Work Text:
“Where are we going?” Bluey demands for the three hundredth time since the two left the house.
Through the mirror, Chilli glances at her daughter fiddling with her seatbelt and chuckles indulgently, “I told you, it’s a surprise. So, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.”
“But if you did tell me, I could still pretend I was surprised.”
" Bluey!” Chilli tries to stifle a laugh at that remark, and fails as she gives an almighty snort. What a smart aleck. She gets it from her Dad.
Bluey sees her mother laughing at her ( the cheek!) and leans forward in her booster seat, opening her eyes wide; withholding the Please Face just for now. Seven years of practice had taught her to only utilise the trick when absolutely necessary. “Awww, Muuuuuuum. I wanna know!”
“Well, too bad kid. I’m not telling you.”
Bluey gives a huff, and slumps back. The day had started out well. It was Saturday, the first Weekend Day, and that always put Bluey in a Good Mood, ‘cuz that meant no school (for her), no kindy (for Bingo) and no work (for Mum and Dad) so they could play as many games as they wanted! But this Saturday, Dad had rushed off after brekie, and then reappeared with Lila - and she and Bingo had gone off to play together - leaving Bluey all by herself. Then Mum had suggested she and her go on a mysterious Big Girls’ Trip - but she was refusing to tell Bluey where they were going! Now it was time for the Please Face.
Chilli tries not to roll her eyes as Bluey’s eyes open wider, her ears droop, and her paws come together in a pitiful gesture. After a few seconds of stubborn silence, Bluey decides to change tactics. “Alright then - why are we going wherever we’re going?”
“Because I thought that it would be nice to go on a Big Girls’ Trip - just you and me.”
“Cuz I’m seven, and Bingo’s five - so she has to stay home?”
“Mmmmmm - yeah.” Chilli pauses, and smirks as Bluey puffs her chest out in self - importance. But when she turns seven, she’ll get to come on our Big Girls’ Trips too.”
Bluey gives a satisfied nod, and then her eyes widen again, this time with realisation. “And so Lila’s at our house to play with Bingo, so she doesn’t miss out!”
“You got it, clever girl!”
Bluey preens at the praise, and her eyes widen even further as Bobo slows outside a very familiar storefront.
“ICE CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!”
Chilli rolls her eyes, and turns on the brakes just in time for the invetiable excited squealing. As soon as the car stops, Bluey immediately unbuckles herself, swings open the rear door, and leaps onto the pavement as Chilli comes round to meet her, chuckling softly.
“Someone’s eager. C’mon then, sweetheart.”
As they walk paw - in - paw into the ice - cream shop and to the counter, Chili looks down lovingly at her daughter- grateful that she’s in a good mood, silently hoping that it lasts, and just a twinge of guilt for this act of bribery. But Bluey has to be told sooner or later (Chilli had graciously let Bandit deal with their other, more docile daughter at home), and this should soften the blow, at least a little bit. She takes a breath before delivering her next lure. “And before you ask, you can have whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want. For real life????!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Yep. Whatever you like - BUT you can’t buy the whole shop.”
Bluey snickers as she meets the level gaze of the ice - cream lady, without having to go on tip - toes like last time! Chilli orders and then leads her daughter towards the nearest table.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once they’ve ordered (Chilli letting Bluey prove her ‘big girl’ title even further by handing the money over) and are seated; Bluey immediately digs her spoon into her Superduper Sprinklelicious Deluxe, and Chilli decides it’s time to approach the subject.
“Sweetie,” she begins gently, “You remember Dad telling us he’s got a new job?”
Bluey gives an absent ‘mmm’ as she focuses on using her spoon to transfer the cherry on top of her ice - cream to the bottom (you just push it down). She already knew about Dad’s new job (it was his Favourite Thing at dinner - yesterday? Last week? She can’t remember. Anyway, he said he’d been promoted - which Bluey later learned was grown - up talk for a better job). Why was Mum telling her that again?
“Well, his new job is going to be in Sydney -
Sydney? Sydney, Sydney, Sydney…… OH! Bluey pauses her cherry mission for a moment, eyes shining. That’s where the Opera House is! She wrinkles her nose up as she realises something else. ‘ Is Dad gonna be an opera singer? He’s awful at singing”
“Yeah, he isn’t the best,” Chilli agrees, wincing as she thinks about Bandit’s early - morning shower belting, “Which is why he isn’t going to be one. He’s still going to stay being an archeologist - just a more important one.”
“Mmmm. Okay.” Operation Get - Cherry - To - The - Bottom resumes. Halfway there now.
Chilli takes a moment to consider her next move.
“Well, Sydney is quite a long way away from where we live now, in Brisbane.”
Another absent ‘mmm.’ That cherry was so close .
“So your Dad and I have decided that we’re going to have to sell our house.”
“ Huh?” Bluey’s spoon hovers in mid - air as she takes this in. Sell the house? “Are you gonna get lots of dollarbucks for it?” She remembers Mackenzie telling her that his Mum and Dad got a lot of dollarbucks when they sold their house in New Zealand.
Mum is quiet for a moment, and Bluey is just thinking that she has to ask again louder , when she responds, “Umm………. Maybe.”
“Well if you do, can you get me and Bingo the new Chattermax 50000?!”
Chilli winces internally, before responding with “We’ll see.” Bluey seems to be taking this surprisingly well so far - maybe it would only be fair to reward her with the aforementioned devil’s contraption. Her surprise hangs in the balance though as Bluey speaks up again, this time more slowly and hesitantly. “Actually Mum, I don’t want you to sell our house anymore.”
Chilli’s heart skips a beat. Has she figured it out? “Oh? And why’s that.”
Bluey stares at her sundae, her voice growing quieter, “ ‘Cause I don’t want to move .’ She’d remembered something else Mackenzie told her. When Mackenzie’s Mum and Dad sold their house, they moved all the way from New Zealand to Brisbane, and that’s when Mackenzie started going to Bluey’s school.
Chilli, already prepared for this, reaches over the table and gives her daughter’s paw a gentle squeeze, “I know, honey,” she croons sympathetically, “It sounds scary, doesn’t it?” “But don’t worry, her voice turns cheerful, “It’ll be a big new adventure!”
Bluey slams her spoon down on the table, and leans back in her chair, crossing her arms, “I don’t think I’m going to like this adventure…”
Chilli flashes a reassuring smile, her voice relentlessly chirpy, “Yes you will! Dad and I went to check out our new house while you were at Nana’s last week. It’s huge ! You and Bingo will be able to explore it all - and you’ll get to go to a new school and make lots of new friends!”
“But I don’t want new friends! I want the friends I have now.”
Chilli’s heart breaks a bit at this petulant wine, but she vows to remain strong. Still holding on to Bluey’s paw, attempts to keep up her enthusiasm, “You’ll still be able to see them sometimes, hon. We can come back to visit them, and they can come and visit us!”
Bluey huffs, her Bad Mood boiling over, “Why do we have to move? Dad’s got the new job - not us! Can’t he walk to his new job?”
“ Bluey!!”
“ What? You said walking’s good exercise!”
“Yeah, it is. But not nine hours , twice a day!” Chilli quips before wincing when Bluey’s jaw drops open, emitting a pitiful whimper. “Please Mum! I promise I’ll be good! I’ll brush my teeth, and eat my vegetables…. Just don’t make us move!”
Chilli gently lets go of the pup’s paw, and starts rubbing her back instead.
“It’s going to be okay, sweetheart. I know it sounds scary, but I promise we’re going to be okay. You’re my big brave girl, aren’t you?”
Bluey gives no reply, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She doesn’t feel like a big girl. Rather a small, powerless one, who can’t stop Mum and Dad from selling their house and making them move far away. It’s not fair! “
Seeing that she wasn’t getting a response, Chilli knows she has to lighten the mood somehow. Her eyes lie on the still uneaten sundae, and inspiration strikes. “C’mon hon, eat up your ice cream, it’s not gonna eat itself!”
Bluey pushes the glass away sullenly and puts her head on the table, “I don’t want it anymore. I just wanna go home.
Chilli gives a big sigh, and instinctively reaches out a paw to pat Bluey’s head comfortingly. It’s clear that she isn"t going to be consoled at the moment, and, to be honest, Chilli isn’t the happiest either - hasn’t been since Bandit first proposed selling the house, “ It’ll make things a lot easier, babe,” he’d reassured, “ and this job pays better, so we can give the kids a better life.” But. is a ‘better life’ really worth it when it makes her child this upset? Part of her wants to rush home right now, and plead with Bandit to reconsider - but this new job offer seems to mean everything to him, and maybe everything will turn out for the better.
So for now, she concludes as she draws a deep, cleansing breath, she must remain strong - for him, for the girls, and for herself. Bluey will come good, she tells herself, she’s a tough kid, after all.
“Okay, honey,” she says softly, giving Bluey a sad smile, “Let’s go home.”