|verified| — Mardy Bum

“Stop what?” Maya asked, genuinely confused.

“Love you too, Mardy bum.”

A tiny robin landed on the toe of his trainer. It tilted its head, looked Leo dead in the eye, and let out a single, sharp chirp. It sounded, Leo thought, suspiciously like “cheer up.” mardy bum

And for once, Leo didn’t mind the name at all.

“ That. Existing so cheerfully .”

Here’s a short story inspired by the phrase — a wonderful bit of Northern English slang for someone who’s sulking, grumpy, or in a foul mood for no good reason. The Day the Sun Forgot to Shine (According to Leo)

“Don’t call me that.”

“It could be,” said Maya.