Star was running around her apartment, frantically trying to get everything ready for the next two days. Her schedule was packed with meetings, studio sessions, and some last-minute errands. She glanced at her 3-year-old niece, Kia, who was sitting on the couch watching cartoons, completely oblivious to the chaos around her.
Star sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "I really don't know how I'm gonna handle all of this and take care of Kia at the same time..."
That's when DDOT, who was lounging on the other side of the room, piped up. "Yo, I can handle it, mami. I'll take care of little Kia for you. No sweat."
Star raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "You? Taking care of a 3-year-old? Are you sure, D? You don't know much about kids..."
DDOT waved her off. "How hard can it be? She's just a little kid. I got this. Trust me."
Star bit her lip, still unsure. "Okay, but seriously, if you need anything—anything at all—just call me. I mean it, D."
He smirked, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll be fine, baby. Go handle your business."
And so, with a final, slightly worried glance at Kia, Star grabbed her bag and left, trusting DDOT to handle things.
The first few hours were smooth sailing. DDOT and Kia were vibing, watching cartoons, and munching on snacks. But then reality hit.
It started with a call.
"Yo, Star," DDOT's voice came through the phone. "Kia's talkin' 'bout she's hungry. What am I supposed to feed her?"
Star laughed lightly, "D, just make her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She loves those."
"Oh, bet. I can do that," DDOT replied confidently.
Five minutes later, Star's phone buzzed again.
"Star, where's the jelly at? I found the peanut butter, but the jelly's playin' hide and seek."
Star laughed, "It's in the fridge, top shelf."
"Got it. Thanks, mami."
Thirty minutes later, another call.
"Uh, Star... Kia's sayin' she wants her 'sippy cup' but I ain't got a clue what she's talkin' about."
Star smiled, holding back laughter. "It's her special cup, D. The one with the princesses on it. It's probably in the cupboard or the sink."
"Oh, aight. I was about to give her a regular cup, but she was lookin' at me like I was crazy."
After another hour, DDOT called again.
"Yo, Star, quick question. Is it normal for Kia to just... stare at me? Like, she's been doin' it for five minutes straight."
Star was laughing now, trying to keep her composure. "She's probably just curious, D. Kids do that. They're like little detectives."
"She ain't blinked once," DDOT added, sounding slightly unnerved.
"Just play along," Star advised. "She'll stop eventually."
Another couple of hours passed, and Star was finally getting through her list of things to do. But then, her phone rang again.
"Star, we got a situation," DDOT said, sounding a bit more serious.
"What's wrong?" Star asked, concerned.
"Kia's got her little toy phone, and she won't stop pretendin' to call 911. Should I be worried?"
Star burst out laughing. "D, she's just playing. She probably saw it on TV or something."
"But she's sayin' 'Help, help!' and now I'm thinkin' maybe I need to be doin' somethin'," DDOT said, sounding genuinely stressed.
"She's fine, I promise. Just distract her with something else."
The night went on like this—DDOT calling every hour or so with a new question or concern. By the time Star was done with her day, she had received a total of fifteen calls from DDOT.
When she finally got back home, Star was half-expecting to find her apartment in shambles. But to her surprise, everything was in order. DDOT was on the couch, Kia curled up asleep next to him, clutching her princess sippy cup.
DDOT looked up as Star walked in. "Yo, mami, you weren't kiddin' when you said takin' care of kids is tough. I got mad respect for you."
Star smiled, touched by his words. "You did great, D. Thanks for taking care of her."
He grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, but next time, I'm gonna need a manual or somethin'. This uncle stuff is no joke."
Star laughed softly and joined him on the couch. "You survived, that's what matters."
As she looked down at Kia, peacefully asleep, she couldn't help but feel proud of DDOT. Despite all the calls and questions, he had stepped up in a way she hadn't expected.
"Maybe we can do this again sometime," Star teased.
DDOT groaned playfully. "Maybe after I recover from this one."
Star leaned in, giving him a soft kiss. "You did amazing, D. Kia's lucky to have you to look out for her."
DDOT smirked, pulling her closer. "And I'm lucky to have you, mami. But next time, I'm definitely gonna need some backup."
They both laughed quietly, careful not to wake Kia, as they settled in for a well-deserved rest after a long and hilarious day.
