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Douglas hasn’t seen Carolyn for three weeks. Usually they meet up once a week for coffee or they’d go to the park. Sometimes, when Carolyn has had a particularly trying week, she would come to Douglas’ house to 'rest her eyes' for an hour or two.
It was during these visits that Arthur would have a lot of difficulty settling down, he would ask to be picked up and then imediately wriggle out of Douglas' hold, or make for the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs and rattle it until Douglas managed to fetch him away or take him upstairs to Carolyn.
Carolyn hasnn't been in contact for three weeks and Douglas isn't quite sure what to do about it.
Today however, the phone rings just after Douglas has finished his breakfast. He picks it up after the third ring and is interrupted before he has the chance to say hello,
“You have to take Arthur.”
“Hello to you too, Carolyn.”
“No, I mean it. I won’t have him around Gordon anymore; I can’t trust him not to hurt Arthur.”
She sounds worried, “What’s happened, Carolyn?”
“He hasn’t hit him, if that’s what you’re thinking. He only came close, I pushed him away. It’s alright, he’s okay.”
“Yes, Carolyn, I’m sure everything is just fine and dandy it’s just-“
“Just shut up, Douglas! I know he’s bad news, that’s why I need you to take Arthur.”
“But what about you?”
“I am fine, Douglas. I don’t need your help; all I need you to do is to look after Arthur. Please.”
“Well, since you asked so nicely. Are you sure there’s nothing else I can do for you?”
“No, I am perfectly peachy. I’ll be over with Arthur and some of his things later; I’ll have to wait until Gordon is out of the house.”
“Alright, I’ll see you then, then. Stay safe.”
Carolyn drops Arthur off just after 6pm. There isn’t enough time for prolonged goodbyes so after she passes Douglas Arthur’s bag of things she simply sits him on the rug in the living room, kisses him on the forehead and leaves before Arthur realises what is happening. It’s only after she hasn’t reappeared after five minutes that Arthur begins to worry. He crawls out into the hall to see if she is there and when he discovers that she isn’t, he crawls into the kitchen.
Douglas follows Arthur into the kitchen and sits at the table whilst he crawls around and peers into cupboards. He tries tugging on the door to the fridge but the magnetic seal prevents him from getting into that. He tries all the chairs next, kicking them out one by one until he reaches Douglas’. When he does, he pulls himself up on the chair and tugs on Douglas’ trousers, “Mum?”
Douglas shakes his head, “She’s gone home now, Arthur.”
“Home?” Arthur looks up at him beseechingly, “Back soon?”
Douglas shakes his head, “I don’t know, Arthur”
“No?”
Arthur drops to the floor and crawls back out into the hall. When he reaches the newel post, he pulls himself to his feet again and looks towards the door intently as if Carolyn will return if he stares hard enough. Douglas picks him up and sets him back down in the living room but Arthur doesn’t settle and when he hears a car door slam out on the street, he crawls out into the hall again and grabs onto the banisters to pull himself up, “Mum?” He reaches towards the front door with one hand and keeps the other firm on the railings; there are a few tears on his cheeks now, “Mum?”
Eventually, Arthur’s little legs give in and he has to sit by the stairs, although he doesn’t give up his death grip on the banisters. He buries his head in the coats hung on the end of the stairs and cries into them, “Want Mum.”
He stays there until Douglas pulls him off the banisters and takes him back into the living room. He flicks on the telly and sits down on the sofa, Arthur on his lap. Arthur tries to wriggle off Douglas’ lap so that he can go back into the hall but Douglas hangs onto him. Arthur begins to sob then, “Mum.”
Douglas strokes Arthur’s hair back and kisses his forehead, “Shh sweetheart, you’re alright.”
Arthur shakes his head, “No, no, no. Mum, want Mum.” He curls up on Douglas’ lap and turns his head towards the television; he sticks his thumb in his mouth and falls into an uneasy sleep after a few minutes.
He fidgets and whimpers in his sleep, kicking out against Douglas’ thigh and dribbling around his thumb. Douglas tries to remove said thumb from Arthur’s mouth, but he has just jammed it back in. Douglas sighs and wipes around Arthur’s mouth with his handkerchief, Arthur snuffles and opens his eyes blearily, he pulls his thumb out of his mouth,
“Mum?”
“No darling, just Douglas.”
The boy’s face crumples, “Want Mum,” he starts to cry again, “Want Mum.” Douglas lifts Arthur up a bit so that his head is tucked under his chin; Arthur pulls his socked feet up to rest on Douglas’ leg and hooks his fingers into Douglas’ thick, woollen jumper. He moans softly, “Mum.”
Douglas unhooks both of Arthur’s small hands from his jumper and kisses each of them before he folds them against Arthur’s stomach. He wraps his arms around Arthur and pulls him in close; Arthur continues to cry messily against his chest and Douglas lets him.
It takes until the end of Masterchef for Arthur to fall asleep again. Douglas shuts the telly off and then carries Arthur upstairs to his room where he’s set up the travel cot he usually keeps in the cupboard. Arthur snuffles a bit when he is set down and Douglas is worried he’ll wake up, he sighs in relief when Arthur just flings an arm above his head and quietens down again.
Douglas leaves the room for a moment to check that the doors are locked and the lights are off. When he comes back, Arthur has curled himself up in the corner of the cot, his hair has been pushed up on one side and he is sucking his thumb determinedly. Douglas smiles and sits down against the headboard of his own bed. Maybe they’ll have cheerios for breakfast…