Monkey Mikey

Michael sighed as he watched the waves, grumpily pushing his hair out of his face. Last summer, he would have loved being on vacation here by the ocean, but now? Now his entire life had turned upside down, it felt like. New undies. New hairstyle. So, so many new rules.


He cried out as hands slipped under his bare arms and spun him around before pulling him into his brother's arms.


"Mitchell!" He whined. Mitchell laughed, his voice much deeper than his older brother's.


"I must've startled you, huh, Monkey?" Michael sighed and squirmed as Mitchell held him against his chest. "Cuz someone forgot his good boy greeting."


"Hi, dada." He mumbled.


"That's right. Why am I dada?"


"You know why!"


"Well, a coconut fell from a tree and bonked me on the head!" Mitchell said with a laugh. He sat down on a beach chair, setting Michael in his lap. "C'mon, Monkey Mikey. Tell me why I'm dada."


"Cuz I have mommy. And daddy. So you're dada." It made him feel weird calling his younger brother another word for dad, but questioning it too much always earned him a spanking. Or, as Mitchell called it in the weird baby language he always used with Michael, 'pow-pows on the bumbum'.


"What were you thinking about? Looked pretty serious."


"Uh, my hair." He said truthfully. His brother smiled.


"Oh! Were you remembering how much fun you had getting it cut last week?" Calling it a haircut seemed like an insult to haircuts. All they had done was clean it up and left him still looking like a mop-headed toddler. The last real proper haircut he had had had been just before vacation last year. "Remember? You wore your monkey shirt and sang your jungle song for everyone there." He hugged him. "Give me a kiss." He squirmed, but complied. "Attaboy. You love your hair, don't you?" He bounced him slightly to get his attention. "Don't you?"


"Yes, dada."


"Attaboy. It's almost six, so let's go feed you some dinner and then it'll be time for Monkey Mikey to go to beddy byes! Aren't you excited to see your new jimmy jams?" It took him a minute to figure out that meant pajamas. He knew the answer though.


"Yes, dada."