Barbatos's heart

Daddy/Daughter Bonding 3

It was early morning when Wendy woke Barbatos up. She woke up pretty early regularly, but luckily Barbatos was used to it since he worked for Diavolo. He made his way to the kitchen with her in his arms to make breakfast.

He was surprised to see Diavolo was already up. He usually wasn't a morning person. "My Lord, what are you doing up so early?" He asked. "Oh, Barbatos! Hello, I just couldn't sleep.  I've been feeling odd since Aurelia left. Do you feel lonely since Elaina is gone?" Barbatos did miss Elaina a lot, but he had Wendy to deal with so his time had been taken up. "Of course I do, but I kind of have my hands full!" He sympathized while trying to tame a very squirmy Wendy. "Heh, yeah... You're right. Here, give her to me." Diavolo took the little girl in his arms and held her tight.

Barbatos went over to the refrigerator and took out some applesauce for his daughter and placed it in front of Diavolo while he set up her highchair. "Can I feed her?" Diavolo asked. Barbatos looked at Diavolo and could sense his heartache. He seemed to have become even more attached to Aurelia over the past few months. However, giving him something to keep him busy would help the time go faster for him. He handed Diavolo Wendy's birdy spoon and smiled. "Here, remember, she won't eat if you don't tweet." He stressed. "Ha, that rhymed." He laughed to himself. Diavolo rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"So what are your plans for today?" Diavolo questioned. Wendy blew a spit bubble and gurgled in response. "Oh really? That sounds fun." Diavolo laughed. "We are going grocery shopping. I want to prepare dinner for the girls when they get back and I need to pick up some ingredients."

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Barbatos strapped Wendy into her sling and grabbed a shopping cart. She tried to reach out to grab the handle and started to get fussy when she came just short of it. "No, no Sunflower! Be still." He tried to calm her but she began to whine. "No. Stop it, Wendy. We have to get things for mommy's dinner. You need to calm down." Wendy continued to fuss but it was more manageable for the time being.

Barbatos didn't realize how difficult it was going to be to shop with an infant. She would not cooperate with him at all. She was kicking him and reaching out for items on the shelves, nearly knocking over a few glass bottles of hellfire sauce in the process. He tried to put her into the cart to get a break but she started to scream bloody murder. "My goodness, child! What has gotten into you today?" He sighed. "Are you starting to miss mommy too? Don't worry little one, she'll be home soon." He frowned as he looked at his daughter's quivering lips and teary eyes. As much as he loved his alone time with her, he knew she wanted her mom. Wendy continued to give Barbatos a hard time, crying most of the trip. She finally fell asleep on the car ride home.

Barbatos called up Diavolo as he entered the driveway. He needed help carrying the grocery bags and Wendy. He parked the car and went to open the trunk. "Heard you needed some help." Barbatos's eyes widened when he recognized the voice. "ELAINA!!" He gasped, turning around and swiftly taking his wife in his arms.

"You're home early!" He exclaimed. "Yup, shopping in Paris was fun, but we missed our men too much, and I was starting to have separation anxiety being away from Wendy. How was she?" She asked as she scooped the sleeping baby in her arms. "She was no problem at all...until today that is. I think she missed you." Barbatos murmured. "Hmmm, well Diavolo said you two had a lot of fun with her over the weekend. Thanks for everything, love." She kissed him softly. "It was no problem at all. I loved spending time with her." He blushed.

"Maybe I can let up... Just a little... Let you take on more responsibility and give you more time with her. I've been very stingy with our daughter and it's not fair to you." Elaina apologized. "I think that's a good idea! We'll talk more over dinner." Barbatos smiled. "Okay, sounds good. Oh, by the way, I wouldn't hold your breath on seeing Diavolo and Aurelia at dinner. He basically jumped her as soon as we walked in the door!" They both shared a laugh and the happy family walked into the palace.