreshadow. Another smooth read.
    -David G Shrock

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great story :)
    No one like to be woken up at any time, even if it's 5 minutes before the alarm goes off.

    (We have 3 cats and a bunny, and it's never easy to get ready in the morning feeding each of them, making sure the cats don't take the food away from each other. The bunny is okay, his food isn't appealing to them :P)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oops, no one 'likes' where did that 's' go? :P

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great twist Amy, and very well told. I'm one of the mothers who finally gave in and just brought the little one, (human), to bed with me. Trust me, if you ever do have children, Do Not give in - the habit is much too hard to break!

    ReplyDelete
  17. So say all who have fallen prey, Deanna... that babies (of all species!) belong in their own beds! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I had to relinquish my mother of the year award once I had my third. Yup, I was the mom that slept thru his cries. Not every night, but yes, daddy had to get up with #3.

    Great twist. Didn't suspect it until the bowl of milk.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ha! Great twist. My hubbers has been aching for another baby (we have 2 children) and I've been hinting at a dog. Now, not so sure... Some nice imagery, especially at the beginning. Peace, Linda

    ReplyDelete
  20. An excellent job of concealing the ending until ... well, the end. Great work on this bit!

    If I had written this, I'd be told there are way too many adjectives, especially in the early part of the work. Nevertheless, I liked it and thought you did a nice job of avoiding the telegraph.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Usually I'd say the early part is a bit description-heavy too, but it was wholly intentional here. I really wanted the reader to feel the loss of the MCs deep relaxation and glorious sleep! I think it helps later with understanding his character when he isn't really angry, & with the humour of the reveal when you realise it's a cat!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Cool story. You had me hanging on the whole way.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Bravo! Great Twist! Loved it all! Such tenderness for a kitten! Well thought out!

    ReplyDelete