Never Not You

Crashing the party

When Aurora stirred awake, she found herself alone in the bed. The space next to her was empty, and the room was quiet except for the gentle murmur of Leah's voice. Aurora blinked and glanced around, her gaze landing on Leah sitting with Mateo in the middle of the bed. Pillows were strategically placed around him, creating a soft, safe space as Leah encouraged Mateo to sit upright without support.

Leah's voice was gentle and encouraging, filled with warmth as she spoke to Mateo. "Come on, bubba, you can do it. Just a little more," Leah cooed, her tone a perfect blend of patience and excitement.

Aurora smiled, watching Leah's tender interaction with their son. She crept up behind Leah, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Leaning over, she pulled funny faces at Mateo, making him giggle and, ultimately, topple over with laughter.

Leah turned, her expression a mix of amusement and mock disapproval. "Oh, look at you, making him fall over right when he was so close to sitting up by himself," Leah said playfully, shaking her head.

Aurora shrugged with an innocent grin. "He did it yesterday, you know," she said, her voice light and teasing.

Leah raised an eyebrow, her gaze narrowing in mock reproach. "You didn't tell me."

Aurora feigned surprise. "It literally happened the moment you walked in. You just grabbed him before you could see."

Leah turned back to Mateo with a loving smile. "Come on, bubba, show Mama how it's done," she encouraged, her hands gently supporting him as he wobbled but tried to stay upright.
Mateo, with a determined look on his face, finally managed to sit up on his own. Leah's eyes widened with pride, and she clapped softly. "Okay, that's done. Now it's time for crawling," she said, her excitement palpable.

She turned to Aurora, her curiosity piqued. "How is he getting on with that? And walking—has he started trying yet?"

Aurora laughed softly, shaking her head. "Amor, he has plenty of time before he's meant to be crawling, let alone standing and walking."

Leah sighed, a touch of wistfulness in her voice. "Yeah, I know. It just feels like I missed so much."

Aurora reached out, resting a comforting hand on Leah's arm. "I'm sorry, Le."

Leah gave a small, reassuring smile. "No, it's fine. He's just growing so quickly. I guess I didn't realize how fast it would all go."

Aurora scooped Mateo up into her arms, cradling him with exaggerated tenderness. "Your silly mama hasn't fed you, has she?" she said dramatically. "My poor baby, she's working you so hard and hasn't given you any food."

Mateo giggled at Aurora's antics, finding her playful tone irresistible.

Leah's eyes widened in realization. "Oh shit, I did forget."

Aurora gasped theatrically, placing a hand over her heart. "Hear that, Mateo? Naughty mama!"

She gently took Mateo's tiny hand and playfully swatted Leah's arm with it, laughing as she did so. "Say 'naughty mama'," she teased.

Leah chuckled, shaking her head. "Don't teach him that. I'm a good girl."

Aurora raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh, really?"

Leah met her gaze, her smile widening. "Yes."

Aurora leaned in, her voice lowering to a teasing whisper. "What you did last night wasn't very 'good girl' of you, though."

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Leah was once again getting ready to leave, but Mateo had other ideas. His tiny hands clung desperately to her shirt, and every time Leah tried to gently pull him away, he cried out in distress.