New Beginnings

Morning Meetings

BAKUGO'S POV

I muted myself as the baby monitor began echoing Kimi's screams. I was hoping she and Masao would nap through my hour-long meeting. We almost made it. I'm going to get reprimanded if I walk away from the meeting right now. We're literally doing closing notes. Would it be wrong if I let her cry for two minutes before I went and got her?

If she wanted to have food, she was going to have to cry for a little bit.

I turned the baby monitor off. I could still hear her cries echoing through the house. It was better than them crying through the monitor in front of my face.

When asked for my final thoughts, I unmuted myself before telling them what they wanted to hear. I didn't keep my job by telling them my honest opinion. Apparently, I didn't keep anything with my honesty.

After the video meeting ended, I sprang from my chair and walked through the house before taking the stairs two at a time. Masao was sitting on the top step, waiting patiently for me.

"Daddy, Kimi cry," he said while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. There was no doubt in my mind that he woke up because of her crying.

"I know, Bud," I said. "Do you want to go back to bed for a little bit?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Someting for snack."

"Okay. Why don't you go downstairs and wait in the kitchen? As soon as I get your sister calmed down, I'll be down to give you a snack, okay?"

He nodded his head before he started scooting down the stairs. He fell while trying to go down them a few weeks ago and refuses to do anything other than scoot down them now. While he was doing that, I walked into the nursery to grab Kimi. When I picked her up, I knew she needed a diaper change.

"Hey, sweetheart," I said gently while picking her up. "Let's get you into a clean diaper." She was due for a snack when she woke up. I wasn't planning on it being for another half an hour, but now is fine too.

I carried her to her changing table and laid her down. Her cries got louder, making me reach for the plastic keys I had dangling on the wall. If she didn't have something to play and distract herself with, she would cry the entire time I changed her.

Luckily, it wasn't explosive this time and was a quick change.

After I had her diaper in the genie, I scooped her up and carried her down the stairs. I forgot to leave the keys up there, so I'll have to remember to grab them when we go back up. "Hey, bud, what do you want for a snack?"

"Hmm, chip!" he yelled with a smile. I try to cut up fruit or something if it's this early, but I don't have the time. I'm still on the clock and need to get back to work.

"Alright. Climb up," I said while pulling the chair out that held his booster seat. While he was doing that, I put Kimi in her high chair and dumped a handful of Cheerios in front of her. After that, I opened a bag of potato chips and set them in front of Masao before pushing his chair in. "Daddy has to grab his laptop. He'll be back in just a second to get you some juice, okay?"

After he nodded, I practically jogged down the hallway. I should have grabbed my laptop before I gave them a snack. Even if it is only thirty seconds, I hate that I left them unattended. When my laptop was in my hands, I opened a new tab and went to my email as I walked down the hallway.

I wasn't surprised when I saw an email from my boss only a few minutes after our meeting had ended. I opened the email and set the laptop on the counter. Before I read it, I have to give my kids their drinks. I grabbed the formula from the top shelf and quickly whipped up a bottle for Kimi. I set it in the warmer and opened the fridge, reaching for a Capri Sun. Unsurprisingly, I was out. I gave the last few to Hanako and Kenzo this morning.