Toon It Up: Gator Cheers Preview (Patreon)

Barry nodded and stepped to the side. Two kids, a young girl named Connie and a young boy named Danny, poked their heads in soon after. They looked concerned, staring long at their mother without a word.

Connie gulped [“Hi, mommy.”] and was the first to step forward. In her hands was a large Christmas bag. It had been awkwardly stuffed with paper, spilling and threatening to fall right out. The eight year-old spoke, “I-I-we got you something!”

Danny stepped into the room then. “It’s to help make you feel better!”

Barry chuckled, “All the kids’ idea before you ask. Didn’t put them up to this at all. Got the bag, paper, and even the present all themselves.”

Danny nodded. “Ah-huh! This pink dog gave us this gift on our way home from school!”

“She was really pink and really BIG!” Connie added, nodding her head faster than her brother. “But she was super nice!”

Alice gave them an odd look, but it wasn’t all that odd to her. Her kids loved their silly stories and lies. Barry probably just bought something they picked out even though… he did look a little weird when they mentioned the dog.

Connie came up to the bedside and held the bag up to Alice, who took it with the warmest smile she could give. She pulled out the paper, most of it just a big, crumpled-up ball at this point. At the bottom, she found a curious item.

It was a stuffed alligator plushie. Alice pulled it out for a closer look. It was very chubby with bright green fuzz, black eyes, and a thick tail. It had a bright smile sowed into his muzzle.

Cute, I guess, she thought. Admittedly, she wasn’t into alligators all that much. However, the thought is what counted the most. She looked down at her two kids, huddled against the bed, looking up at her with big, bright eyes. She smiled, and they lit up.

Barry smiled as well. “Well, I leave you three alone. Gotta go whip us up some lunch.”

The door closed as he left, but the kids didn’t notice. They were too transfixed on their mom smiling. Alice reached down and ruffled Connie’s hair and pat Danny on the head. “Thank you so much, I really like it. It’s… cute~.”

Connie bounced up and down. “Oh oh oh! Do you feel better now, mommy?”

Alice flinched. Keep it cool. She took a deep breath and kept up her smile. “Y-yes. I feel better now… ish. Your present hit the spot.”

“Oh… is that it?” Danny’s words were like daggers. It was hard to lie to them, especially when it was to help them and wasn’t even working.

Still, she had to try for their sake. “I’m okay,” she cooed softly, “I’m just feeling-”

GUUUUUUUUUUUURGLE!

The kids nearly jumped a foot in the air. Alice’s face went completely red. Her eyes slowly looked down, almost making a comical door creak. Her stomach had loudly rumbled and bellowed. It yearned for something.

Alice chuckled, looking and feeling awkward. She had to quickly switch topics. “Umm, you see, I feel… I feel…”

Guuuurgle. Her pupils dilated. Something was brewing inside her.