Silent Pain

40

As they established a routine, both lords felt worn out during the first three weeks. Marie managed Claudia and handled household chores, while Donna stepped in during Marie's shop or when she was engaged with projects. Together, they worked to ensure the newborn was happy and healthy. When Claudia woke at night, Donna would remain awake, calming her back to sleep while keeping herself busy with sewing, sculpting, or knitting.

They bathed her at the start, middle, and end of the week, ensuring she was clean and attentive to her various needs and desires. In the foyer, Donna would cuddle with her while sitting in the rocking chair, knitting as the dolls played nearby or softly reading to Angie and the others on the couch.

They had worked out a decent schedule. Donna even snuck in naps for herself and Claudia on the couch while the dolls and Angie played upstairs. By the time she was four weeks old, she was either being held or in the rocking crib in the same room as them.

When Marie arrived home and saw Miranda in the Beneviento manor, she was filled with worry. Miranda was holding a screaming, tearful Claudia while Donna shook, her veil in place and hands under a limp Angie resting against her shoulder.

The dolls were missing, and the house echoed with the infant's heart-wrenching cries: "You mentioned she was napping after you changed and fed her, and now she's like this?" Donna nodded. After closing the door, Marie approached, embracing her wife's warm arms.

"What's the matter? What's going on?" she asked. "I... I'm not sure what to do," Donna replied softly. "She seemed perfectly fine during her nap; I had her beside me while I sewed and finished those blankets. But when she woke up, she started to cry, and despite my attempts to comfort her, the crying wouldn't stop..." Donna's voice trailed off as Miranda looked at her. "What type of formula are you giving her?" she asked Marie and Donna, uneasy about heading to the kitchen.

Miranda held the screaming infant and tried to soothe her. Eva didn't have episodes but knew other babies had some like this. Colic is what they were called, and she thought it might be that. She laid the infant in a crib and gently started to rock her, watching as she squirmed and cried. They returned with the formula. "The one you told us to get," Marie said softly, kneeling to her daughter.

She gently rubbed her cheek and cooed at her. Miranda examined the ingredients and found the milk. "Yep, that's what I expected." Both lords looked up, frowning. "What is it?" Donna whispered, anxiety lingering in her thoughts. Was she choosing the wrong one? Did she overlook something on the bottle? She meticulously triple-checked the ingredients and noted them from the last formula to avoid mistakes, even bringing the empty bottles.

"I forgot this formula contains cow's milk." She hands the bottle to Donna, then walks to the foyer to pick up a soft blanket from the chair. Spreading it on the floor, she cradles Claudia before gently placing her on her tummy. Lying beside her, she strokes the infant's back. "Marie, can you create some soft music?" The wolf lord considers this before returning with their record player. Donna takes the bottle. Lying down, she cradles Claudia before softly laying her down again. As she lies there, she continues to rub the infant's back.

Lowering the music, she began to play soft melodies and sighed, "Is this okay?" Miranda nodded. "I should have mentioned that three-week-old babies can have very sensitive stomachs. Eva has never had this problem before, so I overlooked it. Claudia may be lactose intolerant, so we need to switch the formula." As the baby's cries grew louder, Miranda sighed again and decided to try a different strategy. She picked up the infant and settled onto the couch, nodding. Despite her efforts, the three-week-old continued to cry, with the sound only getting louder.

Laying Claudia on her back, on top of her thighs, she cooed at her and gently pushed her legs up to her tummy. Marie and Donna settled next to the priestess and watched as she smiled up at Miranda, who smiled and did it again. "Also, you should lay her on her tummy for a bit, supervised, of course, especially as the dolls start to get curious about her."