Every time you make a move

Mother's day

Garden Lodge

"How was your mum?" Monica asked Phoebe as they stood together at the hob, her stirring the gravy in a small saucepan.

"Proud to see me," He put the oven mittens on. "I stayed for a bit and we talked... she's always wondering how 'the little twins' are"

She giggled as she pulled a gravy boat out of the drawer, "Aww... you must take them to meet her one day"

"She has a dozen ornaments. I don't want them braking anything" he bent down and opened the oven door.

"Well there are a dozen ornaments here too," she said, carefully pouring the contents of the saucepan into the boat. "I think they'd be careful enough... if Freddie wouldn't mind them going"

"Wouldn't mind what?" A voice interrupted.

Monica turned around to find Freddie at the doorway wearing his smart black dinner jacket and tie, hair now dried and gelled back. It was no secret that he was still desperate to seek his father's approval.

"Well, look at you all scrubbed up! I was just talking to Phoebe about taking Johnny and Roshni to see his mother. She's fond of them apparently." She explained

"I see, well that's nice. Need me to put anything on the dining table?" He offered.

She shook her head, and her eyes glanced down to find that he was wearing a pair of trainers on his feet.

"Still a little boy inside of you somewhere" she shook her head and giggled, walking over to fix his tie.

He put his hands on her waist, "It is Mother's Day after all. My mum still calls me her boy"

"Are you going to play us all something tonight in the piano room after dinner?" She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Perhaps... any special requests?" He grinned.

She shrugged, smoothing the corners of his moustache, "surprise us"

"Oh, that's quite a popular one. But it will do" he purred.

She leaned in and kissed his freshly shaven cheek, "Alright then, Peter Pan."

The alarm from the intercom suddenly went off on the wall.

"Granny and Grandad!" Johnny and Roshni's squeals and footsteps rang though the house from upstairs.

"I've got it!" Phoebe lifted his apron over his head, rushing to the front door before the twins could.

"God, I hope they do nothing to embarrass me," Freddie grumbled at the sound of the commotion, turning to head out of the kitchen. "It seems every time my family comes to visit, they always do something... like that time they ran out into the garden and played in the mud when Kash was over"

"They already embarrassed you this morning by filming you," she rubbed his shoulders, "that's enough humiliation for them to inflict on you in one day."

How wrong she was.

*****

"More mash?" Phoebe came into the dining room with a small amount of potato left in the saucepan just as everyone around the table was finishing their meal.

"Me!" Roshni shot her hand up into the air.

"What's the magic word, darling?" Freddie reached over and tucked her napkin underneath her shirt more securely.

"Please" she chirped, and Phoebe dumped the small spoonful left onto her plate as the rest of the adults chuckled.

"So, did you get anything nice?" Jer asked as leaned over to Monica's ear as she coaxed Johnny to finish the rest of his peas.