25 Foods #24: Baby Food
Sort of related to the previous prompt, I decided for this one I wanted to do something about a fussy baby. Considering Chester can speak, he might be a little too old to just be on the mush, but if you think of this in the context of just being a starter to a more solid meal. . . I don't know, I just wanted to do something cute with their kid being fussy and Victor being a bit silly. No particular reason for the baby food being peaches either, other than "they're sweet and the whole family would probably like them.
“Come on, Chester. . .open up. . .open up for Mummy. . . .”
Chester eyed the spoon Alice held in front of him, lips tightly closed. “It’s food, I promise,” Alice told him. “Smashed-up peaches. It’s good, see?” She sampled the spoonful she held. “Mmm-mmm!”
Chester just continued to stare at her. Alice sighed. “Please, Chester. I spent all morning turning these into pulp for you.”
“How goes it?”
Alice looked up as Victor walked in. “Not well,” she admitted. “He just keeps looking at me as if I’ve freshly landed from Mars. I never thought getting a baby to eat would be harder than some of the other things I’ve done.” She contemplated a fresh spoonful of the peach mush. “It's a wonder that we've gotten him on solid food, the way he regards everything put in front of him as potential poison.”
“He’ll eat eventually,” Victor shrugged. “Children aren’t very good at starving themselves.” He peered at the spoon. “What is that, anyway?”
“Crushed peaches with a little added sugar.” Alice offered it to him. “You can try it if you like. I would hate for it to go to waste.”
Victor accepted the utensil and tried the mush. He made a pleased noise in the back of his throat. “Oh, that’s quite good. If he won’t eat it, I certainly will.”
“No!”
Both Victor and Alice looked over at their son in surprise. Chester was pouting, eyes narrowed. “Mine!” he said, pointing to the jar and spoon.
Alice was puzzled for a moment. Then a sly smile spread across her face as she realized how to turn this to her advantage. “But you’re not eating it,” she informed her son. “So why shouldn’t I give it to Daddy?”
“Mine!” Chester protested, reaching out a little hand.
“If it’s yours, then you have to eat it,” Alice said, taking the spoon back from Victor. “Daddy can’t get at it if it’s in your tummy.” She scooped up a fresh glob and held it to Chester’s lips. “Well?”
Chester hesitated for a moment. Then he let his mother spoon the mush into his mouth. He made a surprised, pleased noise, licking his lips. “See, I told you it was good,” Alice said triumphantly. Glancing back at her husband, she added, “Thank you for your help, sweetie.”
“Happy to be of assistance,” Victor chuckled. “Though I’m almost sorry I won’t get to have any more of that.”
“Well, I actually have two jars of this. If you want to make yourself a piece of toast. . . .”
Chester eyed the spoon Alice held in front of him, lips tightly closed. “It’s food, I promise,” Alice told him. “Smashed-up peaches. It’s good, see?” She sampled the spoonful she held. “Mmm-mmm!”
Chester just continued to stare at her. Alice sighed. “Please, Chester. I spent all morning turning these into pulp for you.”
“How goes it?”
Alice looked up as Victor walked in. “Not well,” she admitted. “He just keeps looking at me as if I’ve freshly landed from Mars. I never thought getting a baby to eat would be harder than some of the other things I’ve done.” She contemplated a fresh spoonful of the peach mush. “It's a wonder that we've gotten him on solid food, the way he regards everything put in front of him as potential poison.”
“He’ll eat eventually,” Victor shrugged. “Children aren’t very good at starving themselves.” He peered at the spoon. “What is that, anyway?”
“Crushed peaches with a little added sugar.” Alice offered it to him. “You can try it if you like. I would hate for it to go to waste.”
Victor accepted the utensil and tried the mush. He made a pleased noise in the back of his throat. “Oh, that’s quite good. If he won’t eat it, I certainly will.”
“No!”
Both Victor and Alice looked over at their son in surprise. Chester was pouting, eyes narrowed. “Mine!” he said, pointing to the jar and spoon.
Alice was puzzled for a moment. Then a sly smile spread across her face as she realized how to turn this to her advantage. “But you’re not eating it,” she informed her son. “So why shouldn’t I give it to Daddy?”
“Mine!” Chester protested, reaching out a little hand.
“If it’s yours, then you have to eat it,” Alice said, taking the spoon back from Victor. “Daddy can’t get at it if it’s in your tummy.” She scooped up a fresh glob and held it to Chester’s lips. “Well?”
Chester hesitated for a moment. Then he let his mother spoon the mush into his mouth. He made a surprised, pleased noise, licking his lips. “See, I told you it was good,” Alice said triumphantly. Glancing back at her husband, she added, “Thank you for your help, sweetie.”
“Happy to be of assistance,” Victor chuckled. “Though I’m almost sorry I won’t get to have any more of that.”
“Well, I actually have two jars of this. If you want to make yourself a piece of toast. . . .”