Autistica - Just Like My Age

Joan lay back in the nice, warm bath. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the water. It was heaven, and make no mistake, it was all the parent time she deserved. She sighed, and thought about the most peaceful things a mother could think of. For a mother who along with her husband wasn’t a werewolf, this was the quiet she deserved. It was so nice that she dared not think about anything at all.

Just then, I toddled into the bathroom. It was me as a toddler, so I didn’t disturb her relaxation time, I just wanted to climb into the bath with her. I reached up to Joan, who opened one eye and looked down at me. “You want to get in with me?” she laughed, “Okay. Up we come!” She picked me up and lifted me into the warm water. “Wheeeeeeee!!” I cried, totally excited by this. Once I was in the water, I splashed Joan by splashing my tiny hands into the water. Joan splashed me, and soon we were both splashing each other, laughing every second of every minute. Joan took me in her arms and kissed me on the cheek, cuddling me. She then nose-kissed me and put me back into the water, giggling over such fun. She never had such fun, not since she dropped a pan full of spaghetti on the floor..

I took my rubber duck and placed it into the water, watching it bob up and down. Joan watched it too, proud of my developing sense of play. “That’s a duck, Sophie. It goes, quack quack! Quack quack!” I giggled over Joan’s best duck impression. Joan took a bottle of bubble bath and poured it into the water, swishing it round so that lots of bubbles appeared. “Bubbles!” I cried, trying to pop every single one. “They’re scented like strawberries, Sophie,” said Joan, “The bubbles are like little strawberries growing in a field.” I tried to eat the bubbles, but Joan just laughed. “They’re not for eating.” she giggled.

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Bubbles aren’t for eating, candyfloss is. I suddenly yawned, feeling very tired. “Is mummy’s little water baby tired?” said Joan in a cutesy voice. She took me in her loving arms and cradled me as I snuggled up next to her skin. All the time, Fang was watching, and he was feeling very proud of me. He smiled as he watched my warm embrace with his mother, and memories came flooding back.…

As a toddler, Fang splashed in the bath with his mother, enjoying cuddles and sliding down her legs into the water. He would play with the rubber duck the same way I played with it, and sometimes try to eat the bubbles, like me. Joan would laugh at his antics, and yet when they both got dry they cuddled like there was no tomorrow.

Fang came into the bathroom and scruffled my hair. “That’s my girl,” he said, “A great successor to the greatest werewolf of all time. May I come in and join you?” “Of course,” said his mum, and Fang stepped in. Soon we were all splashing and laughing, forgetting all about the trouble of life and enjoying one thing that always keeps us together…

Each other’s company.