Saturday, May 9th, 1982, The day before Mothers day.
Spring dew dawned upon the lush green grass outside the Hearts Household on Pine street. Those working the early hours of the morning sought coffee, and the optional creamer to wake them up. Energetic kids ate cereal, and teachers enjoyed the weekend off. Inside this house, sat a hovering fox beside his son’s bed while the child slept.
“Hey...” Joe’s eye level was at the edge of the bed, saying hushed whispers. He was speaking to Jonny in his sleep, thinking the boy could hear. “Hey sport...tomorrow is Mother’s day, we have to get her something good, yeah?” He paused as if to let Jonny answer.
“Agreed General, It has to be spectacular. Ma loves the book we gave her last year, but I think we need something...with more pazas, yeah?” The older mischievous fox paused again.
“Hup hup General, No day waits for a sleeping boy, the sooner you wake up, the sooner we can go gift shopping. I have, however, provided you with a salute to your stature as our newest general-don’t ask what happened to the old one.” Joe had some paper in his paw, and began to read off from it.
“Ahem...To thou that has thy rank, congrats on achievement, for it is bestowed upon from the Red Queen-That’s your mother. Many will fall for your leadership, and under your banner if you wake up now, so we can get a move on, yeah?” Jonny simply stirred in his sleep.
“Our enemies are relentless, and dark, They come from a great power unknown to us mere mortals, so it is with great dignity that I call you, ‘General.’ You must face the waves of other shoppers shopping in shops while we shop the shopping shoppers, to bring great honor to thy family’s name, with a gift.” Jonny mumbled something inaudible, and peeked a bit open with his eyes.
“So! The thing stirs!”
“Daaaaaad...!”
“Hey there champ, I’m not sure if you heard me, but we have to go gift shopping for your mother. “
Oh yeah, Mother’s day was tomorrow. Jonny was just waking up. In fact, he just trailed off in the middle of his thou-…
Jonny, like a brick, fell back to sleep.
Joe stood up and basked in the rooms light. His fur was a light orange like his son’s, Hazel eyes, and a proud demeanor, if somewhat chaotic. He turned around and saluted a red vixen standing in the doorway. “My queen, the General is down!”
Kerry rolled her green eyes and placed a paw at her hip. “Well, Mr. Red Blade, Is the touch of life suppose to work here?”
Joe laughed though his teeth. “Yes indeed! Go wake’em up honey.”
Kerry chuckled, and walked over to the side of the bed, sitting beside the lump of knocked out fox. She brushed his bangs off his closed eyes, and the boy began to stir.
“Mmm...five more minutes mommy...”
Cute little tyke. “Okay little Joe-Joe, five more minutes. There is a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage in the kitchen for you. Don’t sleep too long, or it will get cold.” Petting the child’s hair, she leaned down and kissed his forehead.
“Nuu...I don’t wanna go to school...I wanna stay home and bake cookies with y-zzz...”
He was out again.
Smiling and getting up, Kerry padded over to her husband. She wrapped an arm around his and grabbed his paw. “Let’s leave the sleepy one for now. I’ll get your coffee ready so you two can beat the rest of the shoppers.”
“Oh no you don’t honey,” he rubbed his nose on hers, “You’ve already done enough. Go sit on the couch and watch your soaps. Consider this day a special day, too.”
“Aww, baby...”
“This way if we don’t get you anything tomorrow, we’ll be scot free!”
“Oh you ass!”
They both laughed and kissed each other in the doorway, leaving the dreamer to his peace.
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The day was young, and pitter patters of foot paws came into the kitchen where Jonny’s dad drank from a mug of coffee, and reading a news paper. The cub covered his mouth in a yawn, motioning over to a plate of eggs and sausage on the table.
“Mornin son.”
“Good morning...dad.” He yawned again. Pulling up the chair, Jonny sat groggily, attempting to stab the scrambled goodness. It was a lot of effort apparently, he grunted every time the fork sunk into a fluffy egg.
“So,” began Joe, “Have you been sleeping with the cows?”
Jonny’s eyes met his fathers. “What?”
He just grinned. “I ask because your hair is sticking up. Did a cow lick you in your sleep, son?”
“Daaad!~ Noooo!~” The poor irritated boy grunted even louder when he stabbed his sausage.
Joe thought it was pretty funny. Until his better half had to have a word from the adjacent living room. “Are you pestering that poor boy?”
“You haven’t seen him honey, his hair is sticking up like a peacock!” He said loud enough so she could hear over her soap operas.
“Daaaaad!~”
A moment later mom took a peek inside the kitchen. “Oh dear lord- Jonny! Look at that cow lick! Have you been sleeping with the cows?!” Joe laughed, his hair was sticking all around!
“Mooooooom!~”
Pitying the cub, mother licked her paw while shuffling over to him. She gave long strokes on his hair in an attempt to tame it. She was somewhat successful. “My boy isn’t going to go shopping looking like he has bed head.” Joe was enjoying this, until she gave him a stern look. “That goes for both my boys. You especially. Don’t think I don’t know you.” She pointed an accusing finger at her husband, who chuckled and drank from his mug.
Jonny finished up his breakfast without much more interruption. Joe and Jonny soon set out find a gift for the loving mother, and wife in their lives.
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