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The river had quickly become Eret’s favourite place upon moving to the city. Surrounded by the unfamiliar cityscape the years ago he’d moved there, the river had proved to be a place to escape from the business and chaotic streets.
It was beautiful, especially come evening. For a photographer like Eret, it was a dream. The valiant rays of the evening sun setting the surface of the river alight, outlining the architecture that lined the river in gold.
That was how this evening found Eret on the bridge, camera held in a casual grip as he looked for subjects. Already he had captured several landscapes of the river’s surface made golden by the sun, and several pictures of the stray cats that frequented the area.
When the time reached seven o’clock, Eret decided it was time to head home. As he was turning to exit the bridge, a sweet, airy voice reached him.
“Eret!”
He turned. Niki was at the end of the bridge, shielding her eyes from the sun. She was out of her bakery uniform. Eret smiled back at her, letting his camera hang loosely off his shoulder as he walked to her.
“Your shift’s ended already?” he asked when he drew close enough.
“Sure has.” She leant against the railing lining the river. “Get any good shots?”
Eret’s smile widened, and he gladly began to show her the shots he’d taken over the past few hours. Niki listened to him talk happily, and they began the trek back to the street they both lived on, chatting and laughing all the while. Eret mentioned the shelter he’d been visiting to browse and see if there were any cats he could adopt as he’d been wanting to, and Niki mentioned her continued attempts to figure out if Puffy, their shared friend, liked Niki the same way Niki liked her.
It was a nice evening. Enjoyable in its mundanity.
The conversation shifted eventually, and as they were walking through the shadowy park that led to their street, Niki said, “I meant to ask you, have you heard much from Wilbur lately?”
Eret frowned. “Not much. I texted him a few times, but he keeps saying he’s busy.”
“Same with me.” Niki fiddled with the hem of her jacket, expression thoughtful. “I want to know what’s going on with him, but I don’t want to be invasive, you know?”
“I know,” Eret replied. He stroked the rim of his camera’s lens absentmindedly. “Hopefully he’ll tell us eventually.”
Niki hummed her agreement. The both of them had been close with Wilbur long enough to know that there was nothing he hated more than talking about his troubles. Eret could only hope it wasn’t a problem, and he was just particularly busy this month.
“Well, I’ll see you later,” Eret said as they arrived at the foot of Niki’s small house.
“See you.” She returned his smile before disappearing inside.
Before long, Eret was stepping through his own doorway and into his flat. It was just as he’d left it: clutter pushed to the sides of the rooms, far too many photographs hanging from the walls.
Dinner, clean, relax, sleep. Eret got to work finishing up his daily routine, turning the telly on, boiling some store-bought soup over the stove, getting distracted by the news halfway through packing away clean dishes.
Then the doorbell rang.
Eret frowned, wondering who could have arrived unannounced, but nonetheless was at the door before long, opening it to reveal his surprise visitor.
Eret blinked. Brown curls, warm eyes, a constant half-smile on his face; Wilbur looked pretty close to how Eret had seen him last. But what struck him was how absolutely dishevelled his friend looked. His hair was a mess, dark bands hung under his eyes, and he had a slightly crazed look about him. Eret had never seen Wilbur like this.
But what drew his attention most was the small, swaddled, pale infant in Wilbur’s arms.
Eret opened his mouth – to say what, he didn’t know – but before he could, Wilbur blurted, “I thought I could handle it on my own. I can’t. Can you help?”
Eret ushered him inside. This was going to be a long night.
---
The bowls of soup on the coffee table had gone cold. Dirty dishes remained uncleaned. Wilbur had practically melted into Eret’s couch, long limbs splayed as he gently stroked the top of the baby’s head.
His baby. Eret was still reeling with the news.
“So.” Eret leant back in their chair. “Run this by me again. Just so I’m understanding.”
“Sure.” Wilbur still sounded slightly out of breath.
“You found a random baby on the street. Like, all alone.”
“Yeah.” Wilbur adjusted his hold on the infant. “They said he was probably abandoned.”
“Yeah, you mentioned the authorities couldn’t find any relatives.” Wilbur nodded in confirmation. “So you just, like, asked to foster him?”
“Well, it was a bit more complicated than that,” Wilbur said. “I had to go through a bunch of classes and inspections and stuff before they let me.”
“Right, right.” Eret exhaled. “Is that why you just dropped off the grid for a little?”
“I didn’t mean to.” Wilbur sighed. “I just got a bit overwhelmed, I think.”
“Then why didn’t you ask us for help?”
“Well, I’m asking now, aren’t I?” A hint of defensiveness crept into Wilbur’s tone. “Look, it’s fine if you can’t help me, I can always ask Niki or-“
“No, Wil, really, I can help, I said so before.” When Wilbur looked at them doubtfully, Eret added, “I want to help.”
Wilbur blinked and exhaled. He looked so tired. “Okay. Thanks.”
They were silent for a moment. The only noises were the whistling wind outside and the baby’s quiet babbling. Wilbur had complained before about how the baby cried and screamed right up until there were others around.
Eret hesitantly pointed to the bundle in Wilbur’s arms. “Can I…”
Wilbur looked to them for a moment before processing the question. Carefully, he held the baby out to Eret.
“Careful,” he fretted as Eret reached for him. “Keep a good grip on him.”
“I know, I know,” Eret assured. They gave their friend a comforting smile as they took the baby into their arms.
He was light, very light. He fussed a little at the shift, but settled down quickly when Eret gently shushed him, adjusting their grip.
He blinked up at Eret sleepily. His eyes were big and doe-brown, glowing like honey in the soft lamplight of Eret’s living room. Eret swiftly found themself enraptured by the little thing, his lashes fanning across his full cheeks and a tiny fist emerging from the folds of his blanket to grip Eret’s thumb.
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” Wilbur asked softly.
Eret nodded minutely. “Beautiful.”
Another while of silence passed before Eret asked, “How old is he? Three months?”
“Five,” Wilbur answered.
Eret looked up to him, eyebrows raised. “Really? He’s-“
“Tiny? Yeah, I know.” Wilbur chuckled lightly.
Eret smiled, adjusting their grip so they could lean back comfortably. “What did you name him, anyway?”
“I didn’t,” Wilbur replied. “There was a name stitched onto the blanket I found him in. Apparently, his name is Fundy.”
“Wow, he really did have terrible parents.”
Wilbur scoffed indignantly and swatted at Eret. “Oi, it’s a fine name.”
Eret laughed. “I know, I’m kidding, I'm sorry. It’s a great name.”
Wilbur shook with quiet laughter, and something hot bloomed in Eret’s chest at being able to cheer up their friend. They smiled.
While Wilbur shook his head at them, Eret held the little boy, Fundy, closer. “Hey, Fundy. I’m Eret.”
Fundy babbled happily.
They turned their gaze back to Wilbur. “What do you need me to do?”
Wilbur seemed to blank for a moment. “Uh, honestly? I didn’t think this far ahead. I figured you would have, like, a lot more questions regarding me taking in a child out of nowhere.”
“Oh, I do,” Eret assured. “I’m very confused about a number of facets of this situation. But that can wait until later. I just want you and Fundy to be comfortable.”
Wilbur let out a deep breath. “Okay. Uh. I guess what I’m struggling with right now is the nights? Like, this baby wakes me up at least five times every night. I’ve forgotten what eight hours of sleep feels like.”
Eret chuckled lightly. “I know what you mean. I used to babysit for Puffy.”
Still holding Fundy in one arm, they reached out and placed a hand on Wilbur’s knee. “How about you stay with me for a little? My flat is nicer than yours – no offence (“None taken,” Wilbur said.) – and more spacious. Plus, it’s still baby proofed from the last time I babysat for Puffy. I can help you with all the baby stuff, that way.”
Wilbur let out what must’ve been his dozenth sigh of the night. “Yeah, I think that could work. I’d like that. If you’re okay with it, of course.”
“Of course,” Eret confirmed with a smile. They handed Fundy back to Wilbur. “You can have the bed. I’ll take the couch. We can get a crib in here tomorrow, I reckon.”
Wilbur said nothing. Instead, he carefully shifted Fundy into the crook of his arm and stood, careful not to squish Fundy as he wrapped one arm around Eret and hugged them.
“Thank you,” he murmured into their shoulder.
Eret smiled softly, heart full, and wrapped their arms around their friend.
“Anytime.”
---
Morning sunlight filtered through the windows and into the main room of Eret’s flat, kept from being bright enough to blind by the shaders Eret had pulled down. It was a domestic scene, the morning birds warbling outside as Eret made herself toast, keeping an eye on Fundy, who was sitting in his highchair and smacking around a felt toy in his grip.
The clock read 10:14am when Wilbur emerged from the bedroom. His tangled hair stood up in all directions, his eyes remained half-shut, and he looked so mussed up he could be mistaken for a zombie.
He looked better than he did last night, though.
Eret found herself stifling a yawn just at the sight of him. She smiled warmly instead. “Good morning.”
“M’rning,” Wilbur muttered, muffled by a half-yawn. He paused as he walked into the kitchen, glancing at his kid. “Is Fundy-“
“He’s all good,” Eret answered. “I fed him some formula. I wasn’t sure if you had him on solids yet.”
“I’m working on that one,” Wilbur said, his voice thick with sleep. “He really likes bananas.”
“Oh, I have some of those.”
Wilbur hummed, slumping onto the stool at Eret’s kitchen counter.
“Thank you… so much… for last night,” Wilbur mumbled, resting his head in his arms.
Eret scoffed lightly at Wilbur not even trying to hide his exhaustion. He’d deserved a good night’s sleep. He hadn’t been lying – Fundy had awoken the both of them half a dozen times throughout the night – but Eret had insisted Wilbur go back to sleep while she fed and changed and rocked Fundy until he stopped fussing.
She had spent the night tired to all hell, but her friend’s evident relief had made it worth it.
She shot him a smile. “It’s no problem. You looked dead on your feet last night.”
Wilbur chuckled. “I definitely was.”
“Want some toast?”
“Yes, please,” Wilbur muttered in reply, gratefulness dripping from his voice.
Fundy babbled loudly, and Wilbur went over to greet his kid as Eret prepared breakfast.
Eret looked up from her work to see Wilbur picking Fundy up, lifting him and speaking to him in high, cooing tones. Fundy laughed happily. The kid really was cute when he wasn’t shrieking.
They ate breakfast in silence, save for them talking gently to Fundy when he babbled about something or another. Eventually, Eret decided to speak.
“I still can’t believe the first time I see you in weeks is when you bring a baby to my doorstep,” she laughed, fiddling with her half-eaten toast.
Wilbur chuckled. “Yeah. I’ll have to tell him that story when he’s older.”
“Oh, yeah,” Eret laughed again.
Wilbur exhaled and smiled, moving his gaze away from her and taking another bite of toast.
Eret looked at his hunched figure, tilting her head slightly. “Hey, Wil?”
“Mm.”
“Can I ask you something?”
Wilbur hummed in confirmation, not raising his gaze.
“Why did you decide to foster Fundy?”
Wilbur met her gaze then, swallowing his food heavily.
“I mean, I know you’ve always wanted kids,” Eret added. “It’s just very sudden, is all. And you’re living alone right now.”
Wilbur’s lips thinned, and he set down his toast. “I know. It was rash. I think I overestimated myself a bit, there.”
He laid his head in the palm of one hand, fiddling a strand of hair between two fingers. “It’s just… when I found him, right, I immediately called the authorities. I held him while waiting. When they came, they tried to take him to assess his condition, and he- he wouldn’t let go of me. He was clinging with all his might – he shrieked when I wasn’t with him. You know, that awful squeal he does when he wants to be held.”
Fundy babbled out a disappointed cry as his felt toy fell to the floor. Wilbur leaned down to retrieve it, only half-looking. Fundy smiled toothily as it was handed back to him.
“So, you know.” Wilbur shrugged. “I offered to go with him. They could deal with him easier, that way. And I needed to give my statement to the police, anyway.”
Wilbur sighed, slumping back in his chair. “They kept me updated while they were looking for any relatives of his. When the search came up empty, they told me he’d be put in foster care. So, I asked if I could foster him.”
Eret opened her mouth to speak, but Wilbur forged ahead of her.
“I know it was impulsive, I know, I’m not stupid. And it’s not like they just gave him to me. There were a bunch of inspections and classes and shit I had to sit through before they let him come home with me.”
“Language.”
Wilbur bit his lip. “Gotta remember not to say that.”
“We’re gonna need a swear jar,” Eret joked.
Wilbur made a noise of amusement before casting his gaze back down to his plate. “Yeah. Anyway, I guess after I asked it I just… felt committed? Like, I couldn’t just back out. So, I went through with it. And, uh.” Wilbur glanced to Fundy. “He was more of a handful than I bargained for.”
Eret was trying to think of something to say as Wilbur’s expression turned thoughtful. “Besides, it’s not like I’m adopting him. I’m only fostering. He can still get adopted by someone more qualified than me.”
Eret frowned. “I think you’re plenty qualified. You teach children in your music lessons all the time; you’re good with them.”
“Yeah, but-“ Wilbur ran a hand through his tangled hair. “That’s different.”
Eret pursed her lips, casting her gaze downward in thought.
“Well.” She straightened. “I guess we should sort out what needs to get done today.”
Wilbur raised a brow, listening.
“If you want to go get some of your things and baby stuff from your apartment, I can take care of Fundy for a little.”
“Oh.” Wilbur said. “Yeah, actually, that’d be great. Are you sure you’ll be fine alone?”
“Yeah, it’s no trouble,” Eret assured. She reached across to Fundy and tickled him. He giggled. “Besides, I want to get to know this little guy better.”
“He’s a handful,” Wilbur warned.
“I know, I know.” She turned her smile to her friend. “Trust me. I’ve got this.”
---
How the actual hell did Wilbur take weeks of this on his own?
Eret groaned as she bent down to pick Fundy up again. He wasn’t crawling yet, but he was still finding ways to pull himself along the floor the second Eret’s back was turned. He’d currently found a stray pen that had fallen on the floor.
“Nope,” Eret grunted as she hefted Fundy up, reaching for the pen the infant had stuck in his mouth. “That’s not for eating, Fundy.”
As soon as the pen that absolutely was not food was out of his mouth, the wailing started, loud and shrill. Eret shushed him, rocking him back and forth, but Fundy didn’t seem intent on stopping until he either had something in his mouth or Eret’s eardrums burst. He’d rejected all the teething toys Wilbur had brought with him last night, and Eret didn’t have any of those suckling things he always forgot the name of.
Eret had gotten to know Fundy, alright. Less than an hour alone with him and Eret already knew well how energetic, curious, and vocal he was. Always playing or talking in baby talk, finding every conceivable thing he could stick in his mouth, and complaining so, so loudly when he didn’t get his way.
Eret was becoming more impressed with Wilbur by the minute.
Eret adjusted his grip on the baby and looked down at him. “You want a banana?”
Fundy cried harder.
“Yeah, you want a banana,” Eret decided.
Lo and behold, the baby was swiftly satiated by the soft fruit. Eret held him carefully, anxiously ensuring he didn’t choke.
Eret tilted her head as she looked down at the kid she’d be helping her friend take care of for the foreseeable future. The kid she’d be chasing endlessly after his first steps, the kid she’d nervously watch through whatever he was doing to make sure he didn’t hurt himself, the kid that would likely rob her of many a good night’s sleep.
Those big brown eyes blinked up at her, and Eret couldn’t find it in her to regret helping her friend in the slightest.
“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” she told him, smiling.
---
“There’s so many options ,” Wilbur muttered, incredulous.
The two of them stood in the aisle of baby supplies, scanning the wall of endless pastel products. Eret didn’t know where to start. They already had basic things like nappies and formulas, but there were so many options for even those basic things that Eret didn’t know what to think.
“So, what do we need again?” Eret asked.
“Uh.” Wilbur adjusted the baby carrier across his chest, and Fundy gurgled. “I figured we would just browse to see what would be useful to buy for Fundy, but I wasn’t expecting so much.”
“Should we ask for help?” Eret suggested.
“Nah, it’ll be fine,” Wilbur replied, turning to walk further into the store. “It can’t be too hard.”
“We should probably get a pram,” Eret said.
“Yeah. I also wanted to check out some baby food. And possibly get more teething toys.”
Eret nodded. “We’ll see how we go.”
A few hours passed them by like that: asking store employees for advice, debating on what they needed and what they didn’t, trying to keep Fundy from making a scene in public.
“You’re gonna spoil your son with so many toys ,” Eret told Wilbur.
Wilbur waved a hand at them as he threw a fox plushie into the trolley. “It’s just to see what stuff he likes. I have the money to spare.”
“Shouldn’t we be looking for, like, better nappies? And there’s probably supplies we haven’t thought about.”
“I mean, we kinda already have the basics,” Wilbur said. “We’ve got nappies, formula, blankets, baby food, the pram, lots of clothes and toys. Do we really need anything else?”
“I don’t know.” Eret shrugged. “It’s your kid. I just want to know he’ll be comfortable.”
“Yeah, I know,” Wilbur said. “But I think we’re ready to pay. If I’m here an hour longer I’ll go insane.”
“Alright,” Eret agreed.
Wilbur looked down at Fundy. “You ready to go too, Funds?”
Fundy babbled. Eret chuckled and slung an arm over Wilbur’s shoulder, cooing down at Fundy, before the two of them started back home.
---
The day came to an end quicker than Eret was prepared for. They tested out the toys they’d bought with Fundy, coaxed some baby food into him at dinner, and finished cleaning up the mess Fundy had made of the dining room.
The two of them were exhausted, but they still had a baby to put to bed.
“Here, let me try,” Wilbur offered.
Eret stopped rocking Fundy – who was wailing quieter now, but still not falling asleep – and handed him up to Wilbur. When Wilbur had his kid settled in his arms, he sat down next to Eret, the couch creaking beneath his weight. Fundy continued to bawl as Wilbur gently whispered to him.
Eret leaned into Wilbur’s side, reaching over to stroke a finger across the top of Fundy’s head. Slowly, Fundy began to quiet, seemingly having tired himself out with all that screaming.
Eret turned to look at Wilbur. His gaze remained locked on his kid, staring with so much love in his eyes he could’ve been holding the world in his arms. Eret smiled softly and rested her head on Wilbur’s shoulder.
Eventually, when they were sure noise wouldn’t rile Fundy up again, Wilbur murmured to Eret, “I’m really lucky to have you.”
Eret smirked. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
Wilbur scoffed. “Who else can I go to and be like, ‘Hey, I impulsively fostered a baby, please help,’ and have them go, ‘Oh, yeah, of course, no worries’? I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”
Eret’s smile widened. “Like I said. Anytime.”
Wilbur returned the smile. Fundy gurgled sleepily.
“You two should get some sleep,” Eret suggested, standing up. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Wilbur nodded with a yawn, moving to stand up too, careful not to jostle Fundy. He turned to look down at the small baby. “Say goodnight to Eret, Fundy.”
Eret chuckled and reached across to tickle Fundy lightly under the chin. “Sweet dreams, dear.”
Eret yawned and stretched as Wilbur left the room. She fixed the blankets on the couch before plopping down, more than ready for the sweet release of sleep.
No sooner had Eret begun to drift off then crying started up in the bedroom. Eret swore into her pillow and rose.
She made her way through the open door of the bedroom. A very tussled Wilbur stood next to the crib, holding Fundy.
He looked up to her as she entered. “He doesn’t need changing. I don’t know what’s wrong.”
Eret yawned. “I’ll warm up some formula.”
“We fed him half an hour ago.”
“Yeah, but it’s worth a shot.”
Wilbur was half-sitting, half-laying atop the sheets when Eret returned with a bottle.
“Here,” Eret said, holding her hands out, and Wilbur handed Fundy to her. He propped himself up as Eret sat on the edge of the bed, attempting to coax the bottle into Fundy’s mouth.
“He puts everything in his mouth except the things that are supposed to go in there,” Wilbur observed, amused.
Eret chuckled and continued trying to convince Fundy to drink. The baby vehemently refused, but even so began to quiet down within minutes.
“Huh. Guess he just wanted to be held,” Wilbur said.
“Yeah.” Eret handed Wilbur’s kid back to him. “Maybe keep him close to you tonight, then. Move the crib up next to the bed.”
“Good idea,” Wilbur agreed.
Eret returned the bottle to its place and collapsed back on the couch. It felt as though she’d gotten about ten minutes of sleep before crying dragged her out of sweet, sweet peace.
“You see what I’ve had to deal with,” Wilbur said when she entered the bedroom again.
“I do,” Eret said tiredly. “I do.”
Wilbur handed the crying bundle to her and she sat down next to him, quietly shushing Fundy. This time, he nearly immediately started to quiet down, settling snuggly into her arms.
“Why does he keep crying?” Eret asked, more to herself than anything.
Wilbur looked to her. He was wearing that thinking face she was so familiar with. “I think he wants you.”
“What?”
“He stops crying when you hold him.”
“But-“ Eret adjusted her hold on a quietly gurgling Fundy. “You’re his dad.”
“Yeah, and he likes you,” Wilbur said. He pulled himself up to sit by Eret. “Look, how about this. You can take the bed tonight with Fundy, and I’ll take it tomorrow night. We can take turns. Maybe that will work.”
Eret frowned, glancing back down to Fundy. “Well, okay. If you’re sure.”
Wilbur laid a hand on Eret’s shoulder and smiled. She returned it.
Then he stood and made his way to the door. He turned to give Eret a mock-salute. “Best of luck to you, soldier.”
Eret chuckled lightly. “Goodnight, Wil.”
She turned her gaze back to Fundy. “You ready to go to sleep now, love?”
Fundy squeezed Eret’s thumb in his fist.
She set Fundy back down in the crib, which Wilbur had pushed up to the side of the bed. Then she got under the covers, mattress still warm where Wilbur had laid, and prayed Fundy would be content now with her next to him.
No god was watching over her.
Wilbur ambled into the room again to see Eret sitting up, tangled hair framing her tired face, rocking a wailing Fundy in her arms.
“Again?” Wilbur complained.
“Again,” Eret confirmed, not looking up from the baby.
Eret heard him sigh and walk over, dropping onto the bed next to her. When he reached over, she gladly relinquished his son to him.
“This baby will be the death of me,” Wilbur mumbled.
Eret watched as Fundy’s wailing began to fade as Wilbur rocked him gently.
“Great,” she muttered. “He wants both of us.”
“You think?” Wilbur asked her. When she nodded sleepily, he sighed and turned to Fundy. “Why are you so clingy?” he asked him, voice high. Fundy laughed.
“What do we do?” Eret asked.
Wilbur let out a long breath, glancing over his shoulder at the length of the bed. His tired eyes shone in the gold lamplight.
“Uh.” Wilbur glanced back to Eret. “We could try both staying in here, I guess? The bed’s big enough for us both.”
“Oh, uh.” Eret blinked, her chest tightening for a reason she didn’t want to name. “Yeah, sure. We could do that.”
“I mean, if you’re okay with it,” Wilbur added quickly. “It’s only for tonight.”
“Yeah, I’m okay with it,” Eret assured. “It’s a good idea.”
“Alright.” Wilbur breathed out. “Yeah. Cool.”
“Cool.”
Neither of them moved. Wilbur had stopped rocking Fundy, and he was now sleeping soundly. Eret envied the baby. She had to stifle a yawn at that thought.
“I’m going to try and get some sleep,” Eret announced.
“Mhm,” Wilbur said, turning his attention back to Fundy. Eret shuffled over to allow Wilbur the side of the bed closest to the crib, and Wilbur moved to set Fundy down in it.
Eret was turned away when she felt Wilbur sit on the other side of the bed. A minute of silence passed before Wilbur laid down, the sheets shifting as he pulled them over himself.
Silence took the room. All of a sudden, Eret felt far less sleepy. The feeling of Wilbur’s presence beside her only seemed to make her stomach flutter, and she tried to stamp down the irrational anxiety.
She turned over to face Wilbur’s back. His nightshirt had fallen off his shoulder, and she could see his skin shift with every breath.
Looking at him there, quiet and peaceful with his back to her, she felt the sudden need to tell him something.
“Wil?”
He turned to glance at her over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“You know I’ll be here for as long as you need, right?”
“…I know.”
Eret exhaled. “Good.”
Her friend paused for a moment before rolling over to face her.
“It goes both ways, you know,” he whispered. “I’ll repay you for this someday.”
“There’s no need,” Eret assured him.
“There is,” Wilbur insisted. His gaze was locked on hers. “There is to me.”
Eret held his gaze. Without thinking, she reached across the space between them and brushed a strand of hair from his eyes.
He didn’t pull away. Eret didn’t either, just let her hand fall. Wilbur reached up, silently, and placed his hand over hers.
The silence was less heavy after that.
---
Sunday morning found the park full; children running about and playing in the grass, joggers running side by side with their dogs along the footpath, families sitting in the sun and eating morning tea.
It occurred to Eret that the three of them probably looked like a family right now. Eret walking at Wilbur’s side and enjoying the sun while their friend pushed along the pram Fundy was currently resting within, suckling at his new pacifier. Eret laughed a little at the thought.
Wilbur glanced to them, brown eyes smiling. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing.” Eret smiled back at him before turning their gaze to the pram. “How’s the pram? Is it rolling smoothly?”
“Yeah, I told you, it’s perfect.” Wilbur rubbed a hand along the handle. “You did a good job assembling it.”
Eret shook her head. “I still can’t believe you chose the most complicated pram to buy.”
Wilbur scoffed mirthfully. “I thought you wanted Fundy to be comfortable.”
She swatted at him as he chuckled. “Shut up.”
They passed a copse of trees and rounded a bend in the path before the area the breakfast vans were parked came into view. As they walked, they passed families sitting on the grass and walking down the path, the sounds of their conversations filling the lively air of the park. A few parkgoers along the way stopped to make quick conversation with them, mentioning how nice the weather had been and how cute their kid was. Eret tried to correct them and say Fundy was Wilbur’s kid, not theirs, but Wilbur waved them off and said it didn’t matter.
They approached Eret’s favourite van. Eret went and ordered their coffees while Wilbur focused on a slowly rousing Fundy, adjusting him in the pram and speaking to him in a high-pitched voice.
Eret finished ordering and leant against the side of the van, watching as Wilbur picked Fundy up out of the pram and held him, tickling under his chin and cooing all the while. Fundy’s happy giggling elicited Wilbur’s own laughter, bright and clear as the sky above them.
Eret smiled, tenderness blooming in their chest. They couldn’t think of a better way to be spending their day.
“Order for Eret!”
Eret went up and collected the two coffees, thanking the woman at the counter.
“Is that your husband?” the lady asked, looking over to where Wilbur was playing with Fundy. She smirked. “You’re a lucky guy.”
Eret was halfway through saying, “Oh, no, we’re not-“ before another worker called the woman away and she excused herself.
Eret blinked and tried to shake the interaction from their mind, returning to where they’d left Wilbur. When they approached, Wilbur gratefully took the proffered cup, muttering a quick thanks before moving to take a sip.
“Careful, it’s-“
“Fuck,” Wilbur spluttered.
Eret laughed as Wilbur wiped the scalding liquid from his lips. “That’s another coin for the swear jar!”
Wilbur stuck his tongue out at them and took the handle of the pram again. Soon, they found a place to sit with their drinks and enjoy the sun.
Fundy began babbling again, and Eret lifted him from the pram and into their lap, speaking gentle nothings to him. Wilbur leaned over and stroked the top of his head. They spent a while like that, conversation lapsing between small talk between the two of them and high-pitched baby talk to Fundy, chuckling gently at every attempt at a response Fundy made.
At one point, as Eret glanced to where Wilbur was watching other families playing in the park, the words of the lady who called them lucky ran through their mind.
Anyone would be lucky to have Wilbur – as a friend or a partner – that was just fact. Eret had lost count of the number of times he’d made them laugh so hard their stomach had hurt. They could probably spend days listening to him ramble about anything, and they wouldn’t grow bored. They were very lucky to have Wilbur as a friend. They didn’t need him as anything more.
Fundy reached for Eret’s hand, and they gave it to him. He closed his tiny fist around two of Eret’s fingers and squeezed.
Eret laughed. “Woah! Two whole fingers! So strong!”
Fundy gurgled happily.
Eret glanced up to see Wilbur staring at them and the baby in their arms, expression smiling and content. When Eret noticed him staring, he chuckled lightly and glanced down. “This is adorable.”
Eret smiled and glanced down at Fundy. “He is very cute, isn’t he?”
Wilbur said nothing.
After a moment, Eret stood, moving to place Fundy back in the pram. “You ready to go?”
“Yep,” Wilbur grunted, pulling himself up. He leant over Fundy as Eret got him settled. “You ready to go, buddy?”
Fundy smiled and stuck his toe in his mouth.
---
One wouldn’t guess Wilbur Soot was as tired as he often complained considering how often he rose in the night just to check on his kid.
Eret was dragged from half-sleep for what she guessed was the third time that night by the man beside her rolling out of their shared bed (several nights had passed, and they had yet to switch to taking turns in the bed. Eret found she didn’t quite mind the arrangement). He stood and moved to lean over the crib, checking in on the baby.
“You’re gonna wake him up if you keep doing that,” Eret mumbled idly to him as he returned to bed.
“I won’t,” Wilbur argued, plopping down to lay atop the sheets.
Eret rolled over to face him. “He’d being really quiet tonight, you know. You should take the opportunity and try to sleep.”
“I know, but-“ Wilbur gestured helplessly with his hands in the dark. “That’s what’s worrying me! I keep thinking that if he’s not crying, I’ll look over and he won’t be breathing. I just…” Wilbur released a long breath. “It’s stupid.”
Eret frowned, reaching across to lay a hand across Wilbur’s. “That’s not gonna happen, Wil. Fundy’s fine.”
“I know, I know.” Wilbur groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Just… knowing doesn’t help, though.”
Eret exhaled. She knew anxiety wasn’t something that could be reasoned with. She still hated seeing her friend worrying like this, though.
She laid a hand on his shoulder. When he looked to her, tired gaze searching in the dark, she gave him a small, comforting smile and opened her arms.
He paused for a moment before moving closer. She hugged him, and he hugged her, his cold fingers resting on her back, her face half-nestled in his hair.
They stayed like that for some time, the baby sound asleep and the two of them dozing. Wilbur said nothing, but she could feel his gratitude. Glad at least for a steady presence, if she could do nothing else.
Their embrace loosened as they drifted off, and Eret was satisfied when she heard Wilbur’s breathing even out. Eret smiled to herself, content.
Her hand found Wilbur’s again amid their tangle of limbs. Gently, she stroked her thumb along the back of his hand. She didn’t think when she began to trace words onto the back of his hand, simply caught in the warmth of the moment. She moved her thumb to spell out the words ‘I love you’ on Wilbur’s bare skin.
Her smile didn’t fade as she joined her friend in slipping into sleep.
---
“Where is it? ”
Eret sighed at the sounds of Wilbur banging around, looking for Fundy’s pacifier. “Where’d you last see it?”
Wilbur poked his head into the kitchen, where Eret was getting dinner into the slow-cooker. “If I knew that, I wouldn’t be looking for it.”
Eret rolled his eyes and shook his head as Wilbur returned to his search. A second passed before a thought occurred to Eret.
“Wait, Wil, where’d you leave Fundy?”
“I asked you to watch him,” he replied from the other room.
This idiot. “You did not. I can’t watch him while I’m cooking dinner.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s not in the room!”
“He’s not?” Wilbur asked, sticking his head back into the main room. He went back into the hallway, and a second later Eret heard, “Oh, he’s in the bedroom!”
Eret exhaled and laid his apron on the counter. “Does Fundy really need the pacifier?”
“I wouldn’t be looking for it if he didn’t! Can you hear his crying?”
It was hard to miss, but Eret had tuned it out half an hour ago. “Did you change and feed him?”
“You literally saw me feed him!” Wilbur yelled from the other room.
“God, you’re insufferable sometimes,” Eret muttered under his breath before leaving the kitchen. “I’ll look for the pacifier! You keep an eye on your kid!”
Eret heard a series of grumbles from Wilbur that sounded vaguely like an agreement before he retreated down the hall. Eret strode into the living room and started sorting through different drawers, ignoring the sound of Wilbur saying, “No, Fundy, that doesn’t go in your mouth.”
Eret got a few minutes of searching in before he heard a string Wilbur’s (mostly) censored cursing from the bedroom. Eret let out a breath and moved to the hall, rounding the corner to the bedroom.
The smell worsened tenfold. Wilbur was on the floor, with a wailing Fundy laid out on a towel. The baby’s onesie lay beside them.
“What happened?” Eret queried.
Wilbur sighed. “He shat in his onesie.”
Eret frowned. “Why wasn’t he in a nappy?”
“I got distracted.”
Eret shook his head and came up behind Wilbur. “Here, come on. I’ll run a bath for Fundy, you deal with his clothes.”
“No, no, it’s fine, you’re busy,” Wilbur said, not looking up at him. “You go on with dinner, I’ll handle this.”
“Well, you’re doing a bad job at handling it,” Eret remarked.
“I’m doing fine, thank you very much,” Wilbur responded indignantly. “I’m just not in the mood.”
“Then let me bathe him!”
Wilbur raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine, run him a bath, go ahead.”
“You get so grumpy sometimes,” Eret muttered before picking Fundy up with a stray towel. He ignored Wilbur’s retort. He’s not in the mood to deal with Wilbur’s not being in the mood.
Eret made his way to the bathroom without another word, jaw tightening at Fundy’s continued loud screaming. His frustration began to cool as he ran the warm water to fill up the baby bath, kneeling down on the cold tiles.
“Sorry about that,” he said to Fundy, glancing down to where the baby squirmed in the crook of his arm.
He felt a little bad for snapping at Wilbur. He wasn’t usually like this, and Wilbur’s wasn’t usually like that either. The noise and disorganisation and general bad mood of the day probably just had them both on edge.
It wasn’t very often you started sharing your apartment with a friend you’ve never lived with and an impressively vocal baby. Considering Eret is a born introvert and also hadn’t had any plans to co-parent anyone’s child anytime soon, he likely should’ve expected some less than perfect days.
But though he never could have anticipated the past few weeks, Eret doubted he could ever regret his decision to help Wilbur and invite him into his home.
He’d quickly fallen in love with Fundy. It hadn’t taken long for the kid to worm his way into Eret’s heart and become something much more to Eret than just Wilbur’s son. And as for Wilbur… it’s not as if Eret hadn’t had scrapes with his friend in the past. They’ll be fine.
He adjusted his grip on Fundy and turned off the tap, checking the temperature of the water.
“We probably sound like an old married couple, huh?” Eret mused to Fundy. Fundy gave no response except continued complaints, loudly shrieking when Eret lowered him into the bath.
Eret set about trying to calm Fundy so he could clean him without issue. Eventually, the warm water seemed to calm Fundy down enough to allow Eret to hear his own thoughts.
Eret didn’t turn when he heard the bathroom door creak open behind him. He saw Wilbur kneel silently next to him from the corner of his eye, and took the bottle of baby wash Wilbur proffered.
A moment passed between them, silent save for Fundy splashing around in the bath. Then:
“I’m sorry for snapping at you before,” Wilbur said, not looking away from Fundy. Eret turned to him, lips thinned.
“Yeah.” He exhaled. “I’m sorry too.”
There wasn’t much left to say after that. They finished washing Fundy, and decided to let him play with his bath toys for a little while longer.
“I think I made the right choice,” Wilbur pondered all of a sudden, gazing softly down at Fundy.
Eret smiled. He’d listened to Wilbur worry over his decision countless times since moving in with Eret, wondering if he could really give this kid the life he deserved. Wilbur clearly couldn’t see what Eret could. The care and carefulness he held, the determination he possessed, the love that overflowed from him like a well.
“I think so, too,” Eret said. Wilbur smiled back at him.
This felt like a step in the right direction.
Fundy splashed forcefully into the water, and warm bathwater splattered across Eret’s face.
Wilbur laughed harder than Eret thought was warranted as he wiped the water from his face. He made a noise of mock-offence. “Wilbur! Control your son!”
Wilbur’s mouth curled into a shit-eating grin. Before Eret could react, Wilbur was reaching into the water to splash it all across Eret’s front.
Eret’s betrayed expression sent his friend into another bout of laughter. It was cut off when Eret reached across to retort with his own splash, and Wilbur cried out indignantly as he got a faceful of bathwater.
Fundy giggled as their battle continued, and soon the little stained bathroom in the old flat was filled with the din of their laughter.
---
Eret awoke to rays of sunlight filtering in through the open shutters, falling across the covers of the bed in stripes. They woke slowly, reluctantly leaving the warmth of sleep behind as they stretched and sat up. A quick glance to their right confirmed Wilbur was already up and about.
Eret picked up a half-awake Fundy from his crib and made his way into the kitchen. Sure enough, Wilbur was there, half-dressed and pulling something from the fridge.
“Morning, Wil.”
“Good morning,” Wilbur greeted them. He sounded happy. He retrieved a bottle of maple syrup from the fridge and set it down on the counter.
Eret adjusted their grip on Fundy and glanced behind Wilbur. The stove was on, and Eret caught a hint of something white in the pan above the flame.
“Ooh, what’re you making?” Eret asked.
“Pancakes,” Wilbur replied, glancing to Eret with a smile.
“Oh, hell yeah,” Eret whooped, moving to set Fundy down on the play mat. “I love pancakes.”
Wilbur laughed. “I thought you might like some. I made enough for us both.”
Eret smiled warmly at him as they handed Fundy a toy to play with. “Thank you.”
Wilbur returned the smile, and a long moment passed where they simply stayed there, content beneath the grateful gaze of the other.
Then Eret gave the pan a concerned glance. “Uh, are the pancakes…”
“Oh, crap,” Wilbur swore, rushing to flip the pancakes. Eret laughed, moving to grab out plates for them both.
“Are there any plans for today?” Wilbur asked them.
“Well, Niki and Puffy are coming around for lunch.”
“Oh yeah, you mentioned that yesterday,” Wilbur said, beginning to transfer the pancakes to their plates. “Here we go. Hopefully I didn’t do too terrible a job.”
“You didn’t,” Eret said, taking their plate and moving to the table. A quick glance at Fundy confirmed he was thoroughly enraptured in a felt toy of his. They glanced back to Wilbur. “You’re a fine cook.”
Wilbur smiled at them as they both sat. Eret said once again, “Thank you, really. This is really nice.”
“It’s nothing,” Wilbur replied, cutting into his breakfast. “I just wanted to thank you for all your help.”
Eret hummed, glancing down to their pancakes. They took a bite. It wasn’t bad at all.
Eret took a breath before deciding to break the silence. “I also- uh, I had a question for you.”
“Mm?” hummed Wilbur.
Eret leant back. Man, they’d been meaning to ask this for a while. “It’s just, I’ve really enjoyed this past month and a bit with you, and – obviously, you don’t have to if you don’t want, but – I was wondering if you’d like to move in with me.”
Wilbur paused and swallowed his mouthful. “What, like, permanently?”
Eret brushed off a spike of anxiety. “Yeah, I guess. If you want.”
Wilbur frowned. “Are you sure? I didn’t think you’d want to help with Fundy for more than a few weeks. I mean, he’s my responsibility. I don’t want to put too much of that on you.”
“Of course you’re not,” Eret said. “I love having him around. I- I love having you around, too.”
Wilbur laughed softly. “Oh, that’s good. I kinda thought I was overstaying my welcome for a little bit, there.”
Eret scoffed disbelievingly. “Of course not, Wil.” They reached across to lay their hand over his. “My home is yours, for as little or as long as you want.”
Wilbur’s cheeks grew a hint redder than usual. He coughed. “So you would, uh, be okay with me moving in?”
Eret nodded their confirmation. When Wilbur glanced back down to his plate, they added, “You don’t have to decide now.”
Wilbur nodded and exhaled. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I’ll think on it.”
“Alright.” Eret smiled before getting back to their breakfast.
---
The doorbell rang out through the flat. Eret rose, leaving Wilbur playing with Fundy as they got the door. They smiled when they saw who had rung.
“Niki, Puffy! Come in, come in.”
“Hey, Eret!” Niki greeted, stepping through the threshold. Puffy followed suit. “It’s good to see you! Is Wilbur home?”
“Yeah, he’s just in the living room with Fundy,” Eret replied. Niki slipped past them, off to greet her friend.
Puffy turned to them. “Hey, man, how’ve you been?”
“Alright,” Eret responded, moving to return to the living room. “Tired, but not bad.”
Puffy chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what babies will do to you.”
They rounded the corner to see Niki sitting on the couch with Fundy carefully held in her arms. Wilbur watched with a smile as she cooed to him.
Fundy babbled happily, reaching up to grasp at Niki’s fingers. Wilbur laughed. “He likes you!”
Niki chuckled, leaning down to Fundy. “Aw, I like you too, little guy!”
Eret smiled at the three of them before turning to Puffy. “So, how’s things between you and Niki going?”
Puffy’s brows raised, and she took a deep breath. “Well. I- uh- I ended up asking her out.”
Eret’s mouth fell open. “No way! What did she say?”
“She said yes,” Puffy laughed, a hint of disbelief still in her voice.
Eret laughed with their friend. “Congrats, man! I told you she would.”
“Puffy!” Wilbur called out. Fundy was back in his arms. “Want to come meet him?”
“Do I?” Puffy grinned, walking over to sit by Wilbur. Niki stood, strolling over to Eret.
“Mind if I get a drink?” She asked them.
“Oh, yeah, no problem,” Eret replied, walking with her to the kitchen.
They had a view of Puffy and Wilbur talking as they poured their glasses of water. Eret glanced from Puffy to Niki.
“So,” they began. “You and Puffy are together now?”
Niki smiled with a slight laugh. “She asked me out, Eret! Can you believe it?”
“I can,” Eret chuckled. “I told you she liked you.”
They glanced back to the three on the couch. From the bits of conversation Eret caught, they could hear they were comparing Puffy’s experience raising Foolish to Wilbur’s with Fundy.
“Speaking of dates.” Niki took a sip of her water before gesturing with her head towards Wilbur. “Who asked who out?”
Eret’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“Like.” Niki gestured vaguely. “Did you ask him?”
“Ask him what?”
Niki scoffed mirthfully. “Never mind.”
Before Eret could press her further on what she meant, she said, “Wilbur mentioned he’s going to be moving in with you.”
“Did he?” Eret asked with a grin, loud enough that Wilbur could hear. Wilbur met their gaze and smiled, giving them a shrug before turning back to Puffy.
Niki watched this exchange, amusement written plainly across her face. “I think I know how you felt watching me and Puffy, now.”
Eret humoured her with a laugh, deciding to give up on figuring out what she meant.
---
“Come on, Fundy! Crawl to me!”
Fundy stretched out his hands to where Wilbur and Eret sat a few metres away, patting the ground and encouraging him to come over.
For a moment, it seemed he was going to. He placed his palms on the floor, looking down at it with a curious expression.
Then he promptly got distracted by his toes, grabbing his feet and falling onto his back with a laugh.
Eret felt Wilbur deflate next to her. They’d been trying their best to help Fundy crawl, attempting every tip and trick they read about, and he had yet to do so.
She glanced at the clock. “I think that’s enough of that. It’s getting late.”
Wilbur hummed his agreement and rose, moving to scoop up Fundy.
Not long later, the curtains were drawn and the lights switched off, the adults more than ready for sleep and working to get Fundy settled in his crib.
Eret sat on the edge of the bed as Wilbur said goodnight to Fundy. He wore an expression that made her frown.
“You look worried.”
Wilbur turned to her and let out a light chuckle. “You’re too perceptive.”
Eret shrugged. “I just know you, I guess.”
Wilbur ran a hand through his hair and plopped down to sit at Eret’s side. “I think I just… I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”
Eret frowned. “What about?”
“I don’t know, that’s the thing.” Wilbur sighed.
“If it’s about the crawling, he’s only eight months," Eret pointed out. "Some babies don’t crawl until ten.”
“It’s not just that,” Wilbur said. He glanced over to Fundy, lamplight brightening the worry in his eyes. “I guess… I want to be a good dad to him, you know? It’s what he deserves. And… I definitely don’t want him ending up feeling like I did once.”
Eret tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
Wilbur met her gaze, then took a deep breath, as if making a decision.
“I love my dad, right? I love him a lot, but… he wasn’t always there, if you know what I mean.”
Eret nodded for him to continue.
“I know now he loves me, but when I was younger…” Wilbur glanced again at Fundy. “God, Eret, I don’t ever want Fundy to think I don’t love him.”
“Wilbur,” Eret said, laying a hand on his arm. He turned hesitantly towards her. “You worry too much. He won’t think that, ever.”
Wilbur didn’t look convinced, so Eret turned fully towards him, sitting cross-legged atop the bed and taking his thin hands in hers.
She wasn’t about to have him worrying over something that would never happen.
“Wil, I promise you, we’re gonna raise this kid the best we can. And that’s gonna involve a lot of love, I reckon.” She grinned. “I’m here to help, remember? We can do this.”
Wilbur smiled gratefully. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess.”
“Well, I know,” Eret told him. She squeezed his hands in hers. “Trust me.”
He didn’t pull away. Neither did she. After a long moment, they turned as one to glance at the crib. Fundy was soundly asleep.
“Our kid is pretty special, isn’t he?” Wilbur said.
Our kid.
“Yeah,” Eret agreed, still staring at Fundy.
Wilbur let go of her hands. “I’m gonna try and sleep now, I think.”
Eret wasn’t always one to listen to reason. She knew well her tendency to give in to her impulses. Perhaps that was what possessed her to lean forward and obey her instincts as they told her what would feel right.
She kissed him on the cheek, next to his lips, short and sweet. Then she stood and rounded the bed to her side, leaving Wilbur’s reaction a mystery the longer she kept her gaze away from him. She fought off a rising tide of anxiety as her brain caught up to what she did.
She glanced over to Wilbur only when she was safely beneath the covers. He had not moved from where he sat. He was just staring at her. His eyes held a glimmer of surprise, a spark of wonder. Her expression softened with relief at the lack of a negative response.
Wilbur blinked when he noticed her gaze on him and silently started getting himself settled.
The lights flicked off. Something electric hung in the air between them.
“…Eret?”
Eret hesitated. “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“Love you too, Wil.”
---
It was one of those days again.
About three months of living with Wilbur, and still there were times it was like Eret was seeing him for the first time all over again. Times she felt she could get lost in studying the soft curves of his face, or in the way he laughed so completely without restraint, or his passion as she listened to him ramble.
She really was very lucky.
Today, she was sitting on the playmat with Fundy, talking in baby talk to him and watching him play with his toys. Wilbur had walked into the main room minutes earlier, sheets of paper in his hands. He’d set them down on the dinner table and sat, and was currently reading over a handful of them silently.
Eret kept finding herself glancing to him as she entertained Fundy, like she could get drunk just on the sight of him.
“Eret, can you come here for a moment?”
Eret raised her eyebrows and stood, walking over to where Wilbur was sitting. She peered down at the spread out papers as she sat.
“What’re all these?” she asked.
Wilbur tapped a pen against the surface of the table, keeping his gaze on the papers before him. “Adoption papers.”
Eret’s mouth fell open. “You’re adopting Fundy? That’s awesome!”
Wilbur met her gaze, smiling slightly. A hint of nervousness fell over his face. “Yeah, I, uh- I wanted to ask you something about that, actually.”
“What is it?”
Wilbur breathed out. “I was just thinking. You’ve- you’ve helped me so much with taking care of Fundy, and you told me you enjoyed it. You don’t have to, but I was wondering if, uh, you might like to adopt Fundy with me.”
Eret’s mind blanked. She wasn’t expecting that.
Wilbur watched her expression. He opened his mouth, then closed it, apparently deciding against adding anything.
Eret eventually forced out, “Are you sure you’d want me to?”
Wilbur blinked. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Eret didn’t know what to say. She leant back, glancing over to where Fundy was playing happily.
“A lot’s going to change in the future, isn’t it?”
“I guess so,” Wilbur replied. “Raising a kid will change a lot, I reckon.”
“We’re probably gonna have to buy a bigger place,” Eret pondered. “Start looking into preschools.”
There was hope in Wilbur’s eyes. “Would you be willing to do all that with me?”
Eret smiled at him, placing a hand on his knee. “With you, of course.”
Wilbur smiled, and then his lips met hers.
He kissed her, and she kissed him, and Fundy laughed happily with his toys, and everything felt so right.
The moment passed, and Wilbur pulled away. A hint of sheepishness was in his grateful smile. “Thank you.”
Eret grinned and took the pen from his hands. “Where do I sign?”
---
On a cool spring day of 2022, Wilbur Soot and Eret Brineson became the legal guardians of one Fundy Soot. Their friends would laugh and say they called it when Wilbur and Eret announced they were together. Fundy’s first steps were walked and his first words were said. Eret was by Wilbur’s side for it all, and him by hers.
Everything in the world felt right.