The Real LJ Idol // Mini Season // Week 14: Cheers!
The following is a piece for the writing competition, therealljidol. Prompt: "Here's mud in your eye."
= = =
Aaron raised his glass, and Melanie reached hers out to meet his. The crystal clinked lightly as they looked into each other's eyes expectantly.
"What do you think?" Melanie asked. "Did he hear it?"
"Yeah, I hear him," Aaron laughed.
"Cheers me! Cheers me!!" a tiny voice burst into the room with some urgency, as brown curls bobbed atop a wobbly mass of arms, legs, and cheerio crumbs.
"Snips and snails and cereal crumb trails, that's what little boys are made of," said Melanie with a soft laugh.
Their son slammed his green sippy cup on the top of the kitchen stool next to the center island where they stood, then with a look of sheer determination, began scaling it. Aaron asked, "You need a hand, buddy?" and he reached for his son.
"Me! I do it by SELF!" his little one shouted, and Aaron put his hands up in surrender.
After a minute or two of breathy grunts and tiny toes that had found purchase in just the right places, a face bright with victory popped up just above the island counter and beamed widely at them. The young boy picked up his sippy cup again and said, "CHEERS MEEEE, Dada! Cheers me, Mama!"
"All right, Alec, here ya go, ready? Not too hard, now," said Aaron, extending his glass toward his son, ready to pull back if the sippy cup seemed to barrel toward him hard enough to break anything. But this was not Alec's first time, as he'd insisted on joining in whenever his parents held this ritual, bobbing into the room any time he heard the siren song of two glasses clinking together. Alec tilted his sippy cup just-so, and bumped it against the edge of his father's glass. "Cheeeeeeers!" he said, then let out a peal of squeaky laughter.
His parents couldn't help laughing along with him. "Me too?" Melanie asked.
"Yeah, Mama!"
Just as gently, Alec tapped Melanie's glass, and said, "Cheeeeeeers!" and took a long drink of water from the plastic straw.
"We should teach him other ones," Melanie said.
"Yeah? Like... Prost!" Aaron offered.
"Post!" Alec mimicked.
"Slàinte!" Melanie offered.
"Santa?" Alec tried.
His parents laughed, and he joined in.
"To life and to health," Aaron said, seriously.
"To wife and heh-ohf..." Alec said carefully and seriously. His parents tried not to laugh too much, for fear of him thinking they were laughing at him, instead of laughing at the sheer cuteness of him.
"He loves this," Aaron said.
"So funny..." Melanie said, shaking her head and sipping her wine.
"Here's mud in your eye, kid!" Aaron said, winking at his son.
Alec's brow creased, and he reached up and felt his own eyes. "Mud in mah EYE??" Alec asked.
"Not really," Aaron laughed, as Melanie joined in, too, unable to contain herself.
"C'mon, baby, you ready for bed now that we've toasted a bunch? Ready for stories, first?" Melanie asked.
"Dada, you read me Mo-mo?"
"Yeah, I'll read you Elmo, buddy," said Aaron.
"One mo' time?"
"What?" Aaron asked.
Alec lifted his cup high above his head and said, "Mud in yo' FACE!"
This time, there was no containing their laughter as they clinked their glasses against his, and then Aaron scooped him up to carry him upstairs for bed, and Melanie followed closely behind.
= =
"Melanie, you ok?" Aaron asked her.
"I knew I'd cry... I always cry at weddings.. But oh my god, Aaron, I'm making a disaster of my mascara, because..." and here her breath hiccuped a little as she tried not to full-on sob. "Because my BABY just got married!"
"I know... He's a man now. So grown up. Yet, always our baby..." Aaron said, his voice thick yet airy with memory, like a fog that floats on a breeze.
They gazed out across the tables, covered in beautiful tablecloths, mason jar candles surrounded by blue and white flowers, accented with burlap twine, a rustic yet simple beauty to it all. There Alec sat, brown curls neatly on top of his head, dressed handsomely in his tux, arm around his new bride, Claire, whose smile lit up the room.
Aaron raised his glass of champagne high in the air and clinked it with a fork. The room quieted down, and all eyes turned to him, the father of the groom.
"Son... We really couldn't be happier for you. You've brought us joy since we first held you in our arms, and now here you are, all grown and bringing that same joy to Claire, a joy I know you'll bring to your own kids..." He paused to clear his throat, and heard a few, 'aww's' echo from the guests. He gave a final *ahem*, and continued, "Alec, we wish you and Claire all the happiness in the world. Here's mud in your face, kiddo!"
"Mud in YOUR face, Dad!" Alec said and laughed a deep baritone laugh, as he raised his glass to his father.
The guests laughed a little uncertainly, then confusion turned to clinks heard all around the room, and clapping and cheers. Others stood to toast in turn, and as they did, Alec looked over to his mother and father, and gave them a wink, which they returned. Melanie sighed and wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head. She couldn't imagine feeling much happier than this.
= = =
Aaron raised his glass, and Melanie reached hers out to meet his. The crystal clinked lightly as they looked into each other's eyes expectantly.
"What do you think?" Melanie asked. "Did he hear it?"
"Yeah, I hear him," Aaron laughed.
"Cheers me! Cheers me!!" a tiny voice burst into the room with some urgency, as brown curls bobbed atop a wobbly mass of arms, legs, and cheerio crumbs.
"Snips and snails and cereal crumb trails, that's what little boys are made of," said Melanie with a soft laugh.
Their son slammed his green sippy cup on the top of the kitchen stool next to the center island where they stood, then with a look of sheer determination, began scaling it. Aaron asked, "You need a hand, buddy?" and he reached for his son.
"Me! I do it by SELF!" his little one shouted, and Aaron put his hands up in surrender.
After a minute or two of breathy grunts and tiny toes that had found purchase in just the right places, a face bright with victory popped up just above the island counter and beamed widely at them. The young boy picked up his sippy cup again and said, "CHEERS MEEEE, Dada! Cheers me, Mama!"
"All right, Alec, here ya go, ready? Not too hard, now," said Aaron, extending his glass toward his son, ready to pull back if the sippy cup seemed to barrel toward him hard enough to break anything. But this was not Alec's first time, as he'd insisted on joining in whenever his parents held this ritual, bobbing into the room any time he heard the siren song of two glasses clinking together. Alec tilted his sippy cup just-so, and bumped it against the edge of his father's glass. "Cheeeeeeers!" he said, then let out a peal of squeaky laughter.
His parents couldn't help laughing along with him. "Me too?" Melanie asked.
"Yeah, Mama!"
Just as gently, Alec tapped Melanie's glass, and said, "Cheeeeeeers!" and took a long drink of water from the plastic straw.
"We should teach him other ones," Melanie said.
"Yeah? Like... Prost!" Aaron offered.
"Post!" Alec mimicked.
"Slàinte!" Melanie offered.
"Santa?" Alec tried.
His parents laughed, and he joined in.
"To life and to health," Aaron said, seriously.
"To wife and heh-ohf..." Alec said carefully and seriously. His parents tried not to laugh too much, for fear of him thinking they were laughing at him, instead of laughing at the sheer cuteness of him.
"He loves this," Aaron said.
"So funny..." Melanie said, shaking her head and sipping her wine.
"Here's mud in your eye, kid!" Aaron said, winking at his son.
Alec's brow creased, and he reached up and felt his own eyes. "Mud in mah EYE??" Alec asked.
"Not really," Aaron laughed, as Melanie joined in, too, unable to contain herself.
"C'mon, baby, you ready for bed now that we've toasted a bunch? Ready for stories, first?" Melanie asked.
"Dada, you read me Mo-mo?"
"Yeah, I'll read you Elmo, buddy," said Aaron.
"One mo' time?"
"What?" Aaron asked.
Alec lifted his cup high above his head and said, "Mud in yo' FACE!"
This time, there was no containing their laughter as they clinked their glasses against his, and then Aaron scooped him up to carry him upstairs for bed, and Melanie followed closely behind.
= =
"Melanie, you ok?" Aaron asked her.
"I knew I'd cry... I always cry at weddings.. But oh my god, Aaron, I'm making a disaster of my mascara, because..." and here her breath hiccuped a little as she tried not to full-on sob. "Because my BABY just got married!"
"I know... He's a man now. So grown up. Yet, always our baby..." Aaron said, his voice thick yet airy with memory, like a fog that floats on a breeze.
They gazed out across the tables, covered in beautiful tablecloths, mason jar candles surrounded by blue and white flowers, accented with burlap twine, a rustic yet simple beauty to it all. There Alec sat, brown curls neatly on top of his head, dressed handsomely in his tux, arm around his new bride, Claire, whose smile lit up the room.
Aaron raised his glass of champagne high in the air and clinked it with a fork. The room quieted down, and all eyes turned to him, the father of the groom.
"Son... We really couldn't be happier for you. You've brought us joy since we first held you in our arms, and now here you are, all grown and bringing that same joy to Claire, a joy I know you'll bring to your own kids..." He paused to clear his throat, and heard a few, 'aww's' echo from the guests. He gave a final *ahem*, and continued, "Alec, we wish you and Claire all the happiness in the world. Here's mud in your face, kiddo!"
"Mud in YOUR face, Dad!" Alec said and laughed a deep baritone laugh, as he raised his glass to his father.
The guests laughed a little uncertainly, then confusion turned to clinks heard all around the room, and clapping and cheers. Others stood to toast in turn, and as they did, Alec looked over to his mother and father, and gave them a wink, which they returned. Melanie sighed and wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head. She couldn't imagine feeling much happier than this.