Cold Feet Series

Part 4

It was just after 0300 hours and she couldn't sleep. Carefully she got out of bed, walking with exaggerated care towards the day area. Maybe she would have a snack.

Just then she heard the baby make a noise. It was a soft, gurgling, "I'm awake" noise and she followed the sound into the nursery. A star shaped night light gave off the faintest glow and she paused a moment to let her eyes adjust.

"Jean-Paul what are you doing awake?" she whispered as she crossed the room. He gurgled and raised his arms, reaching for her.

"No you don't," she whispered. "You're not getting out of there yet. It's the middle of the night. You're supposed to be asleep."

Jean-Paul laughed at her, mouth open wide to show his three tiny teeth. She reached into the crib and let him catch her finger. He had a good strong grip and he squeezed her finger hard. She made a silly face and he laughed, delighted, lifting his legs up high then letting them drop with a thump.

"Jean-Paul," she scolded, "where are your socks? Your feet will get cold."

He laughed at her and kicked up his feet again. The light blanket slipped off completely, but she saw only one of the missing socks.

"Look at those cold feet," she told him. "Where did you hide that other sock?" She pulled her finger out of his grasp and felt around for the missing garment, stopping to give Jean-Paul's tummy a tickle.

He laughed and half rolled onto his side.

"There it is. You were sleeping on your sock, Jean-Paul." She snatched it up as the baby rolled back into place. Snagging the other sock she held them up.

"These belong on your feet, young man," she told him in her sternest voice. He reached up for the socks and smiled.

"They're not toys, silly. They belong on your feet." Obliging, the baby lifted his legs for her, then dropped them again. "Hold still, wiggles." She tried wrestling him into the footwear but Jean-Paul thought it was a game and kept pulling his feet away and gurgling.

"Silly," she told him, trying again. Finally she managed to get both socks on, and the blanket back into place. Sleep was catching up to her, but she didn't want to leave Jean-Paul. She didn't want him crying and waking everybody up, so she made herself comfortable, and before long they were both sound asleep.

In the morning that's exactly how her parents found her, curled up on the floor beside her brother's crib, and both of them fast asleep. And neither one had their socks on.

:::end:::

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