Little Lux

30

17th November, 2022 - Los Angeles, California

"Auggie..."

"August"

"Auggie!" Lux whispers right into his ear, trying to get the older boy to wake up.

She was meant to be napping right now but her mind was wide awake and buzzing with mischief. She wanted to do something else instead of taking a boring nap.

"Auggie," she whispered again, nudging him gently. His dark curls stuck out in all directions, and a pacifier rested in his mouth, bobbing slightly as he breathed.

He stirred slightly, his nose scrunching up as if her voice had tickled his dreams. But he didn't open his eyes. Lux frowned and gave him a firmer nudge.

"Wake up," she whispered, glancing nervously at the baby monitor sitting on the shelf across the room. Vincent and Sebastian could probably hear her if she wasn't careful. She reached out, angling the monitor in the other direction so at least they couldn't see them.

"Come on," Lux pleaded in a hushed tone.

Finally, his eyelids fluttered open, revealing hazy brown eyes that looked far younger than seventeen. "Luxie?" he mumbled around the pacifier, his voice thick with sleep. "Wha'?"

"Come on, come on!" Lux says, her voice still quiet but there was an obvious element of excitement and anticipation in her tone. "I don't wanna nap anymore! I wanna so something fun! Let's go exploring."

Auggie blinked at her, his expression groggy but curious. "'Splorin'?" he echoed, like he was trying out the word for the first time. "But... Papa said we gotta nap."

"Papa's not here right now, is he?" Lux said quickly. "And they won't check on us if we're quiet. Come on, Auggie. Don't you wanna have an adventure?"

Auggie sat up slightly, his curls tumbling over his forehead, and he chewed his pacifier thoughtfully. The word "adventure" seemed to light a spark in his sleepy eyes. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his sock-covered toes dangling just above the floor.

"Where we goin'?" he asked, his voice still soft and laced with hesitation.

Lux grinned, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I dunno yet! That's the fun part. We can go anywhere we want. Maybe the kitchen to find snacks? Or—oh!—we could watch a cool movie on the TV!"

"But... what if Daddy n' Papa gets mad?" August whispered, slipping his pacifier out of his mouth and holding it in one hand.

"They won't get mad if he doesn't know," she reasoned, giving Auggie her best conspiratorial smile. "We'll be super quiet, like ninjas. They won't hear a thing."

Auggie looked at Lux for a long moment, his fingers playing nervously with the pacifier in his hand. He seemed torn between the promise of adventure and the fear of breaking the rules. Finally, he gave a small nod.

Lux beamed triumphantly, taking the older boys hand and pulling him out of the bed.

They tip-toed across the floor of August's bedroom making sure to be extra stealthy. The soft glow of August's nightlight illuminated the room enough for them to see clearly as they made their way. Auggie clung to her hand, his grip warm and slightly sweaty, but he followed her lead. His steps were hesitant, his socked feet barely making a sound.

They paused by the door, and Lux peeked out into the hallway. It was empty, the faint hum of a fan filling the silence. "Coast is clear," she whispered, glancing back at Auggie. He nodded solemnly, clutching his pacifier like it was a magic charm that would keep them safe.