Mia groaned. " How did this happen AGAIN?!"
Lloyd peeked from behind her. " I dunno."
Mia shot him a look. " Not helping."
" Sorry."
Mia sighed. " It's fine."
She ran to her room and came back with a bag.
Lloyd knew what she was going to do.
" I'll get their milk ready." He said, walking out of the room.
Mia smiled softly and walked up to the hedgehog baby
" Hello, baby Kai ." She whispered as she gently unbuttoned the front of his one piece clothing. Kai squirmed, and Mia smiled.
" I know, baby. I know.* She said as she put the buds into her ears and guided the disc to Kai's chest. Kai began to move, making it harder for Mia.
So she picked her brother up and cradled him.
" You're a little baby boy, aren't you?* She cooed, bopping his nose.
Kai giggled a little, and Mia seized the chance.
Mia gently adjusted baby Kai's position, holding the stethoscope to his chest. The soft sound of his little heartbeat echoed through her ears as she focused, trying not to let Kai’s squirming make it harder.
“There we go,” she whispered softly, concentrating on listening. "You’re such a good baby, Kai."
Kai fidgeted slightly but eventually calmed down in her arms, making it easier for Mia to finish up the check.
Lloyd walked back into the room holding a small bottle of milk, noticing how relaxed baby Kai had become. "Milk’s ready," he said, handing it to Mia.
She smiled at him as she shifted Kai in her arms and began feeding him the bottle. Kai's tiny hands grasped at the bottle, his eyes drooping as he slowly began to drift off to sleep.
"How does this keep happening?" Lloyd asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
Mia sighed as she went up and down. "I have no idea, but we really need to find a way to stop it from happening again."
Lloyd smirked. "At least you’re pretty good at handling it."
Mia laughed quietly, watching as baby Kai finished his bottle and dozed off. "Yeah, but I could do without the constant transformations. Hopefully, we won’t be dealing with a baby Cole next."
Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "Well, you never know."
Mia chuckled, laying Kai down gently in his crib. "One baby at a time, Lloyd. One baby at a time."
Mia quietly laid baby Kai in his crib, adjusting the blanket so he’d stay warm. She brushed a few strands of his hair out of his eyes, sighing in relief as she finally had a moment to herself. "Finally," she whispered, gently stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her.
She wandered into the living room, grabbed her favorite book from the shelf, and settled down on the couch. The soft rustling of pages was the only sound in the quiet house. Mia allowed herself to relax, sinking into the story.
Suddenly, a loud, startled shout rang through the house. "HE'S FIVE NOW!" Blackie, her sassy cat, screeched from the hallway.
Mia shot up, heart pounding. "What?!" She bolted from the couch and ran down the hallway, bursting into Kai’s room.
There, standing in front of her, was no longer the baby she'd just put to sleep. Kai, now five years old, sat in his crib, rubbing his eyes and looking confused. His small body was wrapped awkwardly in the blanket that now seemed too short for him. His once tiny hands and feet had grown, and he stared at Mia with a puzzled expression.
