Within Their World

Cora Has a Tantrum

Graves' POV

This is the first day in a while that Cora and I have had uninterrupted time and while I would love to be cuddled up to my baby girl as she tells me about her favorite show, some serious chores need to be done around this house.

My little, while sweet and sassy, is also very messy when she has her fun and if I don't pick up after her now, it'll only get worse from here.

And while most people would say it's backwards for the man to do all the cooking and cleaning, taking care of my sweet girl is one of my favorite things to do. It helps soothe the monster and guilt in me that I have to constantly shove down for letting myself fall in love with her.

Not that I ever stood a chance. All she had to do was look at me and hug me that first night we met and I was a fucking goner.

Typical.

I laugh to myself and shake my head as I gather up Cora's toys to bleach them, not wanting her to get sick from any germs on them. I fill up the bath with bleach and soap before making my way to the laundry basket in our room.

I take it down stairs to the laundry room, passing through living room just as Cora calls my name.

"Gray!" She says and I can't help the way I melt as I always do with her little lisp, unable to say my name properly in her regression. I put the basket down halfway to my destination and make my way into the living room.

"Yes, babygirl?" I ask and she looks up at me with watery eyes and wobbly lips.

"I spilled my juice." She says her voice thick with tears and I look down to see her favorite blanket and bunny that I got her for her birthday covered in grape juice. Looks like this will have to go in the wash too.

"It's okay, little one. I'll get this all cleaned for you." I say going to pick it up and pull it from her grasp but she tugs it back from my hold and squeezes the stuffie and blanket to her chest.

"No." She tells me and my eyebrows go flying into my fucking hairline. She's never told me no. Ever. My baby is a good girl. And she will continue to be so. I patiently hold out my hand to her, palm side up for her to place the stuff in my hand but she shakes her head at me.

"Babygirl, I have to clean them. They'll get sticky and nasty so they need to be washed . I can go get your bear and you can play with them, but Jenny needs a bath."

"No. Gray needs bath. Jenny have tea party." She refuses still and I am fucking gobsmacked at the audacity of my little baby.

I'm never letting her spend the night at Thomas and Ares house again. She picked up this behavior from my friends brat. I knew her so called 'boys' were a bad influence. I'm going to call Ares later so he can reprimand Thomas for his childish ways. That'll teach him from turning my baby against me.

"Cora. Give me Jenny and the blanket now. They need to be cleaned. We can play while they get washed." I tell her and she shakes her head before poking her tongue out at me.

I literally have no clue what the fuck to do.

But I know, as her caregiver, I can't let her get away with this. Which means Cora is going to have to learn her lesson. With a stern expression and firm but gentle hands, I pry the blanket and bunny from her grasp even as she whines and cries out in protest. One stern look and a finger shake has her sitting back down in the floor as her eyes start to well up.

Knowing I now have to deal with one fussy little, I hurriedly rush to throw the dirty clothes and Cora's soiled stuffie. But halfway through her cries quiet down and I smile to myself, glad that she realized that it's all alright.