Baby Love

Bonus Chapters Part 2

Early 2019
Averie's POV

Today was a special day. Mama was putting me to work. We were on a real movie set, and Mama said I was going to be in her music video! Daddy brought me here to meet Mama, who was already getting ready.

Mama warned me that she would look different, but I was still freaked out. I tried to hide behind Daddy but he just laughed. She had short hair, a beard, and was wearing boy clothes. She didn't look like my Mama at all. She said it was for her music video, The Man. I wasn't sure why she wanted to look like a man, but grown-ups do funny things sometimes.

Daddy knelt down to fix my pink headband, brushing my hair back. "You're gonna be the star of the show, nugget?"

"I'm already famous, Daddy!" I said, crossing my arms proudly.

He laughed, his eyes crinkling. "You're not wrong. But today, you're gonna be working with Mama on camera. That's a big deal."

Mama walked over, her funny beard making her look like someone else. "What's a big deal?" she joined us.

"I was talking to Averie about how she was feeling about the video," Daddy explained as I watched all the people move around us. I wonder where Mrs. Tree went, she was just here. She better not be off getting another kitty. We have enough kitties now.

"You ready to play pretend with me today?" Mama interrupted my thoughts as she rested her hand on my shoulder.

I stared at her, frowning. "You look weird, Mama."

She laughed. "I know, I know. It's for the video. I'm just pretending to be someone else for a little while. Underneath, I'm still me." She leaned closer. "See?"

I studied her face carefully and then nodded. "Okay. But why do you have a beard?"

"It's part of my costume," Mama explained with a grin. "You know how sometimes you dress up like a princess? Well, today I'm dressing up like a man."

Daddy chuckled from behind us. "I think she's more worried you're going to bring home another kitten, Taylor."

Mama rolled her eyes. "No new kittens this time, baby love. Just you and me and Daddy." Yeah but she's forgetting Benji, Dibbles, and Meredith.

We started getting ready for our scene. I was wearing a simple pink outfit with a small bow in my hair. Mama said I looked "picture perfect," and the crew even said I looked cute. My job was to sit on a bench and pretend to be sad.

"All you have to do is sit here and look down at your hands," Mama explained. "I'm going to be on the phone and I might pat your head-"

"Like a doggy?" I looked up at her surprised while she lifted me onto the fake fountain.

"Kind of," she chuckled at my expression.

"I'm not a doggy," I shook my head at her.

"I know, remember we're acting. It's like a game," Mama reminded me.

"So am I a doggy?"

"No, you're a little girl. You just need to be yourself so I'm going to be on the phone then when I end the call I'll pick you up. I'll toss you in the air like Daddy does sometimes-" Mama continued to explain to me.

"You're not gonna drop me right?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"No baby, I promise I won't do that," she smiles at me, but it's still creepy because she's not herself.

"But you almost-" I interjected.

"I promise I won't drop you, Averie," Mama cut me off. We both know that one time she nearly dropped me. Sometimes I like to wiggle.