Prompt: Can you do a prompt about Dimitri when Galen was born? I am curious on how his reaction would be.
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“When are mom and dad going to come back?” Alek asked, sitting in the waiting room with her grandparents.
10 year old Dimitri sat beside her with a book in his hands. His father had hurried them into the car after his mother started moaning and yelling that they needed to go to the hospital.
“Your father should be back soon,” her grandma said with a smile. Their grandparents had flown in two days ago in anticipation of the baby being born, just as they had done for Alek and Dimitri.
“It takes so long,” Dimitri said, his eyes still scanning over his book.
“Your mother laughs about the day you were born. You were a week late, and then all of a sudden you were coming so fast they didn’t know if they would make it to the hospital in time,” his grandma said fondly, brushing a stray hair out of Dimitri’s face. “I guess your baby brother isn’t the same way. He wants to take his time coming into the world.”
Dimitri shrugged. “When I want something, I want it. I wanted to make my fabulous presence known to my mother and father at that moment, I guess.”
He looked up as his father came out, with a proud smile on his face. He stepped up to his family.
“He’s here,” he said happily. “Alek, Dimitri, come meet your brother.”
“We’ll wait,” Dimitri’s grandpa said with a smile. “Let the kids meet their brother, and then we’ll meet him.”
Dimitri shut his book and set it on the chair, sliding off of it. Alexei put his arms around his children, leading them down to their mother’s hospital room.
Eva was sitting in a bed, her hair messy and coated with sweat. But she had a proud smile on her face and a bundle in her arms.
“Come meet him,” she said softly, gesturing at her two children to come over.
Alek went first, hurrying over with an eager expression. Dimitri looked on curiously, not moving towards the baby.
“Dimmy? Don’t you want to meet him?” Alexei asked, suddenly nervous. The new baby was the beloved oops of the family, and he was worried that Dimitri was going to be jealous. Dimitri liked attention, and he was smart enough to know that a baby brother was going to rob him of attention.
“Sure,” Dimitri said, and he didn’t sound jealous or annoyed. Just casual, maybe even a little disinterested.
Alexei placed his hand on Dimitri’s shoulder and knelt down so that he was eye level with the boy. Dimitri watched him curiously.
“Dimmy, I promise you that just because you have a new brother, it doesn’t mean we’re going to love you any less,” he said, speaking low so that Alek and his wife wouldn’t hear. “The baby is going to need lots of attention, but we’ll never love you any less than we did the day you were born. I promise.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Dimitri said. “I just don’t understand what’s so exciting about babies. They’re born every day.”
“But this baby is your brother,” Alexei said, standing up and keeping his hand on Dimitri’s shoulder. He guided Dimitri over to the baby in Eva’s arms.
Dimitri looked at the tiny baby curiously. He wasn’t jealous of the baby, he just didn’t see the big deal everyone was making about it. Everyone kept treating Dimitri like he felt jealous or betrayed by the baby, but he wasn’t.
“What’s his name?” Alek asked, reaching out and lightly stroking the baby’s cheek.
“Galen,” Eva said lovingly. “His name is Galen.”
“Hi Galen,” Dimitri said, reaching out slowly to the baby. He let his long fingers stroke the baby’s soft cheek, and smiled a little. “He’s a wonderful baby brother.”
Alexei and Eva smiled at him. Even Alek, who was usually mean to Dimitri, couldn’t help but smile a little.
“Dimmy, I think you like him more than you’re letting on,” Alek said.
Dimitri shook his head. “I’m not covering my affections. I’m fond of the little child already,” he said, smiling at the baby again. “Can I hold him?”
“If you’re careful,” Eva said, and slowly passed the baby into Dimitri’s arms.
Dimitri gently rocked the baby, and Galen nuzzled his head against Dimitri’s arm, sound asleep. Dimitri’s smile grew and he bent down, carefully kissing the baby’s forehead.
Dimitri had toyed with the idea of having a little brother when his parents told him about his mother’s pregnancy. At first he expected himself to be jealous. But he quickly grew to like the idea of a little brother.
And now that he was holding Galen in his arms, he realized that he was extremely pleased with his brother.
“Galen,” he said, still rocking the baby gently. “I think we’re going to get along fine, my wonderful baby brother.”
