People Like Us: Part II [MxFxM]

Chapter Twelve

Charlie had been right in thinking that sleep wouldn't be the easiest thing away from the house, but it hadn't been terrible either. Luckily, she could go home today. Though not before her parents both spent some time with the babies.

They were all out in the living room, and surprisingly civil for more than ten minutes as her parents sat on the couch with Charlie between them. Her father had Lyla on his lap, while her mom held Reed, who was making a cross between a gurgle and a chirping sound. Charlie wondered if he'd try saying another word.

Her mother just smiled at him, but Lyla was too busy trying to reach into her grandfather's pockets. Reed turned to look at the couch, reaching for it as he made the noise again. Charlie tilted her head at him a little.

"Couch?" she asked.

Reed stopped and turned to her, making an affirmative noise before he tried to talk again. He managed to get out a "cou" sound that time as Charlie smiled.

"Couch," she said again, talking slower. Over to her other side she heard Lyla make a little victorious sound, glancing over just long enough to see that she'd gotten her grandfather's phone out of his pocket, and he was now trying to get it back from her.

"Cou. Cou." Reed started again. "Couch. Couch?" He looked up at Charlie, who nodded.

"Couch, very good. Good job."

"That really is incredible," her mother mentioned. "Already saying words."

"And mastering technology." Charlie's father sighed, making her look over again to see Lyla occupied with pushing all the buttons on the screen of the phone.

Reed cooed, then went quiet as he looked around, trying to say another word. He concentrated pretty hard on trying to get it out, getting a serious expression as Charlie tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. She wasn't entirely sure what he was saying, and it took a second before she had an idea.

"Da?"

Reed made the affirmative sound again, trying to say the word still before he managed to get it out finally.

"Da? Ma, Da?"

Charlie smiled at that. Did two words count as a first sentence? She assumed they did, as she bent down to kiss his nose.

"He's at home. Don't worry, we'll see him in a little bit. We'll see him, and Adrian, and Varian, and everybody else," she said.

Lyla made a happy noise at hearing the names before she decided she was done with the phone, turning to put it back into her grandfather's pocket.

Reed cooed happily, seeming pretty pleased with himself as he turned to chirp up at his grandmother. She paused, then glanced over to Charlie.

"How do I do that thing again?" she asked.

"Just click your teeth." Charlie replied easily, doing it once to demonstrate, which made Lyla click back in response automatically.

Charlie's mother smiled a little before she turned back to the baby in her lap, clicking to him. Reed laughed and chirped again, getting another click from his grandmother, and a couple in response from Lyla. Reed settled down after that, apparently being done with talking for the time being.

"They're both so adorable." Charlie's mother said, glancing over to Lyla, who'd noticed Charlie's bracelet and was reaching for it as she cooed.

"They are." Charlie agreed. "They're also a handful. But we all love them."

"Even Adrian, huh?"

Charlie shrugged at that, because she really couldn't say Adrian loved them. He liked them, and was probably attached to them, sure, but he didn't love them like her and River did.