Never Not You

Dino

Later that night, the lounge was alive with the sound of little feet pattering across the floor as Mateo, in his usual energetic fashion, darted around, giggling and shrieking with delight. Leah was hot on his heels, her arms reaching out in an attempt to catch him long enough to get his nappy on, but every time she got close, Mateo squealed and took off in the opposite direction. His tiny legs moved faster than Leah expected, and she was laughing, panting as she tried to catch him.

"Mateo, come on!" Leah said, her voice laced with a mixture of amusement and mild desperation. "Mama just wants to put your nappy on, sweetheart!"

Aurora, sitting comfortably on the couch with a smile on her face, watched the scene unfold. "I told you, cariño, you should have done this upstairs," she teased, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the chaotic display.

Leah shot a playful glare in her direction. "You're really not going to help me, are you?" she said, grinning despite herself.

Aurora stood up, stepping forward with an exaggerated, playful stance. "Quickly, amor!" she called to Mateo, her voice light and teasing. "Mama won't get you!"

Mateo, in his excitement, didn't need any further prompting. His little legs wobbled as he giggled and ran directly into Aurora's arms, expecting safety.

But, in a surprising twist, Aurora betrayed him. Instead of cuddling him into her chest, she held him out just long enough to turn toward Leah, then walked over with a smirk on her face. "You probably have five seconds, max, once I let go," she said, lowering Mateo onto the floor with her hands still on him, guiding him gently onto the soft rug.

Leah could hardly hide the frustration creeping in, even though she was smiling. "You're really not going to help me, huh?" she asked, trying to hold onto the playful spirit but feeling the pressure mount as Mateo's wiggling grew more frantic.

Aurora raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Nope," she said, folding her arms again. "Not unless you can catch him first."

Leah, trying to hurry, fumbled slightly as she tried to get the nappy on, her fingers clumsy with the time ticking away. She could feel the seconds slipping by, and she swore she heard the ticking of a clock in her head. The moment her hands went to secure the nappy, Mateo squirmed and twisted, trying to escape Leah's grasp. She managed to get it halfway on before he wriggled again, and within moments, it was clear: the five seconds were up.

Aurora couldn't contain the laughter bubbling out of her. "Well, that's a shame, huh?" she teased, her voice full of affection but clearly enjoying the moment. "You were so close, Le."

Leah rolled her eyes, hands on her hips as she stood over the squirming little boy. "Rory, help me! He's gonna pee everywhere!"

Aurora, with a soft laugh, bent down and scooped Mateo back up into her arms, giving him a playful nudge that made him giggle. "You want a football team of this?" Aurora asked, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

Leah let out a small whine. "Just help me, Rory!"

Aurora, not waiting another second, laid Mateo down with ease and started to work on getting the nappy on properly. As she did, she blew raspberries on his stomach, making him laugh uncontrollably and keeping him perfectly still, which was a small miracle in itself.

Leah, watching in disbelief, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorway. "Are you seriously telling me," she said, trying to hold back her amusement, "that you can get him to stay still just by blowing raspberries on him?"

Aurora shot her a smirk, not even bothering to look up. "Yep," she said, the pride in her voice evident. "It's a special talent, apparently." She leaned down and kissed Mateo's forehead before finishing the nappy change.