Six year old Red rocks eleven month me up and down in the waiting room of the pediatric clinic. Mom, meanwhile, was filling out me, Ash and Red's forms.
" Name- Mia Ketchum. Siblings- Red and Ash. Uh... Oh, their date of birth is already here. Well, that's a relief. Uh... Well, she can crawl, she sometimes walks, she babbles a lot, and... Well, she knows the gestures for ' no' and ' yes'."
She sighed, rubbing her temples.
Red shifted me to his hip and reached for the clipboard.
She looked up. " Hm?"
Red grunted silently.
" You're saying give Mia and Ash's forms to you while I work on yours?"
He nodded.
Mom smiled tiredly but handed Red the forms for Ash and me. "Alright, but be careful not to drop them."
Red nodded seriously and took the forms, gripping them tightly in one hand while adjusting his hold on me with the other. Even at six years old, he was already protective-holding me securely on his hip like he'd been doing it for years.
I, meanwhile, was completely oblivious to the importance of paperwork. I babbled happily, smacking my tiny hands against Red's chest, clearly entertained by something only I understood. My chubby fingers grabbed onto the edge of his vest, tugging at it like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
Red barely reacted. He was used to it by now.
Mom watched with a fond smile as her eldest balanced both me and the forms. "Alright, Red, go ahead and fill them out if you want."
Red, ever the responsible older brother, plopped down in one of the waiting room chairs, setting me carefully in his lap while holding the clipboard against his knee. I wiggled but stayed put, kicking my feet and making small noises as he started filling out the forms with all the seriousness of a kid given an important mission.
He scribbled in our names and birthdates, pausing every so often to check something with Mom. Meanwhile, I entertained myself by grabbing at his fingers every time he moved the pen, occasionally squealing when I succeeded in getting hold of one.
"She's grabby," Mom commented with a chuckle.
Red hummed in agreement, gently prying my tiny fingers off his hand before continuing to write.
Just then, Ash, sitting in his stroller nearby, let out a loud babble of his own, as if offended by the lack of attention.
Mom sighed. "I swear, you three keep me on my toes."
Red just smiled slightly and kept writing.
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By the time the nurse called our family in, Ash and I were in Red's arms, being bounced up and down on his knees.
Mom smiled and picked her bag up. " Come on, Red. Let's go."
