Friends are for cuddling! Oh, good, I think I like both those things then. I grin back at Momma and hop closer to my new uncle friend, and am about to snuggle up next to him when he clears his throat. I pause in my frolicky approach and blink up at him, puzzled by his response. Uncles are not for cuddling? I look back at Momma, my brow wrinkling and a little frown twisting my lips just a teensy bit. In a direction that is a lot less cozy and nice than when a smile happens. Huh.
“Not for cuddling?” What is this ‘not for cuddling’ business? Momma isn’t looking at me, though, she’s looking at Uncle Kade with an expression I don’t know yet. “I don’t get it,” I tell her, and she glances back at me, her expression softening into a familiar little smile. “Why would uncles not be for cuddling, Momma? They aren’t mean, they’re family, right?”
She reaches out to brush her soft, soft nose against my neck and my shoulder, and I wiggle all happy-like and my eyes drift closed as I nuzzle the side of her face. “No, baby girl, some uncles are just a little more shy than others is all. But if somebody doesn’t want to be cuddled, we don’t cuddle them. Just like if for some reason you ever don’t want somebody cuddling you, they need to respect that and not cuddle you anyhow. Right?”
While the idea of wanting somebody not to cuddle me is a very strange one, I suppose Momma is right. If I DID want that, it would not be nice of somebody to cuddle me anyhow. So I sigh and nod and tuck myself back up against Momma’s side and don’t snuggle my new uncle even if he looks very snuggly. Just, well, a secret kind of snuggly that’s hidden under layers of bashful.
He bows to me instead, and I follow suit, because mimicking is I guess my best bet when cuddles aren’t the answer - who knew there were times when cuddles aren’t the answer? “It’s nice to meet you, uhh..uh-KADE-ee-an. That is a lot of sounds to make all in a row, but it is a lovely name. It’s got a pretty sound, and it flows like water dancing across pebbles. Kade is nice too though, and easier to say. Is it okay if I use both? Not all at once because that would be silly, but sometimes one and sometimes the other and probably sometimes Uncle if that’s okay but if you don’t like Uncle I guess that’s fine too.”
Momma breathes out that quiet little laugh again and tugs me a scooch closer with her chin, tucking me against her in a little hug that makes my whole body feel warm and cozy “Breathe, little squish, give him a second to respond, huh?” I wiggle happily in her embrace and rub my face against her shoulder and breathe in her special Mommy smell and nod. Okay. I like breathing. It makes my chest all happy, and I guess sort of helps keep me alive now? Which is still kind of a new thought, but it means I get to be cuddling all sorts of people, or at least a few apparently, and I get to be out and about and exploring the whole wide world.
Oooh.
“Hey so if you don’t want to cuddle with me, which is fine even if it’s weird of you, I guess that’s your…” I trail off and glance up at Momma because there’s a word and I don’t know it and I want it and Momma’s smart and knows lots of hard words, and she smiles and lips at my mane, oooh, I like that. Mmm, I like that lots. And after a quick little mane-nibble, she supplies just the word I was looking for. I assume. Probably.
“Prerogative?”
“Okay! I guess that’s your preror...perga...what she said - Momma, what’s a pergative? progative? purrogative? - would you like to tell me a story? I like stories probably too!” And even if I really, really want to go snuggle up against his side and get all nice and snuggly close, I listen to Momma and respect his boundaries or whatever and just look up at him with my eyes as wide and hopeful as they go. Maybe if he's not a cuddly uncle, he'll be a talky one.
“Not for cuddling?” What is this ‘not for cuddling’ business? Momma isn’t looking at me, though, she’s looking at Uncle Kade with an expression I don’t know yet. “I don’t get it,” I tell her, and she glances back at me, her expression softening into a familiar little smile. “Why would uncles not be for cuddling, Momma? They aren’t mean, they’re family, right?”
She reaches out to brush her soft, soft nose against my neck and my shoulder, and I wiggle all happy-like and my eyes drift closed as I nuzzle the side of her face. “No, baby girl, some uncles are just a little more shy than others is all. But if somebody doesn’t want to be cuddled, we don’t cuddle them. Just like if for some reason you ever don’t want somebody cuddling you, they need to respect that and not cuddle you anyhow. Right?”
While the idea of wanting somebody not to cuddle me is a very strange one, I suppose Momma is right. If I DID want that, it would not be nice of somebody to cuddle me anyhow. So I sigh and nod and tuck myself back up against Momma’s side and don’t snuggle my new uncle even if he looks very snuggly. Just, well, a secret kind of snuggly that’s hidden under layers of bashful.
He bows to me instead, and I follow suit, because mimicking is I guess my best bet when cuddles aren’t the answer - who knew there were times when cuddles aren’t the answer? “It’s nice to meet you, uhh..uh-KADE-ee-an. That is a lot of sounds to make all in a row, but it is a lovely name. It’s got a pretty sound, and it flows like water dancing across pebbles. Kade is nice too though, and easier to say. Is it okay if I use both? Not all at once because that would be silly, but sometimes one and sometimes the other and probably sometimes Uncle if that’s okay but if you don’t like Uncle I guess that’s fine too.”
Momma breathes out that quiet little laugh again and tugs me a scooch closer with her chin, tucking me against her in a little hug that makes my whole body feel warm and cozy “Breathe, little squish, give him a second to respond, huh?” I wiggle happily in her embrace and rub my face against her shoulder and breathe in her special Mommy smell and nod. Okay. I like breathing. It makes my chest all happy, and I guess sort of helps keep me alive now? Which is still kind of a new thought, but it means I get to be cuddling all sorts of people, or at least a few apparently, and I get to be out and about and exploring the whole wide world.
Oooh.
“Hey so if you don’t want to cuddle with me, which is fine even if it’s weird of you, I guess that’s your…” I trail off and glance up at Momma because there’s a word and I don’t know it and I want it and Momma’s smart and knows lots of hard words, and she smiles and lips at my mane, oooh, I like that. Mmm, I like that lots. And after a quick little mane-nibble, she supplies just the word I was looking for. I assume. Probably.
“Prerogative?”
“Okay! I guess that’s your preror...perga...what she said - Momma, what’s a pergative? progative? purrogative? - would you like to tell me a story? I like stories probably too!” And even if I really, really want to go snuggle up against his side and get all nice and snuggly close, I listen to Momma and respect his boundaries or whatever and just look up at him with my eyes as wide and hopeful as they go. Maybe if he's not a cuddly uncle, he'll be a talky one.
pic by Qinni