A Christmas Romance

It was two days before Christmas, and Jasper was sleeping peacefully. The tiny twelve-year-old was stretched out spread-eagled on his little stout cot amid a tangle of his old yellowed Snoopy themed bed sheets; his chestnut brown garland of curls snuggled against a pile of stuffed animals and his lips just slightly parted as he snored - snoozing away the stresses of his first three months at middle school.

Jack entered silently, the high school junior snorting in satisfaction at the sight of his tuckered out baby brother. The little tyke was wearing nothing but a pair of lime green and blue piped Winnie the Pooh briefs - a slightly undersized matching striped vest riding up to reveal his soft smooth belly breathing in and out. Jack knew Jasper would never dare wear such babyish underwear if he thought he might be leaving the house, but it seemed the kid had slacked off laundry duty the last few days of school - and now he was reduced to dredging up relics from his preschool days. Jack didn’t mind. It was the perfect get-up for the day he had in store.

He kneeled down by the bedside, close enough to hear the hushed kitten-like rhythm of his brother’s breathing. The kid really was cut - a lot cuter than most twelve year olds, that was for sure. It could be annoying, especially when Mom insisted on treating him like he was made of glass, but it was also what made his scheme so brilliant. No girl could resist an adorable little kid. He slowly moved his hand up, placing it gently under Jasper’s chin.

“Jay Jay…” he sang in a soothing playful tone, starting to shake him awake. The boy let out a sleepy moan of discontent, cuddling up close to Jack’s arm before falling contentedly comatose again. Jack chuckled, giving up on the gentle approach and pulling back his hand to deliver a sharp slap to the boy’s bare thigh. “Jasper!” he shouted directly in his ear. “Wake up, doofus.”

His brother’s eyes fluttered open at once, recoiling his legs up protectively against his body before he sat up groggily on his brief-clad bottom. “What?” he demanded with a pouty look on his face, letting out a yawn as he stretched his arm high into the air.

“Get up.” Jack told him. “We’re going to the Christmas Fair.”

Jasper waved his hand dismissively, cuddling his comforter up around his chest and turning around as if to go back to sleep. “I don’t wanna…”

Jack stripped back the covers, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him roughly back up into a seated position. “Carla’s gonna be there.” he informed him. “So you don’t have a choice, Jay Jay.” 

The smaller boy’s eyes widened in horror, the babyish nickname alerting him at once to Jack’s plan. Ever since he’d started High School two years ago Jack had employed Jasper as his reluctant wingman, dragging him along on every date. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Jack hadn’t made him adopt the persona of his adorable baby brother ‘Jay Jay’ - making cynical use of his younger brother’s frankly preschool-esque appearance to play the role of the doting big brother. Over the past two years, Jasper had endured play places and mall merry-go-rounds, creches and carnival kiddie rides, he’d even sat in a high chair on one particularly humiliating dinner date - all in the name of furthering his brother’s various romantic endeavours. He’d just about endured it, safe in the knowledge that he’d probably never see the girls again in his life, but now that he was in middle school…

“No way!” he insisted at once, crawling to the corner of his bed and grabbing hold of his comforter again, holding it up like a shield. Jack parried it easily away, latching on to his ankle and hoisting him roughly across the bed before pinning him to the headrest with one hand, starting to sort through his chest of drawers with the other. “Please.” Jasper begged. “You can’t make me do this any more.”

“Chill out.” Jack said calmly, rolling his eyes dismissively at his brother’s display of abject panic. “I’ll buy you a candy cane.”

“What if someone finds out?” the smaller kid whispered. “I see high school kids all the time walking to school and…”

“I said chill out.” Jack interrupted, dumping a pile of too-cute clothes at his feet. “Carla goes to that private girls school across town. So you’re good.”  He decreed.

Jasper went to stutter out another garbled objection, but his brother silenced him with a sarcastic glare. The matter was resolved. Any more fundamental objections to attending the local Christmas Fair dressed as a toddler were irrelevant as far as Jack was concerned.

Jasper kicked at the clothes sceptically, not at all happy with Jack’s selection. He could tell just by a glance that he hadn’t worn any of them since before he was in Kindergarten. Most kids wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally putting on a pair of Spiderman underoos on Gym Day, but Jasper’s Mom refused to let him throw anything out that still fit him. “I gotta take a piss.” he complained, trying to wiggle his way to his feet.

“No time.” Jack shook his head, pushing the kid back flat on the mattress. He started to help him into the bottoms he’d selected - a pair of red and white striped leggings with a cartoonish applique of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer featured prominently on the bum.  He smiled down sweetly, tickling his tummy as he brought the elastic waistband of the leggings up to his belly button. “And remember - in front of Carla you say pee-pee.” He reminded him with a wink.

---

“Someone’s grumpy.” the lady at the facepainting stand observed, dabbing at Jasper’s face with her make-up sponge to put the finishing touch on the masterpiece she’d rendered on his face - a shining ruby red nose.  Jasper growled animalistically at her comment, gritting his teeth and staring daggers at the woman in an impotent display of furious seething loathing. The lady just giggled however, leaving him to flop back in frustration in the restraints of his stroller, little fists clenched furiously on the bumper bar. “Can I see a happy little reindeer fawn?” she enquired, holding up a mirror to let him see the facepaint. She’d gone all out, including a furry white mouth, little spots around his cheeks, and of course two antlers on his forehead.

“No.” Jasper spat, still maintaining his hateful grimace. He looked down, wiggling his toes inside his furry red and black chequered socks. Jack hadn’t bothered to give him any shoes, leaving him with no choice but to sit passively by in the stroller while his big brother wheeled him around the various stalls. Apparently Jack had rented the infantile carriage specially the day before, stowing it away from the view of their parents in the trunk of his car. Jasper didn’t even know you could do that. At least being sat in the stroller hid the reindeer on his butt. Jasper  wasn’t so lucky when it came to the Christmas sweater Jack had picked out. It featured a fluffy baby penguin wrapped in a scarf and hat waddling ridiculously along a bright green background.

“This little reindeer’s got red cheeks as well as a red nose!” the face painter observed with another infuriating tinkling titter, giving Jack a knowing smile.

“He’s just tired.” the highschooler fobbed her off. “Almost time for his nap.”

Jasper had half a mind to yell that he didn’t  need a nap, and that in fact he was twelve years old, but he didn’t get a chance before Jack started to roll him away - leaving him feeling rather unsatisfied. The kid shrunk back in his stroller, scanning every face they passed for someone who might recognize him. The event was being held in a field a good dozen miles out of town, and he’d had to endure another trip in that ridiculous old harness booster in Jack’s car, but he was still sick with nerves. The fair was meant to be raising money for their very own school district, after all.

As they passed the long line for the portapotties, Jasper felt a tug in his bladder. He’d been desperate for the toilet since that morning, Jack refusing to stop at any point in fear he might miss his date with Carla. The little preteen began to bash a fist against the canvas awning over his stroller to get Jack’s attention. His brother ground to a sudden stop, looming down to give him a stern stare.

“Quit it.” he told him.

“Can I go piss yet?” Jasper demanded, pointing a stubby finger impatiently towards the line.

Jack looked strangely anxious, glancing around the crowd. “The line’s still too long.” he eventually said. “We’ll miss Carla.” he began to roll the stroller along again, weaving aimlessly through the anonymous crowds. “Where is she?”

“Face it bro.” Jasper quipped, allowing a sly smile to spread across his face - despite his predicament. “She stood you up.”

In line with the little middle schooler’s luck however, he was instantly proven wrong. “Jack!” a high pitched voice squealed, a pretty brunette in a rather revealing elf costume skipping across from a nearby stall to embrace the bigger brother in an affectionate hug. Jasper’s eyes widened as he sat back leisurely in his stroller, getting a good view of her long slender legs. He wondered how she wasn’t freezing to death - as cold as it was.

“Carla.” Jack greeted just as warmly, hugging her back. He pulled back the awning on the stroller, presenting his adorable sidekick. “This is my little brother Jay Jay.”

“Oh, Jay Jay!” Carla repeated with an enamoured gasp, crouching down to his level and gawping at him as if were a prize lamb. “Look at that adorable little reindeer face. Jackie’s told me so much about you!” she cooed, pulling him forward into a tight hug and pressing his face into her chest. Jasper didn’t resist. Despite his size, he was a boy just like any other in his grade. He could hardly pretend the cuddle was unwelcome.

Still, it seemed Jack’s plan had once again worked like a charm - though this time the ploy hardly seemed necessary. The couple were hanging off of each other like a pair of soppy wet rags. Jasper had never heard anyone call his brother ‘Jackie’ before. He shuddered, hoping he wouldn’t have to watch them kiss.

Eventually, Carla let him loose - rising to her feet again. “That’s my brother, Christopher.” She introduced far less enthusiastically.

“Chris.” a voice corrected gruffly.

Jasper almost choked on his own breath when he saw who it was. There, approaching the three of them in a plain dark grey hoodie, was Chris Jones - the worst bully in the entire 6th grade! Jasper had mostly managed to steer clear of the smirking terror of a little leaguer, his short stature allowing him to quite literally fly under the radar, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t had a couple of run ins with the kid. Once, on just the second day at school, Chris had decided to pants him right in the middle of homeroom. Luckily he’d just been wearing an ordinary pair of red briefs - and not anything like the Winnie the Pooh themed humiliation hiding beneath his Rudolph leggings. If Chris got a glimpse of him now, Jasper thought he might as well ship himself back to Kindergarten and be done with it. A sixth grader in a stroller? He knew the tale would quickly become the stuff of school legend - and the teasing would be no less prodigious.

Jasper racked his brain, retreating further into the back of his stroller and cuddling his legs protectively against his chest. Chris had no interest in him right now - why would he care about some gurgling baby in a pram  - but it was only a matter of time before he put two and two together. Seeing no other option, Jasper enacted a desperate ploy.

“I need the toilet!” he yelled, punching puckishly at the stroller bumper bar again and again. “I gotta go pee-pee!” He tried as well, remembering Jack’s instructions.

To his horror, Jack seemed to ignore him at first, but luckily Carla was more caring. “Shouldn’t you take him?” she asked, sounding a little concerned.

“Oh…yeah, right.” Jack agreed, turning the stroller about - though not before leaning down to shoot Jasper a hateful glare. “Be right back.” he told the girl.

“We could come with you.” she suggested, making the middle schooler’s heart jump into his throat anew.

“No, no it’s alright” Jack insisted, clearly eager not to derail his date. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

As soon as the girl was out of earshot, Jack dropped the nice act. “What the hell was that?” he interrogated furiously, bringing the stroller to a halt in a quiet space next to a picnic bench.

“You didn’t tell me her brother is Chris Jones.” Jasper hissed.

“So what?”

“So he’s like the meanest kid in the school?” Jasper practically yelled “He’s gonna recognize me!”

If he cared at all, Jack didn’t show it - still wearing the same frustrated expression. “You got facepaint on, you’ll be fine.” he dismissed the issue, rustling around in the storage basket under the stroller seat before pushing back the bumper bar. “Stand up.” he instructed, patting the front foot rest.

“Huh?” Jasper asked, looking with confusion at what his brother was holding. It was a vaguely triangular wad of thick papery material, some kind of adhesive liner attached to one side.

“I’m not waiting in that line for an hour.” Jack answered opaquely, before repeating his previous command in a much more angry impatient voice “Stand up!”

Shocked into compliance, Jasper did as he was told - balancing awkwardly on the foot rest in just his fluffy red socks. His brother held him steady with one hand, but then with the other pulled both his leggings and his Winnie the Pooh briefs swiftly down to his ankles! The little preteen gave a terrified yelp, rushing to cover himself, but he only succeeded in losing his balance - totally reliant on his brother wrapping a stabilising hand around his back and underneath his sweater to rest against his soft pudgy belly. “What are you doing?” Jasper demanded, horrified.

“It’s a piddle pad.” Jack explained, adhering the absorbent padding to the inside of the boy’s briefs before pulling them up around his waist again, the leggings following quickly after. He pushed him down onto the seat of the stroller again, Jasper cringing as he felt the papery bulk brush against his inner thigh. “You can pee on it.”

“Like a diaper!?” Jasper yelped, even more outraged than before.

“It’s a piddle pad.” his brother repeated sarcastically, picking up the package and displaying it in front of Jasper’s face as if the product’s exact description made any difference whatsoever. “See?” Sure enough the turquoise packaging read ‘PIDDLE PADS’ in large cartoonish writing, a cartoon image of a little boy sat on a plastic potty pictured underneath along with the subheading ‘Potty train with confidence!’

“No way this is happening…” Jasper growled, but his brother was immovable.

“You can either hold it, or pee in it. I don’t care.” he said matter-of-factly, starting to trundle the stroller back in the direction of where they’d left Carla and Chris.

Immediately confronted with a much bigger problem, Jasper abandoned his defiant attitude, and started to beg. “Please!” he implored. “Just take me back home…or…or maybe there’s like a creche or something! Just don’t take me back-”

He was forced to cut himself off as Carla came into view again, leaning casually on the safety fence in front of the ferris wheel beside her brother Chris. “That was quick.” she noted.

“Why don’t we go on the ferris wheel?” Jack interrupted with an overwhelming smile, coming out from behind the stroller to hook the girl’s arm under his own.

Carla practically squealed in excitement, but her enthusiasm deflated slightly as she locked eyes with Jasper. “Oh, but what about Jay Jay?”

There was another flash of fury on Jack’s face before Chris spoke up. “I don’t mind looking after the baby.” he intoned neutrally. The twelve year old breathed in sharply, snapping his head around to look up at his classmate. He could tell just by the slight upturning of the bully’s lips that the game was up. He’d recognized him! How could he not? Jasper felt like he might throw up right then and then.

“Our Dad’s running the Grotto.” Carla informed them, gesturing vaguely to her elf costume. “Maybe Chris can take the little guy to see Santa Claus?”

“Great.” Jack agreed, not even glancing back as he led his date over to the line for the ride. “I’m sure he’ll have a blast.”

Jasper gulped as Chris advanced on the stroller, the bully’s smirk growing on his face. He considered shouting out a final scream of terror, desperate to find any escape, but it was too late. His brother was already gone.

---

“So, Jay Jay.” Chris narrated smugly, piloting the stroller the short distance over to a large marquee signposted SANTA’S GROTTO ''Have you been a good boy this year?”

“Leave me alone, Chris.” the toddlerfied boy mumbled uselessly, all but confirming his identity. Not that it mattered. He was firmly in the bully’s clutches.

“No way.” Chris scoffed.  “I told your big brother I’d look after you.” He rolled the stroller inside the tent, parking it up at the end of a line of excitable little kids accompanied by their parents. He kneeled down to look Jasper in the eye, shaking his head in giddy disbelief. “God, this is too good.”

“It’s not what it looks like…” Jasper squeaked half-heartedly. “It’s like…a prank!” he decided, but an instinctive wrinkling of his nose gave the truth to the lie.

“It looks like little Jasper is still just a little baby when he’s at home.” Chris mocked cruelly, darting his fingers up under the bumper bar and grabbing up his fluffy-socked feet. He began to tickle them relentlessly, smiling with glee at the whimpering hiccupping laughter spilling involuntarily from his victim’s lips. “Whose a little baby boy?” he teased in a ridiculous high pitched mawkish voice as he continued to tickle him. “You are! Jasper is!”

“Sto-oh-oh-ohhhp!” Jasper whined, feeling his bladder spasm threateningly. He writhed and wriggled in an attempt to escape, but it was useless. Even if he managed to get free for a moment, Chris would grab up his other foot and start tickling even more intensely.

“Say it.” Chris eventually offered, momentarily letting up.

Jasper considered for a moment, his stubborn pride refusing to let him speak, but Chris just shrugged - immediately seizing up his foot and starting to tickle again. It was too much for Jasper. If it went on for just five seconds more, he knew he’d soak his piddle pad. “Imma…Imma baby!” he announced in a screech, too breathless to control his volume.

“The whole thing.” Chris insisted, finishing up on his feet and preparing to dart his hands under Jasper’s sweater to get at the sensitive part of his lower belly.

“I’m a little baby boy!” Jasper screeched before the bully could start again.

Finally, Chris let up for good, jumping up and pushing the stroller forward in the line as if nothing had even happened. The little twelve-year-old took a few heaving breaths, trying to get his voice back. “Please…don’t tell anyone.” he finally managed to huff out, looking up pleadingly through the semipermeable awning.

“Why shouldn’t I?” Chris said smugly. “You seem pretty happy being a baby to me. Maybe everyone should know that’s what you are.”

Jasper let out a single sob, the full gravity of the situation dawning on him. He considered what his life might be like if everyone knew - if Chris even told a single soul. It’d be a rumour that would follow him all the way to high school. He bunched his knees up to his chest again, feeling a single hot tear run down his chest.

“Are you crying?” Chris asked with a guffaw - as if he wouldn’t be balling his eyes out too in Jasper’s position.

“No!” Jasper shot back defiantly, wiping the tear away.

“Aww, poor baby.” Chris mocked, letting him stew in silence for a little before he spoke up again. “Tell you what, how about we make a deal?”

“What?” Jasper asked eagerly. In the state he was in, he would have agreed to anything.

“It seems like your brother likes my sister.” Chris mused. “And we’re gonna be in school together all the way ‘till highschool. So how about this? Every time we see each other, you’ve gotta do exactly what I say. No questions asked. School stuff, family stuff, whatever.”

“What?” Jasper protested, outraged. He wanted him to do anything he asked? Anything at all?  “That’s not fair!”

“You’d do what your big brother says.” Chris observed. “Why not me?” He halted the stroller, leaning down to look him in the eye again. “Or I could just tell everyone about this.” he offered instead.

“No!” Jasper yelped in fright. “No…I’ll…I’ll do what you say.”

“Great.” Chris smiled smugly. “So I guess we can start now.” Without any further ceremony, he reached into the stroller’s basket  - plopping a lime green Winnie the Pooh pacifier directly between Jasper’s surprised parted lips. Jasper went to spit it out at once, but Chris held it in with a finger, wagging another disapprovingly a few inches away from his eyes. “Nuh-uh-uh.” Chris lectured. “You said you’d do what I say. I want you to suck your binky for your visit with Santa.”

“Wheah’ di’ you ge’ tha’?” Jasper babbled clumsily  around the bulb, feeling like he was choking.

“In the stroller.” Chris revealed. “It’s your pacifier, isn’t it?”

Jasper wasn’t sure. He supposed it was possible that Jack had brought it - he had brought the stupid piddle pads, after all. The alternative was that it was left over from whatever kid had rented out the stroller before him. Jasper felt queasy, hoping against hope it was the first option.

Eventually, they reached the front of the line - a portly man in a red suit with a false white beard strapped to his chin sitting on a large fancy-looking chair. “Hey, Dad.” Chris greeted casually, not even attempting to keep up the pretence for the sake of the nearby kids.

Mr Jones was a little more invested in the whole Santa persona. “Ho, Ho, Ho!” he announced in a booming voice, looking down curiously at Jasper sitting in the stroller. “And who’s this little boy?” he asked, seeming genuinely curious as to where his middle school aged son had conjured a toddler from, despite his play acting.

“He’s Jack’s little brother - you know, Carla’s new boyfriend?” he smirked knowingly. “They’re riding the ferris wheel.”

“Oh.” Mr Jones - Santa - took the information in his stride, immediately resuming his character. “Well then come along and sit up on Santa’s knee!” he implored in the same booming voice, patting his broad pudgy thigh.

Chris raised up the bumper bar, pulling Jasper to his feet and grinning maniacally as he patted lightly on the Rudolph decoration adorning the back of his leggings.  “Go on, Jay Jay.” he instructed. “Go see Santa.”

Not seeing any other choice, Jasper toddled across the tarpaulin on the floor in just his socks - taking a few rhythmic sucks on his pacifier as he waddled up to the kindly looking man. As soon as he was within grabbing distance, Mr Jones seized him up under his armpits, lifting him effortlessly to sit on his meaty slab of a knee.

“Oof, someone’s a big boy!” Mr Jones told him jovially, patting him on the back and slowly rocking him up and down. “Or are my reindeer, Rudolph?” he asked playfully, noting his face paint. Jasper fidgeted uncomfortably as he slowly shook his head, feeling an uncomfortable stab of desperation in his bladder. “Now.” Mr Jones continued unabated. “What’s your name, little man?”

Jasper didn’t answer, looking down in shame and continuing to suck on his binky. His face burned as hot as could be - so hot he felt like his reindeer face paint might melt right off. “It’s Jay Jay.” Chris eventually offered, looking right at him and displaying a mean grin.

“Jay Jay!” Mr Jones repeated with a festive booming laugh. “And what do you want for Christmas, Jay Jay?”

Jasper once again didn’t answer, shuddering all over as he felt a wave of sickening shame. He looked out at the crowd of kids at the back of the tent, realising that every single one of them must have thought he was just some shy scared toddler holding up the line.  He started to shudder, feeling a few more tears welling up in the corner of his eyes as he sucked more rapidly on his binky - finding the motion strangely comforting. Noticing his distress, Mr Jones let him cuddle up closer to rest his back against the man’s chest, straddling his little dangling legs on either side of his thick trunk-like leg. “Oh dear.” Mr Jones said out loud, breaking character slightly and looking to his son for assistance. “He doesn’t look very happy.”

Chris looked almost remorseful for a moment, before another cruel idea crossed his mind. “Try bouncing him up and down!” he told his father. “He likes that.”

Thinking it worth a try, and before Jasper could even think of scrambling away to safety, Mr Jones began to jostle him enthusiastically up and down. The little boy yelped in fright, his pacifier tumbling from his lips as he held on for dear life - feeling like he was riding a rollercoaster. He took in a sharp gasp as he felt something tingle in his bladder, the boy barely given a second’s notice before his bladder gave up the ghost. As the deluge broke forth, he felt his crotch go soggy, and then his butt - a flood of pee-pee soaking his pants. The piddle pad, although it put up a valiant effort, was only meant for little accidents. It soaked up barely half of the stream that Jasper released, a huge dark stain soon starting to spread across the front of his stripey red and white leggings.

“Whoopsie!” Mr Jones announced, quickly grabbing him under his armpits again and setting him down safely on the ground. Clearly he was experienced with this sort of accident, only the tiniest of stains evidencing where Jasper had been sitting on his leg.

Meanwhile, Chris was barely managing to hold back laughter, trying his hardest to maintain a serious expression in an effort to keep up the deception. “Oh, Jay Jay!” he scolded with faux-authority, stepping forward and yanking down his leggings to assess the damage. The bully stifled a giggle at the sight below - the completely saturated piddle pad sagging comically inside the kid’s ruined Winnie the Pooh briefs. Completely humiliated, Jasper couldn’t hold it back anymore, bursting into wailing, hiccupping, inconsolable tears.

Just at that moment, Carla and Jack stepped through the back entrance of the tent - giggling to each other and sharing some inside joke in an adoring hushed tone. Carla’s face fell however as she saw Jasper bawling in the middle of the room, rushing up to stand by her brother and father. “What happened?”

“Little Jay Jay had an accident.” Chris reported smugly, biting his lip to stop himself from smiling.

“Maybe Santa could bring him some more absorbent diapers.” Mr Jones joked, putting an instructive hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Those piddle pads are a waste of time, you know. You should tell your Mom. He’s either ready for big kid pants, or he’s not.”

Jack nodded uneasily, a concerned expression clear on his face. In his absence, his little scheme had gotten way out of hand it seemed. He ushered Chris away, kneeling next to his brother and rubbing circles into his back. “Sorry…” he whispered awkwardly, sounding genuinely remorseful. Jasper just kept crying, too distraught to string together a single word of protest, rage, or forgiveness. “I should probably get him back to the car.” Jack informed the others.

“Don’t forget his binky!” Chris sang, rushing over with the discarded Winnie the Pooh pacifier.

“Err…thanks.” Jack accepted it with a confused look on his face, stowing it in his jacket pocket.

“Poor little fellow. The photos at least might give his Mummy a laugh.” Mr Jones observed, trying to find some silver lining. “When he’s calmed down.”

“Yeah…”Jack agreed with a wave, but carried his sobbing brother right past the roll printed out automatically on a nearby desk. He deposited him in his stroller, turning it right around and navigating the carriage swiftly over to the back of the tent. Jasper closed his eyes, snuggling up into the back of the canvas seat and trying to pretend he was somewhere else. “Sorry, I really should get him back.”

Carla gave him an understanding nod, rushing over to give her new boyfriend a peck on the cheek in parting. “Bye Jay Jay.” she cooed at the bawling toddler through the awning. “Bye Jack.” she added in a reverent whisper.  Jack returned her kiss, swiftly pushing the stroller out back into the field - but turning back at the last minute to make eye contact with Carla and press his thumb and little finger to his cheek - as if to signal ‘call me’.