Never Not You

cupcakes

The soft hum of the afternoon filled the room as Aurora and Mateo sat on the living room floor, both of them focused on Mateo's water colouring mat. Aurora's strokes were neat and deliberate as she sketched a simple sun and clouds, while Mateo was "drawing" with wide, clumsy lines and sporadic splashes of colour. His little tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated deeply, gripping the chunky water pen tightly in his small hand.

Aurora glanced over at him, a loving smile spreading across her face. "What are you drawing, cariño?" she asked, her tone warm and curious.

Mateo didn't look up, his focus unwavering as he moved the pen back and forth in enthusiastic strokes. "Is... is a mohn-uh," he said confidently, though the word was more a jumble of sounds than anything intelligible.

Aurora tilted her head, squinting at his creation. It was a chaotic swirl of colours that could have been anything. "A monkey?" she guessed, her voice teasing as she tried to decode his answer.

Mateo froze, his head snapping up to look at her with wide, incredulous eyes. "Nooo, Mami!" he giggled, his laughter bubbling over. "Not a monk-keh!" He was about to explain when suddenly, a loud growl interrupted him.

Mateo's eyes widened in shock, and his tiny hands froze over the mat. His little head whipped around to Aurora, panic etched on his face. "Mami!" he exclaimed, his free hand clutching his belly. "What dat noise?!"

Aurora bit back a laugh, trying to keep her expression serious as she placed a hand gently on his small tummy. "Eso fue tu barriguita, Teo," she explained gently, her tone warm. "Your tummy, cariño. It made that noise. Are you hungry?"

Mateo blinked at her, his mouth slightly open in surprise. He had never heard his stomach make such a sound before. "My tummy?" he repeated, his little voice filled with disbelief. "Tummy make noise?"

Aurora nodded, unable to hide her smile anymore. "Sí, Mateo. Sometimes when we're hungry, our tummies growl like that." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead softly. "Are you hungry, mi amor? Do you want some food?"

Mateo nodded slowly, still looking a bit suspicious of his own belly. "Uh-huh. Food, pease."

"What would you like to eat, mi vida?" she asked, brushing a stray curl off his forehead.

He thought for a moment, his little face scrunching up in concentration. Then his eyes lit up, and he grinned. "Cu'caes!"

Aurora couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. "Cupcakes?" she repeated, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "We can make cupcakes after we eat some food, Mateo. First, we need something to fill up your tummy properly."

Mateo pouted for a moment, but when Aurora scooped him up and kissed his cheek, he giggled again. "'Kay, Mami."

She carried him to the kitchen, placing him carefully into his high chair. "How about a ham sandwich, huh? You love those."

"Ham sammich!" Mateo clapped his hands excitedly. He truly was Leah's double when it came to food preferences, Aurora thought with a grin. Simple and classic.

She quickly made him a plain ham sandwich, cutting it into small pieces before placing the plate in front of him. Mateo immediately dug in, munching happily. His legs kicked back and forth as he ate, a sure sign of his good mood.

As he chewed, Aurora leaned against the counter, watching him fondly. "Mateo, do you want mami to make the cupcakes, or do you want to help mami?" she asked, her voice playful.

Mateo stopped mid-bite, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. He swallowed quickly and gasped. "I hewp, Mami! I hewp make cu'caes!" His enthusiasm made Aurora laugh again.