Twelve Days (It takes two): Day 2

It was 10.30am and Ryan and Amber were currently shivering in unison by the bandstand. Today there was no band instead there was a clamour of dog owners and their pooches. Ryan had been under the impression that other people in his class were also having babies, but the average age of those gathered must have been 75 at least, and he began to doubt that he was in the right class.
“Okay class…attention please…” a deep voiced woman bellowed from just behind Ryan but when he turned she was tiny.
“It’s time for a roll call. If you will all please come over and form a circle in that more open area over there then that’d be great. Ok. Let’s start then, Percy Chapman and Snappy…”
“Here”
“Dot Wightman and Leona…”
There were about 12 people with dogs, not including the trainer, and Ryan was the last name to be called.
“Okay, now let’s start with a short warm up. We shall slowly jog around this part of the park in a circular route. Now let’s go, you can lead us Mabel, that’s it, hold firmly on Baxter’s lead”
Ryan started to jog away with Amber when he heard the trainer call him back.
“Hello Ryan, my name is Tina, welcome to the class. You may have noticed that your classmates aren’t about to be new parents like yourself, but obedience training is the same regardless. I had booked you win with the other new parents who all started on the 17^th but …you missed that one, and this was the only class that had space. Sadly… but luckily for you, one became available at the last minute, poor Mr Jenkins and Toto…” she gazed off into the distance as if deep in thought, “…anyway, you’re here and you’re ready to learn? “
“Yes, I was born ready…” the silence drifted like tumbleweed between them as his flippancy fell flat on its face.
“I hope you intend to take this class seriously Ryan. It’s a big responsibility becoming a parent and you need to be ready. A part of that is making sure that you bring your baby home to a safe environment and it is my job to make sure that you are able to do that with a well behaved bitch”
Ryan felt quite uncomfortable, she was more than a little condescending, but he knew that she was right and he stood up straight and gave her his serious face. It seemed to do the trick, and they were dismissed and sent to jog around the park with the others.
The class was much more physical than he had thought and after 45 minutes he was huffing and puffing with the rest of them. It worried him slightly that he was as tired as those 30, 40 and even 50 years older than him. He made a mental note to get back to the gym in the new year.  Tina signalled for them to take a break and blew her whistle. Ryan collapsed on a nearby bench and Amber laid at his feet panting.
“You alright lad? You look shattered. Not used to making the old ticker do some work, eh?”
“Sorry?” Ryan looked up to see one of the class members sit down next to him on the bench. He was probably in his late 70s, had a gentle stoop, was very slight and pale but with a full head of white hair. Sat next to him was a Dalmatian.
“Erm, I’m just resting, I’m ok. What about you?”
“I’m good thanks lad. Still life in the old dog yet. So tell me…what are you doing in this class with all us oldies?”
Ryan told the old man, who said his name was Thomas, about missing the first class and about having his first baby with Sarah and he found that talking to the stranger was easy and he felt able to admit that he was scared about letting them both down.
“You know what laddie, there are really only five things that a kid needs and if you get them sorted then it will be plain sailing; if that is the one thing I have learnt about parenting in my 87 years, it’s that.”
Ryan was surprised at the man’s age and impressed that he might have some wisdom to impart, he needed all the help he could get.
“So tell me Thomas, what are the five things?” He was thinking he might be able to do them all before the in-laws arrived for Christmas.
“Well, let me see now;

1. A kid needs a roof over their head – don’t want them getting wet
2. Make sure they are fed and watered – don’t want them starving
3. They need to be clothed – keeps ‘em warm and cosy, right.
4. They need to be loved and feel like they’re loved – makes em grow up ‘appy and finally
5. You have to relax – some days it will seem like a crazy idea and nigh on impossible, but trust me, you sort out 1 to 4 and you can relax. “

“Wow! That’s a pretty good list. I shall try my best to make sure I do all those things.”
Now, if Ryan had learnt anything last Christmas it was that if he had a plan, then he was pretty good at following it. His brain was already working overtime on how he was going to make sure he could check everything off the list. He told himself, “Starting from tomorrow, I shall have five days till the in-laws arrive, five steps in five days. It’ll be a breeze!”