Chapter Text
“You’re younger than I thought.”
The next day, Sodapop was sitting across from a girl who Darry called after seeing her nannying services listed in the newspaper ads. She looked about Sodapop’s age. Though she was from the East Side like them, she cleaned up nice. Her skin was a light brown, her hair darker, curly, and just to her shoulders. She was petite and had a round face that lit up nice with a smile. And she had a unique birthmark like a whitish splotch on her cheek. Her name was Diana. She was pretty, Soda thought offhandedly.
“I could say the same about you,” she joked back.
Soda smiled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just wondering about your experience.”
“Well, I had a short-term gig for a few months for a kid that was about Ray’s age. And I have several younger siblings, and a lot of their care fell to me in the few hours after school since my parents worked so much. But don’t worry, I know a lot about baby and toddler care. I could even do some housework, if you’d like.”
“Really? I know it gets a mess around here sometimes…”
“It’s just fine. I’m happy to help. And my rate is $35 per week. That works for you, correct?”
“That’s great, thank you.”
The sound of crying came from the baby’s room.
“Well, sounds like somebody’s awake,” Soda said. “Wait a moment, I’ll bring him out so you can meet him.”
He brought Ray out, who was sniffling and wiping his teary, sleepy eyes.
“Oh,” Diana cooed. “Someone sure takes after his daddy.”
Soda beamed. He’d only had Ray for three days, but whenever someone mentioned so, it made Soda’s heart light up. “Wakey, wakey, honey,” he murmured in his son’s ear. “There’s someone here to meet you. Miss Diana’s gonna be takin’ care of you.”
Diana held the baby like her arms had been made to do it. She smiled at him and didn’t talk in a high-pitched voice. Instead, it was level, like she was talking to an adult, but still gentle. Soda thought it was real mature. He trusted her immediately.
“Hi, there, Ray. We’re gonna have lots of fun, you and I, okay?”
She was careful with him, but she didn’t seem unsure of herself. When Ray fussed, she stood and held him on her hip, swaying, which calmed him down immediately.
This was going to work out just fine, Soda knew, relieved.
For the next couple of weeks life moved on in a flurry of diaper changes, feedings, and baby babble. It was finally starting to feel like they were settled into their new lives, and Ray was a permanent addition to their family.
“He should say his first word any day now,” Soda said, trying for the millionth time that evening to make Ray say ‘dada.’ Instead, the kid kept crawling after the television remote and chewing on it.
“Come on, Ray! You can do it. Dada. Dada. Can you say it? Dada.”
Ray slobbered over the remote. “AbabaBABABA!”
“No, honey. Da. Da. You hear that? Dada. Dada.”
Ray started babbling and shrieking some more.
“Hon, you’re so close,” Soda encouraged. “Dadadada. Dada.”
Ray’s lips looked like he was trying to form the words. Then— “Dada.”
“Yes!” Sodapop swept Ray up into his arms and swung him around. “That’s it! That’s it! Good job, Ray! Yes, I’m Dada, that’s right. Darry, Pony, he said it!”
His brothers emerged from their rooms, coming close to hear it, too.
“Go on, baby,” Soda urged, trying to get him to say it again. “Tell your Uncle Darry and Pony your new word. Say dada. Dada.”
Ray stayed stubbornly silent, chewing the remote again as he stared at his uncles.
“I swear he did it,” Soda said. “Dada. Dada.”
Ray made a soft humming noise but didn’t do anything else, blinking innocently up at his dad, like he hadn’t done anything. Sodapop groaned. “You’re infuriating. You know that?”
Ponyboy ruffled Ray’s hair. “That’s okay. We all know your first word is gonna be Pony, right? Soda can’t trick us that easily.”
“Hey!” Soda yelped. “You know he did it!”
Pony shot him a smarmy, annoying look that easily said, ‘Yes, I do, but I ain’t gonna admit it.’
Darry smiled softly at Soda. “Don’t worry, little buddy, I’m sure we’ll hear it soon enough.”
As his brothers went back to whatever they had been doing, Soda squeezed his son tight. Ray lay his head on Soda’s chest. “I don’t care what they say,” Soda whispered, smiling ear to ear. “You just made me the happiest man alive. I’m so proud of you, my love. Your mama and I both are.”