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Her smooth, angelic hummed the tune of You Bring Me Joy, surrounding the full bathroom. The aroma of Johnson's Bed-time Baby Bath soap wafted off Valero, as he laid and receive his sponge bath.
Valero eyed his mother intently and in silence as she gently cleaned his skin with the yellow washcloth. "That feels good, huh, baby?" she paused her hums to ask just for Valero kept his doe eyes on her. "You not gonna answer mama?"
Still, Valero just stared. Courtney moved her head to the side, and his eyes followed her. She sat back straight, snap her fingers with her free hand and she noticed he didn't respond to it.
"What you doin?" Carter asked, entering her sister's bedroom in her big shirt and shorts. She walked over to lay on her bed, noticing her sister's face. "Why you lookin at him like that?"
The bed dipped in and out a little as Carter laid on it. "You noticed he doesn't respond to sounds?"
"He's only six weeks, Coko."
"With all the kids in this family; Jami and JJ, for example. At six weeks they will try to look if there's a noise."
"Every baby is different." Carter said, gently rubbing Valero's damp, head full of hair. "But if it's something that you're worried about, his two month checkup is coming up. Talk to his pediatrician about it."
Courtney shook off her worries. "I hope I'm just overreacting.." she said, finishing up her son's bath. While she wrapped Valero in a towel for warmth; and Carter went to pour the water out, the iPhone of Courtney's rung.
Holding Valero carefully against her chest, she grab her phone with her free hand and stare at the screen.
"That must be yo' li'l Troy Yeah the way you smiling."
Courtney didn't realize she was smiling until her sister pointed it out. She answered the call. "Hey, Tro."
Carter mocked Courtney quietly, pulling out Valero a sleeping outfit.
"Wassup," he spoke through the FaceTime call from inside a car. "What you doin?"
"Just got done bathing Valero." His onesie was tossed near her by Carter as she dried him off. She glanced to Troy on the screen and noticed his face. "You ok?"
Shaking his head, Troy puffed the Marlboro cigarette. "Nah.. I actually wanted to come see you; we can talk there."
"Yeah, sure. Come on. I'll have Glen let you in the gate."
Troy finished with an okay bet before hanging up. Courtney alerted the night guard looking over the gated community of her incoming visitor.
