Cold Feet 4  - Late Night Interlude
by Astra <astraplain@yahoo.com 

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.

"There's 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 though 
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:::