Violet

Baby Steven

The baby screamed. Ruby screamed. Sapphire screamed.

"He won't stop screaming!" Ruby cried in distress. "What do we do?!"

"I don't know!" Sapphire wailed, her hands flying to her face. "I can't see, I can't... cradle him! Cradle!" Immediately Ruby lifted the shrieking child into her arms and began rocking nervously back and forth. The baby, Steven, continued to bawl. Ruby began to sweat nervously. Waves of heat rolled off her, and the wood floor began to smoke. "Ruby, you're going to roast him!" Sapphire yelped, taking the baby in her own arms.

"Well, you're going to turn him into a popsicle!" Ruby retorted, taking the child back. His crying grew more intense and he flailed his arms and legs, doing his best to wriggle right out of Ruby's hands.

"We should put him back," Sapphire suggested nervously. Ruby carefully lowered the baby into his crib and wrapped a blanket around him.

"Is he hungry?" Ruby asked, pacing, leaving charred footsteps in her path. Sapphire ran agitated fingers through her silky hair.

"I don't think so," she replied. She took a deep breath. "We should both just calm down. Maybe we're stressing him out. I'll go get his bottle from downstairs." Ruby nodded.

"Good idea." Sapphire departed swiftly and returned moments later with a bottle of warm milk. She offered it to Steven only to have him bat it away with a distressed gurgle.

"I know!" Ruby shouted. Steven let loose an ear piercing shriek and Ruby and Sapphire both winced. Ruby lowered her voice to a whisper and grinned at Sapphire. "You should sing to him!"

"O-Okay," Sapphire whispered back, brushing the hair out of her face. She sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to sing.

Out of her mouth came the most melodic, soothing sound one could imagine. Immediately, Steven's scowl turned to a toothless, gleeful grin and he giggled, settling down into his blankets and closing his eyes. Ruby let out a sigh of relief and sank to the floor, curling up and listening to Sapphire sing. The room was full of beauty and light, and the house grew peaceful as Sapphire's voice carried throughout the rooms. Slowly a final note trailed off, and Sapphire tentatively leaned over the cradle to see if Ruby's plan had worked. Steven was nestled in the soft blankets, sleeping soundly. Sapphire beamed, helping Ruby to her feet and pulling her into a hug.

"I'm so glad that worked," Ruby whispered. "I knew it would. Your voice is so beautiful... like you." Sapphire blushed.

"You're not that hard to look at yourself," she whispered back, grinning. "Now I could use a nap myself after that ordeal. I'll see you in a bit." With that, she floated down the stairs, curled up on the couch, and fell asleep.