"Awww, its OK Dilly" Tommy spoke up "Don't be ascared". He knew that it was morning but not quite the usual time he woke up because his mom wasn't making a yummy smelling breakfast and he couldn't hear his daddy singing in the shower. Even Grandpa Lou hadn't come into his room complaining yet and Spike wasn't ready to take him on another adventure. Tommy thought for a moment. "I thinks it's not quite morning yet," he said to himself. The more firmly he said " And asides, it can't be morning a'cos Dilly usually wakes me up when he cries for mom"

If it wasn't quite morning then no one was there to take care of Dil or him either. That meant Dil was his 'sponsitility'. Tommy quietly got up from his big boy's bed glancing at the open storybook on the floor beside his bed. He picked his way through the toys and assorted junk that littered their floor and un-did the latch on Dil's crib. As carefully as he could he lifted his baby brother out and sat him on the floor. As Dil hit the floor he screwed up his eyes and his little face turned a deep shade of red. He let out a wail that made Tommy drop his grasp on his brothers purple Pj's. Tommy stood back from his screaming brother and looked at him with complete surprise. His hands found their way to his ears and his eyes were wide and he just watched Dil in amazement, not really knowing what to do.

Tommy looked toward the door of his room and saw a pink fluffy slipper come into view. Didi slowly walked into Tommy and Dil's room, tying a robe around her as she did so. At the site of his mom, Tommy took his hands away from his ears and smiled sweetly up at her.

"Good morning Sweetie" she said softly, with a yawn. She picked up the still screaming Dil from where he lay on the floor. Didi didn't seem to notice that Dil's crib was un-latched or that Tommy had taken him out, in fact she didn't seem to notice Tommy at all. As Didi paced the room, Tommy's eyes welled up with tears as he realised that his mom wasn't talking to him, that she hadn't even noticed that he was there.

"What's Up with Dil?" a concerned Stu asked as he came into the room walking straight past a sobbing Tommy who had moved himself towards the door, hoping that SOMEONE would notice him. Stu didn't see him, preoccupied with his new baby and how tired he was. Tommy watched his parents cradle and nurse Dil, all the while tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked down at his feet and stood perfectly still just listening to the comforting voices of his mom and dad. They were voices that had reassured him when he dreamt about monsters and people who played with him, but most of all they loved him more than anything else in the whole world. As Tommy stood outcast from the family group he wasn't so sure.

Didi sighed and handed Dil into his father's waiting arms. "What are we going to do, Stu?" she asked. Stu shook his head slowly, his eyes opening and closing in an attempt to stay awake.