Baby Talk

Taquitos (again)

3.87 today at sam's for regular.  60 cents a gallon less than 10 days ago

Jewish. 

Buddist 

Chapter 63: By the time they finally left Universal Studios Hollywood, the sky above Los Angeles had begun turning soft shades of orange and pink.   The park behind them still buzzed with energy—music echoing through the entrance plaza, excited families carrying souvenirs, lights beginning to flicker on across the rides and themed lands.   Chris looked completely exhausted.   And completely happy.   The combination was honestly adorable.   His Mario hoodie hung half-unzipped now, his cap slightly crooked from the long day, and he clutched three important possessions against his chest like priceless treasures: Ollie, his wand, and the chocolate frogs.   Every few steps he yawned dramatically.   Yet somehow he still kept talking.   “And then the dragon ROARED—”   “Uh huh.”   “And Mario waved at me TWICE.”   “I saw.”   “And the tram part with the flood?”   Bill laughed softly. “Buddy, I was there.”   Chris grinned tiredly.   The excitement still buzzed through him even though his body was clearly reaching its limit.   Outside the park entrance, evening traffic rolled steadily through Universal City while glowing signs illuminated the sidewalks. Bill ordered a cab while Chris leaned sleepily against him beneath the warm California evening air.   The moment they climbed into the backseat, Chris practically melted sideways against Bill.   Done.   Completely done.   Bill smiled sympathetically and gently adjusted the blanket from the diaper bag across Chris’s lap.   “Tired?”   Chris nodded instantly without even opening his eyes.   “Mhm.”   The cab pulled away from Universal, weaving through the glowing Los Angeles streets while the city shifted fully into nighttime around them.   Streetlights reflected across windows.   Palm trees swayed in the warm breeze.   Restaurants and shops buzzed with evening crowds.   Beside him, Chris grew quieter and quieter.   Then Bill felt it.   The familiar subtle stillness.   The relaxed little sigh.   The slight squirm afterward.   Bill glanced down knowingly.   Chris opened one eye immediately, already embarrassed.   “…Don’t say it.”   Bill grinned.   “Wasn’t gonna.”   “Yes you were.”   “A little.”   Chris groaned softly and buried his face against Bill’s shoulder.   “I was too tired to hold it.”   Bill rubbed his back gently.   “It’s okay, buddy.”   Honestly, after a day this long, Bill was just impressed Chris was still functioning at all.   By the time they reached the hotel, Chris could barely keep his eyes fully open anymore.   The elevator ride upstairs felt quiet and peaceful after the overwhelming sensory chaos of the theme park. Chris leaned heavily against Bill while clutching Ollie and occasionally yawning hard enough his entire body curled inward.   Once inside the hotel room, the familiar quiet immediately helped both of them relax.   The city lights glowed warmly through the massive windows while distant traffic hummed below.   Bill set the souvenirs carefully on the dresser while Chris collapsed face-first onto the bed dramatically.   “I can’t move.”   Bill laughed while pulling supplies from the diaper bag.   “Unfortunately for you, we still gotta get cleaned up.”   Chris made a muffled whining noise into the blankets.   A few minutes later, the bathroom filled with warm light and the sound of running water while Bill carefully helped Chris out of his park clothes.   The extent of the day became obvious immediately.   Sticky syrup stains.   Sweat.   Wrinkled clothes.   And an absolutely soaked diaper.   Bill raised an eyebrow playfully.   “Somebody really committed to the full theme park experience.”   Chris looked too tired to even argue properly.   “I walked like… a hundred miles.”   “It was at least a million.”   Chris snorted sleepily.   The diaper change itself stayed calm and gentle, Bill talking quietly the entire time while Chris leaned tiredly against him.   “You had a pretty incredible day.”   Chris nodded immediately.   “Best day ever.”   “Better than Vegas?”   Chris gasped softly like this was emotionally unfair.   “…Different.”   Bill laughed.   “Fair answer.”   Once cleaned up, Chris changed into soft pajamas while Bill swapped into comfortable clothes himself. The fresh clean feeling helped immediately.   But then Chris surprised Bill by suddenly perking up again.   “Can we go eat?”   Bill blinked.   “You’re hungry again?”   Chris looked deeply offended.   “We walked a million miles.”   “…Right. My mistake.”   Soon they headed back downstairs and out into the warm LA evening once more.   The city felt completely different at night.   Neon signs glowed across sidewalks while music drifted from bars and restaurants. Cars rolled endlessly through intersections while crowds filled outdoor patios beneath strings of lights.   Eventually they found a retro diner glowing brightly on a corner beneath a flickering neon sign.   Inside, everything smelled incredible.   Coffee.   Fried food.   Maple syrup.   The booths were bright red vinyl while old songs played softly from a jukebox near the counter.   Chris immediately loved it.   Then Bill pointed at something on the menu.   “Chicken and waffles.”   Chris blinked.   “…What?”   Bill smiled.   “It’s a thing.”   Chris stared at him like he’d lost his mind.   “You can have chicken AND breakfast?”   “Apparently.”   Chris looked emotionally overwhelmed by this discovery.   “That’s genius.”   A little while later, enormous plates arrived stacked with crispy fried chicken, fluffy waffles, syrup, butter, and fries.   Chris stared in awe.   “This is beautiful.”   Bill burst out laughing.   Watching Chris eat quickly became an adventure of its own.   Syrup somehow ended up everywhere almost immediately.   On his fingers.   On the table.   On his cheek.   At one point Bill watched in disbelief as Chris accidentally got syrup on Ollie’s ear.   “How does that even happen?”   “I dunno!”   Chris dissolved into giggles while Bill wiped syrup off both child and plushie with napkins.   Despite the mess, though, the meal turned out incredible.   Warm comfort food after a massive exhausting day.   The diner buzzed softly around them while they shared fries and laughed quietly together beneath the neon glow.   By the time they finally returned to the hotel later that night, Chris looked completely drained again.   The moment the room door closed behind them, Bill smiled knowingly.   “Bath?”   Chris perked up immediately.   “With bubbles?”   “Lots.”   The giant hotel bathtub quickly filled with mountains of foam while warm steam wrapped around the bathroom. Chris sank happily into the bubbles with a relieved sigh so dramatic it made Bill laugh.   “Good?”   “I live here now.”   Bill gently shampooed his hair while Chris lazily played with the bubbles, still talking quietly about Universal between yawns.   “The castle looked real…”   “Mhm.”   “And Mario waved…”   “He definitely did.”   Eventually Bill wrapped him in a huge fluffy hotel towel and carried him back into the room where the city lights still glittered endlessly outside the windows.   Soon Chris sat curled beside Bill on the massive hotel bed wearing fresh pajamas and holding a warm bottle while television light flickered softly across the room.   Some random movie played quietly in the background.   Neither of them paid much attention to it.   Chris slowly melted sideways against Bill beneath the blankets while Ollie rested tucked between them.   The exhaustion from the day settled heavily now.   But so did the happiness.   Bill wrapped one arm gently around him while Chris cuddled closer sleepily.   “Today was really fun,” Chris mumbled around a yawn.   Bill smiled softly into his hair.   “Yeah, buddy. It really was.”   Outside, Los Angeles sparkled endlessly beneath the night sky.   Inside the hotel room, though, everything felt warm and still and safe as the two of them quietly relaxed together after one of the best days of the trip.     Chapter 64: Soft gray morning light filtered through the hotel curtains while Los Angeles slowly woke outside the windows.   The city looked quieter at this hour.   Muted.   Calm.   Far below, early traffic crawled through the streets while palm trees swayed gently in the cool morning breeze. The glowing nightlife from the evening before had faded, replaced now by soft sunrise colors stretching across the skyline.   Inside the hotel room, everything remained peaceful.   Chris was still deeply asleep in the portable crib beside the bed, completely tangled in blankets again. Ollie rested tucked beneath his chin while Elvis and Patches formed their usual protective pile around him.   Bill sat quietly on the edge of the bed for a moment simply watching him.   Their last morning in Los Angeles.   Their last major stop before the long journey home.   The realization hit Bill unexpectedly hard.   This trip had somehow flown by and lasted forever at the same time.   Every city.   Every roadside stop.   Every quiet hotel room morning.   Every huge unforgettable adventure.   Bill smiled softly to himself before finally leaning over and gently rubbing Chris’s back.   “Hey, buddy.”   Chris shifted slightly beneath the blankets but didn’t wake.   Bill chuckled quietly.   “Rise and shine.”   A tiny sleepy groan.   Then silence again.   Bill smiled wider.   “Okay,” he whispered dramatically. “Guess I’ll go to Venice Beach alone.”   One eye opened immediately.   “…Rude.”   Bill laughed softly.   “There he is.”   Chris blinked slowly up at him, still half asleep and warm from the blankets. His hair stuck out wildly while faint pacifier marks rested on his cheeks again.   “What time is it?”   “Early-ish.”   Chris narrowed his eyes suspiciously.   “That means it’s bad.”   Bill grinned.   “Well… today’s the beach day.”   That got Chris’s full attention instantly.   “The beach?”   “Venice Beach.”   The sleepiness on Chris’s face slowly melted into excitement.   “Really?”   Bill nodded warmly.   “Really.”   Chris sat up slowly in the crib, blankets pooled around his lap while morning sunlight caught softly in his messy hair.   For a moment he just smiled.   Not the huge explosive excitement from Universal.   Something quieter.   Happier.   The trip was nearing its end, and part of Chris could feel that too. But hearing they still had one more adventure left made warmth bloom in his chest.   “Okay,” he whispered sleepily. “That’s worth waking up for.”   Bill smiled immediately.   “That’s what I thought.”   A few minutes later, the bathroom lights glowed warmly while Bill handled the familiar morning routine.   The overnight diaper check quickly confirmed exactly what Bill expected.   “Yep,” Bill said gently. “Definitely needed this.”   Chris yawned dramatically while leaning against Bill’s shoulder.   “I was really tired.”   “You had a pretty big week.”   Chris smiled sleepily at that.   The diaper change stayed quiet and gentle while the hotel room slowly brightened with morning light behind them. Afterward, Bill handed Chris half of a warmed bottle while helping him settle onto the edge of the bed.   Chris held it with both hands while still waking up fully, Ollie tucked securely beside him.   Bill moved around the room organizing the last of their belongings—charging cords, souvenirs, extra clothes, tickets, plushies.   The room looked lived in now.   Like a temporary little home they were slowly dismantling.   Chris watched quietly while sipping his bottle.   A strange emotional feeling settled over him.   He missed home a little.   But he also didn’t want this trip to end.   Not even close.   Eventually Bill opened one of the suitcases again and pulled out beach clothes.   “Alright,” he announced. “Time for California beach mode.”   Chris perked up immediately.   The outfit included a bright blue rash guard, lightweight swim trunks patterned with tiny sharks, flip flops, sunglasses, and underneath it all—   A swim diaper.   Chris groaned dramatically the second he saw it.   “Daaaad.”   Bill laughed.   “What? We’re going to the beach.”   “I know but it’s weird.”   “It’s practical.”   Chris still looked mildly offended but allowed Bill to help him get dressed anyway.   Once everything was on, though, he secretly loved how he looked.   The shark swim trunks especially.   Bill noticed him admiring them in the mirror.   “You look ready for vacation.”   Chris grinned shyly.   “I kinda do.”   Soon the hotel room became a whirlwind of final packing and organization.   Bill double-checked everything carefully.   Phone chargers.   Wand.   Chocolate frogs.   Mario souvenirs.   Extra diapers.   Beach towels.   Sunscreen.   Meanwhile Chris sat cross-legged on the bed hugging Ollie while watching the room slowly empty around them.   Part of him felt emotional seeing it.   This room had become part of the adventure too.   The breakfasts.   The bubble baths.   The cuddling after long days.   Universal tickets spread across the desk.   Late night movies together.   Bill noticed Chris getting quiet.   “You okay?”   Chris nodded slowly.   “Just don’t want it to end.”   Bill’s chest tightened softly.   “Me neither, buddy.”   That honest answer made Chris smile a little.   Eventually they loaded everything onto the luggage cart and headed downstairs together.   The hotel lobby buzzed softly with checkout activity while morning sunlight streamed through the massive front windows. Travelers rolled suitcases across marble floors while coffee aromas drifted from a nearby café.   Bill handled checkout calmly while Chris leaned against the luggage cart still holding Ollie and watching the busy lobby around them.   “You excited for the beach?” Bill asked.   Chris nodded immediately.   “Mhm.”   “What are you most excited for?”   Chris thought carefully.   “The ocean.”   Bill smiled.   “Good answer.”   Outside, warm California air wrapped around them instantly.   Their car waited nearby loaded with luggage while the city stretched endlessly around them beneath the brightening morning sky.   Soon they were settled back inside the SUV again.   Back on the road.   Chris curled comfortably into his seat surrounded by plushies, beach towels, snacks, and souvenirs from the trip. His flip flops rested kicked off near the floor while sunlight flickered warmly across the windows as they pulled into traffic.   Bill glanced over at him while driving.   “Ready for one last adventure?”   Chris looked out toward the distant glimpse of ocean-blue sky appearing between buildings.   Then he smiled softly.   “Yeah.”