Ever since they moved house and because Kaia was a little older, Niko and Riki didn't really have to constantly physically check on her. Gates were just placed on the tops and bottoms of the stairs as prevention. Whenever Riki or Niko worked and was 'assigned' to care for Kaia, they brought her to the same area or room they were in. She had some toys to keep her occupied, and of course, either parent would interact with her from time to time.
One of the many upsides of having a child in the home was that they brought endless amounts of joy and happiness. Their laughter and noise brought positive vibes. However, their exuberance and energy could also be a bane especially in the early hours of the morning. On a weekend.
Both thinking about a 'long weekend' when they could relax and lounge around longer, Niko and Riki ended the evening with a bottle of wine while cuddling and listening to some relaxing music many hours after they put Kaia to sleep. Kaia's usual bedtime was around 7:00pm; Riki and Niko finished their wine at a little past midnight.
Niko had installed a baby monitor in Kaia's room. Because of modern technology, live video was streamed from Kaia's room to a main screen and on both Niko and Riki's phones. Kaia's bedroom was right next to her parent's bedroom with their separate bathrooms between the rooms. In the stillness of the holiday morning, a little person's voice broke the rather quiet morning.
With eyes still closed, Riki thought she was still dreaming and the voice was part of the 'dialogue'. She tried to recall if she was dreaming before she heard the voice but nothing came to mind. The sound was slightly muffled and soft so she was trying to discern whether it was part of her dream or not. "...maybe the effect of the wine..." she thought as she inhaled deeply before fluttering her eyes open. It was relatively still dim in their bedroom with the window shades still closed but she could tell that Niko was still asleep with his bare shoulders and the upper part of his chest visible above the haphazardly draped blanket over his mid-section. Suddenly, Riki felt the coolness of the bedroom and noticed that she, too, was naked with just the blanket covering her. She remembered what happened after she and Niko cleared the living room and 'went to bed'.
Riki adjusted herself on the bed, leaning against the headboard while clipping the blanket under her arms. She looked at her bedside clock, it was just a little after 8:00 in the morning. Riki ran the activities scheduled for the day and realized that it was a weekend so there was no real rush for anything. She picked up her phone and immediately turned on the video that showed Kaia's bedroom.
Kaia was awake. She was lying on her back, happily playing with her koala blankie. Kaia seemed to be talking to it, too. She held the toy in front of her face and Riki could see Kaia's mouth moving and her eyes twinkling with happiness. Her legs, although wrapped in her sleep sack, would raise up and down in her happiness and enjoyment. Riki smiled and quietly said a prayer of thanks for a brand new day and for the life of her family and baby.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
