Won't Roux Be My Neighbor

The Baby-Bitters Club

There would be many hard feelings, Louise thought. The rest of Tina's letter contained instructions on how to watch the children for the next two to three hours. She fished the bottle out of the diaper bag and placed it in her fridge, all the while talking to Griffin.

"I'd murder your parents," she cooed sweetly to her godson, "but that would mean you would come to live with me permanently, and we can't have that."

Griffin babbled his response, not really understanding the meaning of her words.

"Right. So, um, most of the outlets are still covered from your last visit," even as she spoke, Louise spotted a frequently used and uncovered outlet. "Or... not. Okay, your sister is asleep, so let's leave her be and go on a trip to the junk drawer."

"Juhdra!"

"That's right, junk drawer." Louise patted his head. "Look at you, already smarter than your dad."

After locating the drawer in her kitchen filled with the most treasured of necessities like ketchup packets and Ikea wrenches, Louise found one and a half outlet covers and sighed.

"You think if I push furniture in front of it that counts as baby-proofing?" Louise asked Griffin.

"Nononono."

"What, you a cop?"

Entering the living room, Louise set Griffin down and pointed at him sternly.

"Don't go anywhere. I'm just making this place safe. Stay there and uh... be a baby."

Griffin looked at her for a second, then immediately made to stand and go.

"What did we just talk about?!" Louise asked, scooping him right back into her arms. She might have been too loud, as she heard Ava start to stir. No cries yet, so Louise considered it a victory.

She held onto Griffin during her journey to plug every outlet and cover all of the sharp corners, only setting him down when a job required two hands. As he tried to crawl to freedom, Louise grabbed his ankle and pulled him right back much to Griffin's giggling delight.

While Louise wasn't a stranger to her niece and nephew, she never got stuck babysitting alone and definitely never in the form of an ambush. Tina thrived as a mom, nurturing, patient, openly affectionate. All things Louise was not. She ruffled Griffin's dark hair while he tried to pry her other hand from his little foot. Still, she counted herself lucky enough to have agreeable kids to watch.

Which of course was when Ava started to cry.

Focus darting from Griffin to Ava, Louise sighed and hauled herself and the boy off the floor. He giggled again when she tossed him gently onto the other side of the couch.

"No funny business, alright? That's my job, and I won't have you muscling in on my territory."

He answered her in nonsense but stayed put.

Louise nodded and focused on Ava. She winced as the baby hit a note her ears weren't equipped to handle.

"Yes, we know you have very powerful lungs, okay?" Louise said as she sat and unbuckled Ava from her seat. She sniffed her, but everything smelled clean. The note from Tina mentioned hunger cues, but Ava didn't seem to be doing any of them.

The second Ava settled into her arms, the crying quieted until it ceased completely.

"What?" Louise asked.

Ava blinked up at her but obviously offered no answer besides an open mouth almost-smile.

Assuming the little one only wanted to be held, Louise huffed.