Childish

65

Naomi lifted me out of my car seat and held me on the hip that didn't have her purse. She carried me from the car and to the store in front of us.

"I hope we can find some things. I can always order online but it's more fun to buy it and have it now." She grabbed a cart from outside the store and sat me in the seat up top.

The store was similar to a Walmart but was owned by a family who lived in Alpine. It had a grocery section, a large baby section, for obvious reasons, and a kitchen appliances section. I didn't go shopping much since coming to Alpine. My parents hardly ever took me because of how difficult I was for a while. Mom always said it was easier to go alone. Alex and Naomi never took me because they typically had things delivered to the house.

It was nice to actually get out and experience things. Just because we moved to Alpine and my life changed, didn't mean it was over completely. I was learning and doing things in a different way than I had before. It was an adjustment but I thought I was doing it well.

Naomi and I needed to spend time together. She was with the baby so much that we hadn't had much time together. I wanted to get to know her better since she was, most likely, going to be in my life for a long time.

And I liked Naomi. She grew up in Alpine and thought it was a normal way. She knew of my history but never judge me. She never made me feel less because of what I'd been through.

I put my hands over her on the handle of the cart. She was wearing a ring on her index finger but there wasn't one on her ring finger. Was Alex never going to propose?

She looked down at me and smiled, definitely unaware of my thoughts. Maybe she was wondering the same thing.

We approached the aisle listed for babies a year and under. I always found it weird that the entire toy section was just for babies. There were a variety of toys but they were all labeled baby toys and weren't as advanced as toys nowadays. Even the packaging was intended for babies.

Naomi stopped in front of some stuffed animals. "What do you think about a stuffed animal for him? He has one from when he was born but it's a little small."

"Do you think he'd want a stuffed animal? What if he grows up and doesn't want to play with it anymore?"

She looked down at the bear that was sandwiched between me and the side of the cart. "He might like to have something he can carry along with him wherever he goes."

I pointed to a green t-rex doll on an upper shelf. "What about that one?"

She grabbed it and lowered it so we could both see it better. "What if he doesn't like dinosaurs?"

I shrugged. "All boys like dinosaurs."

"Girls can like dinosaurs, too."

"Then maybe we should get him a baby doll to carry around." I giggled at the thought of Cooper growing up with a security doll.

"Boys are allowed to play with baby dolls, too, Lyla. It's not the 1950s anymore." I never pegged Alpine as being a progressive town. Not when they made everyone under 18 act like a baby.

I shrugged. "Okay, then what do we get him?"

"Do you still want to go with the t-rex?"

I nodded. "Can we?"

She nodded. "Put it in the cart."

I held onto the dinosaur as we continued to shop. I was excited to give it to Cooper. He was still too little to use it but that didn't mean he wouldn't appreciate something from me. If I could get a smile out of him, that would be enough.

We got a couple of teethers, a set of fake car keys, a new blanket, and some outfits for Cooper. I had a feeling Naomi would want to get more but at least we had a few things to start with. It wasn't like Cooper needed that much for Christmas.

"Do you know what you might want for Christmas?" Naomi asked as she pushed the cart out of the store and to the car.

I shook my head. "I don't know what to even ask for. I'm not used to being a baby."

"You didn't see anything back there that you might want at home? Nothing from school that you like playing with?"

"Not really. I already have blocks and stuff. I'd ask for a jungle gym for outside but I can't walk."

She patted my leg. "Maybe when you get older, we'll get one for you."

If I get older.

"I guess I'll just be surprised with whatever I get." I used to like surprises before I moved to Alpine. Any surprise after that... wasn't a good one. But maybe since I'd settled into my new life and accepted who I was, it would be easier to get a surprise since it couldn't be that bad. Not after what all I'd experienced.

Naomi walked around to the back of the car and began loading it with the bags of toys we picked out for Cooper. "We'll make sure you have plenty of presents under the tree."

I handed her the stuffed dinosaur so she could put it in the trunk with the rest of the presents. "Thanks, Naomi."

She smiled. "You can call me mommy, you know. Unless you're not okay with that."

I smiled down at my bear. We had talked about me calling her mommy once before but I never stuck with it. She was still so new and I was still getting used to her living with us. But now... she was part of the family. "Okay, mommy."

---

Okay, how do we feel about Lyla calling Naomi mommy? I was excited to finally write it into the story but I know it's new territory.