Chapter Text
"Ugh," Maya chuckled at the groan that came from beside her.
"Same."
"My tummy hurts Mommy."
"Mine too."
"Hand Mommy," Maya held it above her son, smiling when a pair of tiny hands took a hold of it and brought it down onto his stomach. He held it there and then reached his own onto his Mommy's patting softly.
"Do you think," she gently circled her hand on his stomach, "we over-indulged, potato?"
"I don't even know what that means Mommy." He sighed.
"We ate too much chocolate and candy."
"-and hot chocolate and pizza."
"Mmm," Maya was regretting their decision with each passing moment. They had been lying on the rug in the living room for at least 20 minutes in a bit of a food coma and it was all because she had allowed herself to be influenced by a four year old. Or maybe allowed her to be a four year old.
"Ciao belli," they heard but neither made to move, "uh-oh, this doesn't look good," Carina said with a laugh. It was quite a sight to behold. Her son, dressed as a ghostbuster, outfit complete with a proton pack was lying next to his mom, her wife, wearing a stay-puft marshmallow man costume. Mateo's favourite film was ghostbusters and Maya had absolutely leaned into this for Halloween. Both her babies looked a little uncomfortable, hand on eachother's tummies, surrounded by empty packets. "Mamma." Mateo held his hands up, making a grabbing motion, "prendimi, per fervore." [pick me up, please]
"Allora," Carina dodged packets of sweets and chocolate bars and plucked him from the ground, resting him on her hip. She brushed the hair off his forehead, and pouted as he cuddled up, "ti sei divertito?" She asked, it was time for her to take over Mateo, after a long shift without him. "Sì," Mateo sighed. [did you have fun]
"non sembra," Carina teased, making her way up the stairs. [it doesn't seem like it]
"Sono stanco, mamma. Ma mi sono divertito con la Mommy, così è stato, uh," he paused, "Trick or treat, trucco o trattare?" [I'm tired,Mamma But I had fun with Mommy, it was, uh-]
"Dolcetto o scherzetto?" [trick or treat]
"Sì, and then, Mommy and Mateo, mangiato tutti i dolci e il cioccolato. La Mommy ha detto "noi"-" He paused, "Non lo so in italiano, over-dulged." [yes, and then Mommy and Mateo ate all of the sweets and chocolate. Mommy said we-]
"Ah, sì? Tu e la Mommy siete stati viziati troppo?" [oh yeah? You and Mommh over induldged]
"Sì," Mateo showed her his belly as Carina fetched his pyjamas, bath time could be skipped tonight based on how tired he seemed.
"oh sì, pieno di dolcezze," she lightly poked it, "allora, dobbiamo lavarti i denti," Carina said as she helped him into his pyjamas. [oh yes, full of sweeties. So, we need to brush your teeth]
"Sì," he yawned, latching onto her. Carina smiled, she loved sleepy cuddly Mateo, he was just like sleepy cuddly Maya only easier to pick up. She kept him on her hip as she loaded up his tooth brush and passed it to him. "Molto stanco, troppo stanco." Carina laughed and set him on the counter, brushing his teeth for him. She made him use the bathroom and then carried him back to bed. She suspected he wouldn't even need a book tonight. She laid down next to him and kissed his forehead, "dormi bene, dolce sogno, ti amo fino alla luna e ritorno." [very tired, super tired, sleep well, sweet dreams, I love you to the moon and back.]
"Mamma," Mateo whined. Carina had been sure he was asleep and had made to leave the bed, "la mia pancia."
"cosa c'è che non va piccola?" [what's wrong baby?]
"puoi strofinarlo? non sembra corretto." [can you rub it? It doesn't feel correct.]
"Sì," Carina rubbed his belly for a few minutes before she was sure he was fast asleep. She slipped out of the bed, kissed his head and pulled the covers up to his chin.
"He okay?" Maya asked, still lying on the floor when Carina came down the stairs, rarely used baby monitor in hand incase Mateo didn't feel good.
"His stomach is a bit uncomfortable," Carina explained, "are you?"
"Can you get me some peptobismol?"
"That bad?"
"He just had a bite of each thing," Maya explained, "it was my first real Halloween too."
"I'll get it," Carina chuckled, and went back upstairs. She grabbed the item from the medicine cabinet in their bathroom alongside an antacid. "Do you need belly rubs too?" Carina grinned, as Maya groaned sitting up. Maya scowled at her and took the medicine, "there's pizza," she waved in the direction of the fridge.
"Okay," Carina kissed the top of her head and went to fetch her dinner. She heated it back up and carried it back through, finding Maya curled up on the couch, empty wrappers cleaned up. "Thank you for tidying up," she said, lifting Maya's feet into her lap. Maya spun around and put her head there instead.
"It was magical."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, it was so amazing."
"Did it live up to your expectations," Maya had been more excited than Mateo that morning. She had never been allowed to partake in any Halloween traditions. She was that kid in school that had never dressed up and never had candy to swap the next day. So when Mateo approached her with the idea to trick-or-treat and dress up she had jumped at the opportunity. This was probably also why she had let Mateo indulge in all the candy and indulged alongside him. She had picked out each treat and explained why it was good before offering him a bite and finishing it off herself. In her opinion the stomach ache was worth the memories.
"Yes, the tummy ache is worth it," she explained, "but next year you have to come and also so you tell us to stop eating."
"Okay." Caringa chuckled and started combing Maya's hair, "you can talk about it more if you want, I can tell you're excited and I'd love to know all about it." Maya nodded, grinning up at Carina, earning her a kiss, "you're adorable."
"As you know, we started at the hospital, the daycare kids are allowed to trick-or-treat on the children's floor so when I picked him up we did that, and he got a gift bag from daycare. Then we visited you."
"And I gave him biscotti."
"Exactly. Then we came home and, well, we collected pizza on the way home and then we had that. Then we went to the station," Maya grinned, for years she had taken part in and on occasion, organised it. So to take Mateo along, dressed in matching costumes, had been an absolute highlight. She was sure her co-workers had never seen her smile so much in the time they were trick-or-treating. "I actually got quite emotional."
"You did?"
"Mmhmm, well, it's where, I don't know, I didn't find me there, I found me in you but-" Maya struggled.
"Its where you found a big part of you, it's where you experienced family and you have a lot of memories there."
"Yeah, I think so."
"Did you get emotional when you walked in, or?" Carina probed, curious.
"Alright twenty questions," Maya teased, "no, just when we were walking around. He was holding my hand and yeah. He's just so cute. He kept pulling me up to the guys and saying Ciao Zia Trick or Treat two please, one for Mommy, one for Tato.' Also he's calling all of the men Zia."
"Hilarious," Carina said, "did you correct him?"
"Absolutely not. They have no idea. So yeah, he was cute, and I got a little teary. Then we drove back home and started our little walk and he did really good. I think doing it at pre-school and the station helped him. He did take me with him to every door even though there were kids younger than him going and knocking on their own."
"Brave, brave parents."
"Exactly, so I was quite glad."
"How many houses did you get to?"
"Like 10? We made it to the end of our road and then he was shivering like his little half Italian self."
"You didn't have him in a coat."
"I did! He just gets chilly he even had a hat on, look," Maya leaned down and rescued her phone from the floor, showing Carina the videos and pictures, where Mateo's costume was covered mostly by a big puffy coat and a bobble hat that Maya's mom had knitted for him.
"You both look really cute, so then when did you over-duldge as Mateo said."
"Well we got back and he was pretty chilly, as I said, so I made him a hot chocolate and we cuddled up and then we tipped his treats out and started sorting, but," Maya patted her stomach, "we had to sample as we sort-"
"Mamma."
"-ed it." Maya had been interupted by their little guy shouting from his bedroom, upset.
"vieni qui, bambino," she called back to him. The loud Italian shouting was always something Maya struggled to get used to. Mateo being allowed out of bed was something she also realised she was never allowed to do. He was a little teary as he decended the stairs one at a time, dragging his blanket and a Teddy with him.
"è la tua pancia?" "Is it your tummy?" They said at the same time.
"Bad dream."
"Oh no!" Maya scooped him up as soon as he got close enough, laying him on her front. "What was it about?" She asked quietly, stroking his hair.
"Stay-puft ma-yawn-shmallow."
"Uh oh," Maya was glad she had removed her costume earlier when Carina was putting Mateo to bed.
"i brutti sogni non possono raggiungerti, non sono reali, okay?" Carina ran her hand up and down Mateo's back. [bad dreams can't get you, they're not real, okay?]
"Va bene, I go now," he started a controlled roll off Maya only to be stopped by both Mamma and Mommy.
"You can stay if you want," Maya told him, arms crossed over his back to keep him there, "Mamma is just finishing her pizza and then we're going to bed," she explained.
"Mamma?" Mateo knew Mamma was the slightly stricter one.
"Sì, patatino. certo, e se ti addormenti la Mommy super forte ti porterà a letto." [sure, and if you fall asleep super strong Mommy will take you to bed]
"Sì."
"Super strong, huh?" Maya teased.
"Basta."
"Alright. Hey look," she nodded her head down at Mateo, "he's asleep."
"Just needed Mommy and Mamma."
"Happy Halloween baby potato, we love you," Maya pressed a kiss to the top of his head, "thank you for healing my inner child " she said even quieter.