STORM - (Intersex)

CHAPTER 13

TYLER

It's just me and Eli at home. The past month has been strangely good. Clara was discharged from the hospital a week after giving birth and has been home ever since. I've been trying to convince her to rest, but she keeps finding her way back to the office.

Right now, Eli and I are just staring at each other. Clara's aunt, Morticia, came over earlier to help out.

"I thought you were joking when you said he doesn't do much," Morticia says, looking at us with a confused expression.

Eli really doesn't do much. He's only cried twice since we brought him home from the hospital. Other than that, he just seems content to do his own thing. He's started smiling more lately, but aside from that, he mostly just chills.

"Even Clara was a handful as a baby. I used to babysit her, and she cried all the time. Maybe give him a couple of months," Morticia adds with a knowing smile.

I nod and turn back to look at my oddly quiet kid.

"So, little man... are you hungry?" I ask. He turns to stare at me, and for some reason, I take that as a yes. I grab his bottle, pick him up, and start feeding him. Halfway through, he falls asleep in my arms.

Oh, and another thing—this kid has been sleeping like an angel. Honestly, it's starting to freak me out a little. I've babysat plenty of babies before, and none of them acted like this.

"Are you sure there isn't another baby like him out there somewhere?" I joke as I settle Eli down into his crib.

Morticia chuckles. "I guess he's a lot like Bailey was. But Bailey didn't turn quiet until she was about six months old. Before that, she was our worst nightmare."

I laugh softly, and we head downstairs. We cleaned up and started getting dinner ready. Every now and then, I checked the baby monitor, smiling at the sight of Eli peacefully asleep.

Then, I heard the front door creak open. Lee and Fran walked in.

"Do you guys live here now? Did I miss something?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the two of them as they laughed.

"If I lived here, you'd love it. I'd be like the kid you always wanted," Lee said with a grin.

"Yeah, the one you'd want to give to an orphanage," Fran mumbled under her breath. Morticia and I burst out laughing as Lee glared.

"Well, I'd be a dream at the orphanage," Lee shot back.

"You'd be a nightmare," Fran replied dryly, before heading upstairs.

"Why are you guys here, anyway?" I ask Lee. She signals upstairs, and I nod as she bolts up the stairs.

"STOP MAKING SO MUCH NOISE!" I shout after her.

"WELL NOW YOU'RE SHOUTING!" she yells back.

"LEE, I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!" I hear footsteps coming back down, and Lee pokes her head around the corner.

"I don't think Professor X cares if we're loud or not!"

"Stop calling my kid Professor X!" I groan.

"I may just kick both of you out. You can go sleep at Fran's tonight if you keep this up," Clara says, giving me a mock glare from the kitchen.

"What are you even doing here?" Lee asks, rubbing the spot where Clara smacked her playfully. Clara rolls her eyes and smacks her again lightly. Lee grumbles and heads back upstairs.

"You two basically have three kids at this point. Lee's the mischievous one," Morticia says, shaking her head with a smirk as she grabs her coat and says her goodbyes.