Chapter Text
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing things for a while and I promise I'll put everything back exactly how I found it when I've finished. Well, almost exactly how I found it. ;)
WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD-WtD
He looks so serious, and Grace can't understand why. Will he always look like that, even in five minutes time? Will he always have those little lines on his forehead, as though he's debating about frowning? Grace thinks he will, and she thinks it's a shame because he's cute, for a baby.
She turns as she's hears her name being spoken, and her parents smile at her. Grace knows she has her mother, Mary's smile, but she has her father, William's, eyes. They're blue like the small stone in her mother's engagement ring. Grace doesn't know that the stone is a sapphire; she doesn't even understand what the engagement ring is. She isn't even a year old yet, after all. But she knows that the thing on her mother's finger, her father's eyes, and hers, are all the same colour, and that's all that matter.
Grace glances at the people her parents are talking to. She knows they are called Joseph and Elizabeth, but that's all. She isn't really bothered. They're nice enough people, but Grace's interest lies with their baby son.
She turns her attention back to the baby in front of her. Her parents have told Grace that his name is Peter, and that she has to be nice to him because he's only a month old. But Grace is worried about Peter; he hasn't made a single noise since she's been there. He's just lying in his cot, still thinking about frowning. Grace decides it's time to be responsible and check that he's alright.
Being careful not to draw attention to herself, Grace leans forward a little and pokes Peter very gently with one chubby finger. He doesn't even so much as look at her, and now it's Grace's turn to frown. How dare he ignore her! Grace is far from impressed with this boy, so she pokes him again, a little harder this time.
Peter moves his gaze from the ceiling, where there's a blob he's been trying to understand, to the blob in front of him. Peter frowns properly now. He knows it isn't his mother and it certainly isn't his father. And *it* is poking him. Why?
Grace smiles in triumph as baby Peter looks at her and frowns. But Grace's small victory doesn't last long; Peter has decided that the blob on the ceiling is more interesting and he returns his gaze there.
Grace is about to wail when she realises that would draw attention to her, the very thing she's trying to avoid. So she settles for the most annoying thing she can think of; repetitive poking of Peter.
Peter shifts his gaze once more, focussing back on the blob in front of him. He thinks it's something similar to his parents, but nowhere near as nice. Even at one month old, Peter knows that if he makes some noise, the disturbance he finds himself enduring will stop. But somewhere in his tiny brain, he knows that is what the blob wants. So he settles for the best thing he can think of; staring.
Grace almost lets out a little giggle at how much fun she's having poking Peter in the side. That is until she notices him staring at her. She stops abruptly. She doesn't like his eyes; they look serious and unfriendly. Without warning, a little whimper escapes her lips.
"Grace, what are you doing?" William asks.
"No, darling, leave Peter alone," Mary tells her.
Grace looks as though she's about to cry. It's not fair! Peter was supposed to cry, not her.
Joseph smiles. "Don't worry, she isn't doing any harm."
Elizabeth nods her agreement. "Everybody says that they have never seen such a quiet baby."
"Really?" Mary replies.
Elizabeth nods again. "When Peter was born, he didn't cry once, and even now, when he's tired or hungry or needs his nappy changing, he doesn't make a sound."
William laughs a little. "How do you know when he wants something?"
"He frowns," Joseph replies. "See, just here." He runs a finger gently down the bridge of his son's nose, and Peter's frown is instantly replaced with a smile. "You see?"
Mary smiles and shakes her head. "Well I never."
Grace is now sulking. Someone could have told her that the baby didn't cry!
TBC