A little princess

"Stop grinning at me so creepily! It's unbearable." Jacques put the glass of gin back on the counter. Claudio became more and more unbearable by each passing minute. Jacques could only shake his head at his friend's strange behavior and frown.

"I'm not smiling!"

"Hell, then don't laugh like a love-struck schoolgirl!"

"I'm not laughing."

"Stop doing whatever it is you're doing! It's annoying."

"Why so cranky? It's my cheerful side. I'm a fucking ray of sunshine in this darkness of desolation. Not a cloud will obscure this sunshine."

"Have you swallowed Shakespeare?" Jacques snorted before he reached for the glass again and poured its contents down in one go. The ice cubes clattered as he slammed the glass back onto the counter. He didn't know why but weddings were a source of nervousness for him. He didn't understand Alexandre, who couldn't wait for the ceremony to begin. Nor did he understand how Phillipe could let his fiancée boss him around like crazy.

"Addy come to your uncle." Claudio called out with a ghostly, amused voice before he slipped down from the bar stool and squatted down. With open arms the little child waddled to Claudio, who lifted the toddler up and then pinched his nose. "Well, your uncle will soon make you a little princess to play with." Claudio chuckled.

"A princess?" Adrien tilted his small head to the side and stared at Claudio from wide open eyes.

"A very beautiful princess. She'll be so damn pretty, cute and intelligent." Claudio was thrilled when he pinched the chubby cheek of the boy. Yes, a little princess. A little sunshine, who would look like his mother. His mother wanted grandchildren, he would give her a little sweet girl, who she could spoil in every way. He didn't know why either, but suddenly he wanted a little princess. If it were a boy, they would have to keep trying, of course. But the thought that he would be the father of a super sweet little princess with red hair and rosy cheeks made him smile.

"Did you knock someone up?" Jacques cried out in shock.

"In the near future."

"How shall we take that?" Emile stared at him while he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose using his index finger.

"My fiancée has accepted my marriage proposal. We will marry soon."

"Sounds like you like her." Emile soberly noted.

"I only follow Fortune. Who am I to stand in the way of fate?"

"Is there some kind of wedding virus going around. Only five were left. Who's next?" Jacques decided to rip the gin bottle out of the bartender's hand. He needed a double.

"My dear uncle was married five times and gave me marriage advice before he married wife number six. Marriage is like a walk in the park. Jurassic Park." Stephan chuckled and patted Claudio's shoulder. "I wish you good luck, my friend."

Cheerfully the men raise their glasses over their heads for this occasion.

"Uncle, what is a Jurassic Park?" Adrien stared at Claudio with a round mouth.

"A place you must beware of, little man. With many monsters and dangerous creatures." Stephan said unceremoniously. "When you grow up, you must hide from marriage. Understood?"

Adrien blinked with his round eyes, but still didn't get what the blond uncle meant to say. "Like in a fairy tale. With bad wolves and dragons and witches?"

Claudio turned around with the toddler on his arms. He was tired of listening to all the bullshit of his friends. With the little boy in his arms he stomped out of the room. "Don't listen to those stupid uncles."

"Why?" The toddler asked in a soft voice.

"They talk nonsense. You mustn't believe a word they say. Do you get it?"

Adrien still didn't understand anything, but nodded with a serious face and puffed cheeks.

"Good boy, shall we go look for your Auntie Nelli?" Immediately Adrien began to grin and exposed a shiny white row of small baby teeth.