Hazel (and the Quest for the Ink Machine) (SPOILERS)

Part 5 - First words

( Woop! The next part at last! Hazel is 9 months now. )

{ Cuphead's POV }

Hazel sure is active and full of energy these days. She would often have "conversations with us", when we playfully talk to her she would coo and babble back like she is trying to speak. Geez though, I'm so excited for her first words! It could be any day now.

Summer had ended too, and it was now Autumn. Leaves from the large Oak tree in our back yard were starting to pile up there, so while I was raking and piling leaves, Bekkah, Mugs and Hazel were out there with me too on the patio. Bekkah was holding Hazel who was bundled in a blanket to stay warm as she looked around the yard and watched me raking the leaves, and Mugs was reading a book. Sometimes a big gust of cold wind would rush through the yard, and when Hazel felt it she would shiver, whimper and bury her face into the blanket for a few seconds before coming back out once warm again.

At one point, the wind ended up blowing some of the leaf piles a good distance and the leaves were spread out. I groaned and dropped the rake, getting tired of it. Bekkah and Mugs laughed seeing me annoyed by the wind messing up the piles, and I came down to sit by them. "I give uppp..." I mumbled, as my face was buried in my arms for a few seconds which I had crossed on the table. Bekkah just patted my back while giggling. "You'll get there, Cups."

We decided to sit outside a while longer to observe the Season changes since Summer. The colorful leaves on the trees flying in the wind, the sound of wind chimes from a nearby house and tree branches rustling in the wind, flocks of birds flying south passing over our house every now and then.. Autumn can be pretty relaxing to sit outside and enjoy it. Though, Bekkah noticed Hazel was getting a bit grumpy, so we went back inside the warm house.

- Time Skip -

It was around 6 in the afternoon now, and I was with Hazel in her room getting her ready for a nap. Sitting on the sofa, I grabbed her bottle to feed her. "Okay Hazie, lets feed ya before you get some sleep." I said, and Hazel cooed at me, grabbing at my shirt on my chest and nuzzling her face into it. "D-daah!" She babbled, and my eyes instantly widened. Did she just..?

I put the bottle back onto the side desk where it first was, and I picked up Hazel under her arms and placed her up a bit closer to me. "Did- did you just try to say  what I think you tried to say, Hazie? Did you try to say "daddy"?" I asked with a smile. Hazel reached her arms at my face. "Daaah.. da..dee!" She babbled again, and my smile grew wider, she really was trying to say daddy!

I turned toward the room's open door. "HEY BEKKAH, MUGS, C'MERE!" I called excitedly, before I turned back to Hazel. "C'mon Hazel, say "daddy"!" As I talked to Hazel, Bekkah and Mugs came up to the room with me and walked in. "What is it, bro?" Mugs asked. "Hazel is trying to say "daddy", that's what's up!" I responded, and Bekkah and Mugs instantly got excited and sat by me and Hazel. "D-daa.. da.." Hazel continued trying, until she cooed out; "D-daddy!"

I let out an ecstatic laugh and sat up, hugging Hazel. "Awww, Hazel! That's my girl!!" I exclaimed, Hazel giggling playfully. Bekkah and Mugs were equally happy. A baby's first word is a big deal! I turned to Bekkah and chuckled. "See? I told you that "daddy" would be her first word!" I said cockily. "Oh, har har mister, I wasn't doubting you, all I said is it could be daddy, but also might be something else." Bekkah responded with one brow raised and an amused smile.