Mum closes her book with a bookmark between the pages and goes to her office to get her laptop. She’s soon back, setting it up on the dining table in sight of her.
“Call if you have any trouble, and don’t waste the paper.”
You nod in understanding. Mum taught you all about how you shouldn’t waste things, so if you weren’t sure you were printing it right, get some help.
“What do we do now?” Bow Kid asked.
“Easy, we just search.”
You type in clothes patterns , bringing up loads of sites that had them. Then you remembered that some cost money, so you added free to the search. In no time at all, Bow Kid was scrolling through the pictures of different things.
“I don’t know what ones to pick,” she eventually says.
“Want some help?”
Bow Kid nods.
“Maybe…” you ponder out loud. “Maybe we can do something you can sew the cats to?”
Bow Kid brightened at the idea.
“Like a t-shirt?”
You shrug.
“You could do other things too, like jumpers or jackets… or hats?” you suggest.
Bow Kid keeps scrolling.
“Stop!” you say. You reach out, pointing at a cardigan. “How about that?”
Bow Kid clicks on it, bringing up a bigger picture. She shares a happy glance with you.
You had a roll of lime green felt that you had thought about making a cape or a cloak with, but now seemed perfect for Bow Kid’s cardigan. It the same shade as Bow Kid’s super cute PJs.
Printing the pattern out, you then had to tape it together because mum didn’t have a big enough printer, then you and Bow Kid went to work cutting out the various parts.
“So, you pin it like this,” you say, showing Bow Kid how to pin the paper to the fabric. She watches carefully and then mimics the process. “Yeah, like that.”
You end up moving into the lounge where there’s more space. Mum makes some suggestions rearranging each of the pieces.
“There, now you won’t waste any fabric,” she declares.
You could see how they fic together better, sort of like —
“Like a jigsaw puzzle!” Bow Kid says, thinking along the same lines.
Mum laughs.
“Exactly.”
It’s getting dark outside as mum puts some dinner together. You’re explaining how you make clothes inside-out when mum says dinner is ready.
“Thank you, Hat Kid’s mummy!” says Bow Kid as she eats the spaghetti bolognese.
“No problem, sweetie. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
You’re about done when Bow Kid loudly yawns.
“It’s been a really long day, hasn’t it?” mum asks her. Bow Kid nods. “I think you two should have an early bed tonight.”
You grumble a bit, but tone it down when you realise Bow Kid is looking apologetically at you. You don’t want her to think you were angry at her.
“Do we have to?” you say instead.
Mum pretends to think on it. You know she’s way faster than that though.
“Hmm, how about you two get ready for bed, and then you can stay up a little bit longer, working on your amazing crafts things?”
You look brightly at Bow Kid who seems happy at the idea. You nod at mum and get up from the table. You hold Bow Kid’s hand as you go to your room with her. As you do, it suddenly hits you that you’ll probably be in a nappy soon. It suddenly seems real, and embarrassing. But at the same time, it sounds nice and will also make Bow Kid happy.
Maybe your unease is really obvious, because Bow Kid looks at you comfortingly.
“You okay?” she asks.
You shrug.
“Just wondering,” you say. But Bow Kid is clearly waiting for more. “It’s just about… nappies.”
“Oh —” Bow Kid frowns slightly. “You don’t want to… anymore?” she asks timidly.
You shake your head.
“No, I… do, it’s just… I dunno what happens.”
“Oh — well you just lie there and mummy — your mummy — does it.”
Suddenly there’s a knock at the door. Mum soon pokes in you head.
“Did my darling daughter ask you?” mum asks lightly.
It takes a moment for Bow Kid to realise what she means.
“Yep.”
“Well, just bring your PJs through to the lounge, you two, and I’ll get you ready.”
She disappears while you go red in the face, remembering again what was about to happen. You grab your PJs as Bow Kid pulls out her cat-eared PJs. You stare for a moment, wondering if you could make some PJs like that. Bow Kid notices you staring, however. She looks ponderous for a moment.
“Do you want to trade PJs?” she asks.
“Your PJs for mine?”
“Yeah.”
It sounds like a really cool idea, but your PJs are really plain in comparison.
“Mine aren’t very interesting though.”
Bow Kid smiles and shrugs.
“ I think you’ll look cute in them,” she declares. “So, I want to see you in them.”
You blush at the praise. There’s no way you’d say no to your friend.
“Okay.”
When the pair of you march into the living room, mum is reading her book again, waiting.
“So, who will be first?”
You glance at Bow Kid and you see her make a decision.
“I’ll go,” she offers.
As she stands up, mum grabs the big packets of nappies that was sitting on the floor next to the couch, ripping open the packaging as she did.
“Lie down on the carpet, honey.”
