When the Story Continues (Sequel to When the Script Changes)

Chapter 26: Round 2 in Parenthood - Life with Pilantita

Parenthood—again.

It was supposed to be easier the second time around, right? Freen and Becky thought so.

They had done this before, raised Mon into the wonderful, caring, intelligent woman she had become. They had survived the sleepless nights, the crying, the diapers, the endless energy of a small child.

And yet...

As Becky stood in the middle of their nursery, hair a mess, baby monitor in one hand, bottle in the other, and an exhausted Freen slumped on the couch with a burp cloth over her shoulder—

She realized something.

They were old.

Okay, maybe not old old, but their energy wasn't the same.

Pilantita, or Pin, as Mon had started calling her, was barely a month old, and she had already turned their entire world upside down.

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It was 2 AM, and the entire house was awake.

Pin was screaming, her tiny lungs working at full capacity.

Freen was rocking her gently, humming softly, trying to calm her down.

Becky?

Becky was Googling.

"Why is my baby screaming at 2 AM?"

"How to get newborns to sleep?"

"Can you survive on two hours of sleep?"

"How much caffeine is too much caffeine?"

Mon, who had been home for the past few weeks to help, peeked into the room, Sam right behind her.

"You guys okay?" Mon whispered, voice thick with sleep.

Becky slowly turned, dead in the eyes.

"No."

Mon stifled a laugh. Sam did not.

"Here, let me," Mon said, stepping forward and reaching for Pin. Freen handed her over with a sigh of relief, rubbing her temples.

And just like that—

Pin stopped crying.

Silence.

The three adults gaped at the tiny baby now curled up in Mon's arms, blinking up at her sister like she hadn't just waged war on sleep itself.

Freen crossed her arms. "Are you serious?"

Becky huffed. "She likes Mon more than us."

Sam smirked. "I mean... can you blame her?"

Mon grinned, swaying slightly as Pin's tiny hand curled around her finger. "What can I say? She's obsessed with me."

Pin made a small, content noise, snuggling closer to Mon's chest.

Freen groaned. "Unbelievable."

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The first time they decided to take Pin out for a family brunch, it was a disaster.

Step One: Get Pin dressed.
Which should have been easy—except Becky kept arguing with Freen over which onesie looked cuter.

"This one has a tiny bear on it," Becky said, holding up a soft beige onesie.

Freen crossed her arms. "Yeah, but this one says 'Mom's little angel.'"

Mon, watching from the doorway, sighed. "Guys, she's literally going to poop in it in an hour."

They both glared at her.

Sam snorted.

Pin?

She spit up on Freen's shirt.

Step Two: Get out the door.
Except Pin immediately started crying when they strapped her into the car seat.

Becky, panicked, started singing off-key to calm her down.

(P.S.: I am so sorry baby, I freaking love your voice, you have a voice of an angel. This is just for the story! 😅)

Freen winced. "Babe, please—"

"ROCK-A-BYE BABY ON THE TREE TOP—"

Pin screamed louder.

"Becky, stop!" Freen whisper-yelled.

"I'M TRYING!"

Mon, sitting next to Sam in the backseat, rubbed her temples. "We are never leaving the house again."

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After weeks of trial and error, Becky and Freen finally started to adjust.

Sleep? Still rare.
Caffeine? A necessity.
Pin? Still their tiny dictator.

But unlike the first time around, they weren't as scared.

The first time, with Mon, every cry had been a panic attack waiting to happen.

Every fever? A crisis.

Every milestone? A desperate attempt to do everything perfectly.

But now?

Now they knew.

They knew Pin would cry just because she felt like it.

They knew they weren't going to break her if they put her down for five minutes.

They knew that sometimes, even when they did everything right, nothing would work.

And that was okay.

Because at the end of the day, they were in this together.

And Pin was so, so loved.

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One night, long after the house had finally quieted down, Freen and Becky sat on the couch, Pin asleep in Freen's arms.

Mon and Sam sat nearby, whispering to each other.

Becky looked at her wife, her partner, her best friend.

Freen smiled softly. "We did this again."

Becky chuckled. "We did."

Freen tilted her head. "Think we'll survive?"

Becky grinned, leaning her head against Freen's shoulder.

"Ask me after we get a full night's sleep."

Mon snorted. "So... never?"

Sam smirked. "Definitely never."

Freen laughed, brushing a soft kiss against Pin's tiny forehead.

"She's worth it," Becky whispered, voice full of love.

And Freen?

Freen nodded.

"She always will be."