If Mr Rumble didn’t want to go, then Tabitha didn’t want to go.
“But darling, think how disappointed all your friends will be,” Jessica said.
“No!” Tabitha told her, small fist mashing the neck of her teddy.“Mr Rumble says no.”
“Maybe Mr Rumble should lighten up a bit,” Niall offered from the sofa. “After all, it is Saturday.”
“But darling, think how disappointed all your friends will be,” Jessica said.
“No!” Tabitha told her, small fist mashing the neck of her teddy.“Mr Rumble says no.”
“Maybe Mr Rumble should lighten up a bit,” Niall offered from the sofa. “After all, it is Saturday.”
Jessica gave him a look.
“Mr Rumble says NO!” Tabitha pouted, cheeks purpling.
“ But daddy’s going to be here to collect you soon. Don’t you love daddy, Tabby?”
“No!” Tabitha shouted.
Jessica pulled the sad face, trying to conceal her satisfaction. “ Ohhhh. Think how sad daddy would be if he heard you.”
“And what about Jessy?” Niall drawled, “does Jessy still love Daddy? Or does she love Nially now?”
Jessica gave him a look. Niall reached for another bottle of Staropramen.
“Mr Rumble wants to stay here,” Tabitha shouted.
“So do you want mummy to have to phone ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL your friends and tell them that Tabitha isn’t coming because silly Mr Rumble says so? Poor mummy. Think of mummy. Poor mummy.” She craned in hopefully, pulling the sad face once again, as Tabitha stared at the floor. “No? Should I go and phone them then? Are you going to make poor mummy do that?”
“Yes,” Tabitha shouted.
“Here’s some of that joy that you just knew having kids would bring you,” Nail said
Jess ignored him. Just don’t rise to it. “And tell Daddy you don’t want to see him this weekend, hmmmmmm, poor daddy?”
“Yes!” Tabitha shouted, even more angrily.
“Ok then, darling, if that’s what you want,” Jessica said as she backed out of the room.
“It’s Mr Rumble!” Tabitha shrieked, shaking the teddy around.
Niall sipped at the beer, it could have done with being a bit colder.
“This Mr Rumble is a pain in the arse, isn’t he? You want to ditch him. Hook up with someone who knows how to have a good time. Like your Uncle Niall here.” He waved an arm around, addressing the ceiling. Looks like a night in, then. With the kid. Still. No awkward encounters with aggrieved ex-husbands at hand-over time.
“Shut up, YOU!”
“What’s the matter, don’t you like your old uncle Niall?” Niall asked. “ Mummy likes him, doesn’t she? So how bad can he be? If mummy loves Tabby and Nially too….”
Tabitha was silent, watching her own foot twist on the rug.
Jessica’s muffled voice. Then footsteps on the stairs.
She came back into the room with the upset face on. “All your friends are very sad and so is daddy and so is mummy because it’s not nice to promise and then break your promise is it, darling?”
Niall snorted and tilted the bottle toward her. “ You mean just like….”
Jessica gave him a look. Eyes wide. The pissed off face. The you’re-going-too-far face.
“Shut up, YOU!” Tabitha shouted.
Then the three of them sat there in silence while Mr Rumble laughed and laughed and laughed.
“Mr Rumble says NO!” Tabitha pouted, cheeks purpling.
“ But daddy’s going to be here to collect you soon. Don’t you love daddy, Tabby?”
“No!” Tabitha shouted.
Jessica pulled the sad face, trying to conceal her satisfaction. “ Ohhhh. Think how sad daddy would be if he heard you.”
“And what about Jessy?” Niall drawled, “does Jessy still love Daddy? Or does she love Nially now?”
Jessica gave him a look. Niall reached for another bottle of Staropramen.
“Mr Rumble wants to stay here,” Tabitha shouted.
“So do you want mummy to have to phone ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL your friends and tell them that Tabitha isn’t coming because silly Mr Rumble says so? Poor mummy. Think of mummy. Poor mummy.” She craned in hopefully, pulling the sad face once again, as Tabitha stared at the floor. “No? Should I go and phone them then? Are you going to make poor mummy do that?”
“Yes,” Tabitha shouted.
“Here’s some of that joy that you just knew having kids would bring you,” Nail said
Jess ignored him. Just don’t rise to it. “And tell Daddy you don’t want to see him this weekend, hmmmmmm, poor daddy?”
“Yes!” Tabitha shouted, even more angrily.
“Ok then, darling, if that’s what you want,” Jessica said as she backed out of the room.
“It’s Mr Rumble!” Tabitha shrieked, shaking the teddy around.
Niall sipped at the beer, it could have done with being a bit colder.
“This Mr Rumble is a pain in the arse, isn’t he? You want to ditch him. Hook up with someone who knows how to have a good time. Like your Uncle Niall here.” He waved an arm around, addressing the ceiling. Looks like a night in, then. With the kid. Still. No awkward encounters with aggrieved ex-husbands at hand-over time.
“Shut up, YOU!”
“What’s the matter, don’t you like your old uncle Niall?” Niall asked. “ Mummy likes him, doesn’t she? So how bad can he be? If mummy loves Tabby and Nially too….”
Tabitha was silent, watching her own foot twist on the rug.
Jessica’s muffled voice. Then footsteps on the stairs.
She came back into the room with the upset face on. “All your friends are very sad and so is daddy and so is mummy because it’s not nice to promise and then break your promise is it, darling?”
Niall snorted and tilted the bottle toward her. “ You mean just like….”
Jessica gave him a look. Eyes wide. The pissed off face. The you’re-going-too-far face.
“Shut up, YOU!” Tabitha shouted.
Then the three of them sat there in silence while Mr Rumble laughed and laughed and laughed.
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