guppy_sandhu | Coral's first birthday party

Coral's first birthday party

Outside in a quiet corner of the garden, well away from the lake, a birthday party has been set up.

There's a paddling pool with some toys in, a picnic spread out on a cloth, and a sign saying 'Happy Birthday Coral'.

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"This one different!" Fry complains.

He splashes over to Coral, snatches the duck she has, and squeaks it to make a slightly lower pitched squeak.

"Fry, don't snatch." Guppy says.

Coral just stares at him, then reaches out for it.

"Ohhh, the pitch. Too high?"

"Yes." Fry says, squeaking the duck just out of his sister's reach.

Coral looks at him. He's been there for most of the moments in her life, and she's got used to seeing him move around her like she doesn't exist, though sometimes he says her name, and if she cries, tries to help her stop. And sometimes if another kid is bothering her he pushes them away.

But right now, she wants the duck.

She stands up, with some difficulty in the water, and toddles around to stand right in front of him, and holds out her hands.

"Fry!" she says.

Fry stares at her for a moment, then gives her the duck.

Enzo, sitting down in the water, looks curiously at them, then at Guppy. Is that normal for them?

"Well done Coral, you said 'Fry'!" Guppy says, clapping. "First word other than Mummy and Daddy that wasn't in sign language." he adds to Enzo.

Fry stares at them both.

"I can do that." he points out, going back to his water wheel and ignoring his sister again.

"I remember when you couldn't," Enzo retorts. "Good job, Coral!"

Coral claps, then squeaks her ducky, pleased. It's not often that she manages to get items off Fry.

"When?" Fry asks.

"A while after you were born. Babies always take a while to learn."

"I don' member." Fry says. That's surprisingly disconcerting.

"You can't remember everything." Guppy says.

"Why?"

"Because your brain would be full."

"I think it must take a while to learn to remember things, too," Enzo muses. "No one ever remembers being a baby."

Fry looks at Coral. Surely she remembers being a baby if she is one.

"After you've been a baby." Guppy says.

"Right. It doesn't stay long-term."

"Do you want some food Fry?" Guppy asks. "We've got a nice big picnic."

"Me!" Fry jumps out of the paddling pool and goes to the food.

"Me please." Guppy corrects.

Edited 2011-07-01 22:35 (UTC)

Enzo resumes eating his own food, still sitting in the pool and leaning over the side.

This is the life.

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Coral's first birthday party

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