7 May 1985
It was Shannon's turn to go and get groceries and she knew full well that it was a trip she had to do alone, as going with Jimmy was a headache. When she got home, she saw a note from Devin saying that he had taken Jimmy to the park. That was where she headed once she had put everything away, happy for the chance to spend some time in the sun.
Devin had just helped Jimmy to the top of the slide when he spotted Shannon heading toward them. "Hey Jimmy, who is that?" He asked, pointing her out to him.
"Ma!" Jimmy called, jumping up and down excitedly. "Ma! Ma!"
Grinning, Shannon waved to them. "Be careful!" she called back to him.
"Careful," Devin repeated to Jimmy who nodded before going down the slide and running to his mother.
Shannon immediately scooped him up into her arms. "Hey, how's my little monster?" she greeted him, tickling him a little.
"Rawr!" Jimmy shouted between giggles.
"Hey there," Devin grinned, approaching the two of them.
"So, who's idea was it to come here?" Shannon asked.
"Jimmy was goin' a little stir crazy," Devin replied. "So I suggested it."
"Well, after bein' inside for the past, what, two days? I definitely don't blame him!"
"Me either," Devin agreed. "And since its a nice day-"
"Swing?" Jimmy interrupted, looking to his mother.
"I guess we could go there," Shannon replied, grinning at him.
"Swing!" Jimmy grinned, clapping his hands.
Shannon gently put him back on his feet and he took off towards them. "Whoa, Jimmy, wait for us!" she called after him.
"Up!" Jimmy shouted, jumping up and down as he waited for them by the swings.
"Good lord, you're impatient," Shannon muttered as she helped him into the swing. "Hold on tightly, okay?"
"Really tight, Jimmy," Devin emphasized, showing him how tightly to grab onto the swing.
Jimmy nodded seriously and copied his father. "Up!"
"...You want to see if you can go higher than your Da?" Shannon asked, knowing full well what his answer would be.
"Yeah!" Jimmy cheered, wiggling in his seat.
"Oh yeah?" Devin grinned, taking the swing next to him. "Hang on then!"
Shannon laughed as she started to push Jimmy. "C'mon, let's get a head start!"
"You get...one minute for a head start," Devin told them with a grin.
"One minute! That's not a lot of time!" Shannon said to Jimmy. "We need to get really high so your Da can't catch you!"
"Yes!" Jimmy cheered. "Up!"
Devin laughed. "Better hurry!"
"I'm goin' as fast as I can!" Shannon said.
Devin laughed again. "Time's up!"
"Oh no, really?"
"No!" Jimmy shouted.
"Yeah!" Devin replied, getting ready to push off.
Shannon took a step to the side and secretly grasped the chain on the swing so he couldn't go anywhere.
Devin lifted his feet off the ground and was briefly confused about his lack of movement until he saw Shannon. "Cheater," he said with a grin.
"You never said I couldn't!" she told him, laughing.
"Jimmy's winnin'!" Devin said, pretending to be upset for Jimmy's benefit.
"Yay!" Jimmy cheered, giggling.
Shannon had to grin. "Yeah, he's really gettin' up there!"
"I'll never get that high!" Devin exclaimed, hiding his own grin.
"No, I don't think you will!"
"I win!" Jimmy cheered.
"Yes, yes you do!" Shannon told him, laughing as she caught a hold of the swing to slow him down. "You were brilliant."
"You did good, mate," Devin said, getting up and picking Jimmy up from his swing. He lifted him in the air over his head carefully. "You were almost this high!"
Jimmy giggled wildly and kicked his feet, obviously excited.
Shannon grinned at them. "That never gets old with him, does it?"
"Never," Devin grinned, putting Jimmy on his shoulders. "Just means he won't be afraid of heights like his godfather!"
"That would be bad, considerin' how he's goin' to play Quidditch when he gets older!"
"Right, Jimmy?" Devin asked with a grin.
"Yes!" Jimmy cheered, clapping his hands again.
"A chaser like your mam?" Shannon prodded.
"Or a Beater like your Da?" Devin asked, swinging Jimmy around and causing him to giggle wildly.
Shannon always got a little worried when he did that. "Devin, be careful-"
"More Da!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"We're careful," Devin insisted.
"Just... don't pull too hard on him!"
"You're okay, right Jimmy?" Devin asked, holding him upside down.
"Well of course he's goin' to say yes!" Shannon replied.
"Ma!" Jimmy grinned at Shannon and held his arms open to her.
"Well, I guess I can't refuse a hug from my favourite little guy," Shannon relented and gathered him back into her arms.
"See, Shan? He's fine," Devin said, snickering as Jimmy blew a raspberry on her cheek.
Naturally, Shannon had to reciprocate. "Now he's gettin' silly," she added, laughing a little.
"No," Jimmy shook his head. "You silly!"
Shannon started to tickle him again. "Not as silly as you!"
"No!" Jimmy squealed, squirming as she tickled him.
Shannon stopped after a couple more minutes. "Mam wants a turn on the swings, too," she said to Jimmy. "Do you want to sit on my lap and have another turn?"
"Does that mean Da is pushin'?" Devin asked with a smile.
"If he would be so kind," Shannon replied, grinning at him.
"I think he can do that," Devin winked at her.
"Hooray!" Shannon cheered.
"Yay!" Jimmy shouted.
Shannon settled onto the swing, and held Jimmy firmly in her lap. "Ready when you are," she told Devin.
"Hang on right," Devin said, giving them a light push to start them off.
"trust me, Jimmy's not goin' anywhere!"
"You hang on too," Devin told her with a grin.
"I'm good too, don't worry!"
"How high to you want to go, Jimmy?" Devin asked, pushing them a little more.
"Up! Up! Up!" Jimmy chanted.
"I think we should really get on havin' a broom for you," Shannon said, laughing a little. "Somethin' tells me you'd love it-"
"Everyone would kill us," Devin laughed.
"Jimmy's our child, so it's our call, ultimately," Shannon pointed out.
"And no one would really have to know..." Devin supposed.
"He'll be three in September, so it's not that bad, I don't think!"
"Maybe we should take him up first just to see how he handles it before we get him a broom of his own?"
"Definitely!" Shannon told him. "Although when he does get one of his own, it'll be one of those that only go a couple of feet in the air... At least at first."
"Definitely," Devin agreed. "Only with us around!"
"Gods, yes... The last thing we need is people freakin' out at us over it!"
"Exactly," he replied with a nod.
"I can see my mother now..."
"And mine!"
"I was Jimmy's age, or a little older, when my brothers got me a toy broom," Shannon replied, grinning. "I don't remember it, obviously, but there are pictures that proves Mam was not happy about it."
"It'll be our little secret," Devin replied with a grin.
"Works for me!"
"I can't believe he's old enough for a broom," Devin said, shaking his head.
"You're growin' up too fast!" Shannon said to Jimmy, kissing him on the top of his head.
"Yay!" Jimmy cheered, grinning up at her.
"No, not yay!" she joked with him. "Mam wants you to stay small and cute forever, okay?"
"No?" Jimmy asked, losing his grin a little.
"You're goin' to stay with Mam all the time, aren't you?"
Devin laughed. "Goin' to lock him away?"
"I don't know. Maybe?"
"I don't think our families would let that fly," he replied with a grin.
"...No, probably not."
"Sorry, love!"
"Alas, I tried!"
Devin slowed them down enough to kiss her cheek. "We'll be okay."
"Yeah, I'm not really worried-"
"Up!" Jimmy chanted.
"You heard him!" Shannon said to Devin, laughing a little.
"Up you go!" Devin laughed, giving them a good push.
"Whoa!" Shannon exclaimed, not expecting that.
"More!" Jimmy giggled.
"We can't go as high when there's two of us," Shannon told him.
"No?" Jimmy looked disappointed.
"No, we're too heavy!"
"Boo," Jimmy pouted.
"Sorry, little guy!"
"Biscuit?" Jimmy tried.
Shannon giggled. "We'll have to ask your Da if he brought biscuits!"
Devin laughed. "He may not talk much, but he's got the keywords down, doesn't he?"
"He gets the point across loud and clear!"
"You're lucky, mate," Devin said coming around to the front of the swing. "I brought a packet of biscuits just in case," he told Jimmy.
Shannon grinned as he immediately made a grab for them. "Hang on, we've got to slow down, first!"
"You have to go sit down to eat these," Devin told him.
"There's a bench over there," Shannon said, pointing to it. "How about we go there?"
Jimmy nodded emphatically.
"Lead the way, then!" Shannon told him.
Jimmy hopped off her lap and practically ran toward the bench.
Devin laughed. "There he goes again."
"I swear, the only time he stops is when he sleeps-" Shannon said, getting up from the swing as well.
"Sounds about right," Devin agreed, taking her hand as they followed Jimmy.
"Actually, even that isn't entirely true," Shannon admitted.
"No?"
"Well, I'll put him to bed sometimes, and when I go to check on him again before I go to bed he'll have moved completely to the other side of the mattress, pillow and blankets all messy-"
"I found him completely flipped around once," he grinned. "Head at the foot and all."
Shannon had to laugh. "Oh good lord. I wish you had taken a picture!"
"Next time," Devin grinned, sitting down on the bench and lifting Jimmy to sit on his lap.
"Oh, please do!"
"It was pretty adorable," he said, giving the biscuits to Shannon to open.
"Like you had doubts?" she asked, sneaking a biscuit gor herself first before handing the box over.
"Saw that, Devin grinned, taking one out for Jimmy and giving it to him.
"Saw what?" Shannon asked innocently.
"Stealin' biscuits from our son," Devin grinned.
"I keep tellin' you that Jimmy will have to fight me for the chocolate ones..."
Devin laughed and whispered into Jimmy's ear.
Jimmy looked at Shannon curiously. "Ma mean?"
"No, no she is not," Shannon insisted.
Devin laughed. "Da was only jokin', Jimmy."
"No!" Jimmy told Devin.
"I keep tellin' you, he's on my side," Shannon added, grinning.
"Can't blame me for tryin'!"
"I guess not..."
"Da will never steal your chocolate biscuits," Devin promised Jimmy.
"That's because he doesn't like them," Shannon added, laughing a little.
"But your mam always will," he added with a grin.
"I'd apologise, but-"
"But you'll just keep doin' it," Devin replied, giving Jimmy another biscuit.
Shannon just sent them a smile. "You bet."
He winked at her. "Course you will."
"And with ice cream, and pie..."
"Anything drenched in chocolate is doomed."
"And cake, don't forget the cake!"
Devin grinned. "And cake," he amended.
"That's Mam's favourite..."
"Ma?" Jimmy asked, offering her his half eaten biscuit.
"Oh, I didn't mean I'd take somethin' you weren't finished with!" Shannon told him gently. "That's yours. Mam'll get another one, okay?"
"No?"
"You keep that one," she told him again.
"It's yours, Jimmy," Devin said with a smile.
Shannon took another biscuit of the box and showed it to Jimmy. "See? This one's mine."
"Mine?" Jimmy asked, reaching for it.
Shannon laughed and kept it just out of his reach. "Should we give you another one?"
"Yes!" Jimmy insisted.
"I don't think that's a good idea..." Devin replied.
"It is kind of close to supper-" Shannon began.
"You can have more after supper," Devin promised Jimmy.
"We should probably decide what we're having for that," Shannon realised.
"What do you feel like?" Devin asked.
"Can I take the easy way out and ask for pizza?"
"Sure," Devin smiled. "Works for me."
"Brilliant," Shannon replied. "What do you say, Jimmy? Is pizza okay for you, too?"
"Yeah!" Jimmy cheered, spraying crumbs.
"Again, I've yet to see him refuse food, so maybe that was a silly question," Shannon said, laughing as she brushed some crumbs off of her.
"And he'd never refuse pizza," Devin agreed.
"If he did, I'd wonder if he was really our kid." Shannon joked.
"No doubts here!"
"Not now there isn't!"
"And we know Alison and Don haven't corrupted him yet!"
"They still have lots of time, unfortunately..."
"That's true," Devin replied. "We could very well be doomed."
"I know," Shannon replied, sighing a little.
"Always believe your mam and da first, all right Jimmy?" Devin told him, tickling him a little. "And ignore your godparents."
Jimmy giggled and squirmed. "Da!"
"Just don't tell them we said that," Shannon replied, laughing.
"Our secret!" Devin agreed.
"Ma!" Jimmy said, reaching out to her.
"You want more cuddles?" Shannon asked, gathering him back into her arms. "Because Mam does too," she added, grinning as she wiped more crumbs off of him. "Messy as you are."
Jimmy nodded, burying his head into Shannon's shoulder.
Devin scooted over. "Mind some cuddles from Da?" He asked her, moving his arm around her shoulders.
Shannon sent him a smile as well. "Absolutely not!"
He kissed her cheek and touched Jimmy's back with his other hand. "We can both be covered in crumbs," he teased.
"Yeah, I like it when we match," she said, laughing.
"Quidditch uniforms, toddler crumbs...it's all the same," he grinned.
"Or Quidditch uniforms with toddler crumbs..."
"I'm pretty sure everyone laughs at us when that happens."
"Oh, you know they do," Shannon remarked.
"I'm usually surprised when we don't show up to practice with crumbs all over."
She laughed again. "Same here."
"That's what we get with our little monster," he grinned.
"And I wouldn't change a thing," Shannon added, giving Jimmy a gentle squeeze.
"Rawr," Jimmy murmured, blinking sleepily.
"Someone needs an N-A-P," Devin said, spelling it out.
"About time," Shannon said quietly, grinning. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
"Am I that easy to figure out?" He asked with a grin.
"Do I really need to answer that?"
"Nothing wrong with a little down time from runnin' after him," Devin replied.
"Oh, I'm certainly not about to disagree with you!"
"Think we should head on back?"
Shannon glanced down at Jimmy, noting he was fighting off sleep. "Yeah, I think we could."
"Can you get him or should I?" Devin asked.
"I think he's comfy right here... I'll take him," Shannon replied, smiling.
He kissed her cheek. "I'll take the biscuits," he teased.
"Better you take them than me... I'd probably eat more of them before we got home!"
"And we'd have to go get more," he grinned.
"You mean you would have to go and get more, since I've already faced the grocery store once today," Shannon pointed out.
"Even though you ate them?" He joked.
"Even though I ate them," she confirmed. "We have a deal about groceries, remember?"
"Then I'm glad I've got the biscuits," he replied. "You ready?"
She shifted Jimmy to her other arm. "I am!"
"Let's head home then," he said, getting up from the bench and reaching to help Shannon.