Delilah woke to a figure standing next to her bed.
She ran a hand through her hair as she asked, "Sonia, what are you doing in here?"
"Katia's crying a lot. Where's Uncle Sebby?"
"He left for an audition. Where are your parents?"
"They went on a breakfast date. I think Katia is hungry."
Delilah yawned as she got up and went to tend to her crying daughter.
As soon as Katia saw her mother, her tears ceased and her cries turned to whines which soon turned to gurgles.
Delilah picked her daughter up and smiled. "Hi, sweet girl."
"Aunt Lilah, can we do an aunt cousin day?"
She thought for a moment. "I don't see why not. I have no plans today. What about your mom, can she join?"
"No, I want a you and Katia and me day."
"All right, what do you want to do?"
"Have you seen the new skeleton movie?"
"You mean Coco?"
"Yeah, that one!"
"No, I haven't. Did you want to see it?"
"Yes! But is it okay for Katia?"
"I should think so. It doesn't seem too scary."
"Why's there skeletons in it?"
"The story is about Dia de los Muertos which translates to Day of the Dead. On November 2, people, mostly of Hispanic origin, honor their dead."
"Why? That's weird."
"Well, it's kind of similar to how you honor the birth of a baby 2,000 years before."
"So it's like Christmas?"
"Sort of. Pictures of those who've passed on are set out and the family gathers together to remember them."
"Oh. That's cool. Can we go see it now? And can we get ice cream? But milk hurts me."
"Tell you what. We'll see a movie, get lunch and maybe dessert."
"And shopping?"
"You remind me so much of Babcia. She loved shopping. Sure, we can do that."
"Disney store?"
Delilah nodded. "Absolutely. Maybe you can help me pick out something for Katia."
"And Uncle Sebby, Mommy, Daddy and the baby?"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea. I need to get ready. Do you think you can play with Katia for a little while?"
"Yes!"
"I'll try to be quick."
Delilah showered, got dressed, put on a little makeup, blow dried her hair and made her way back to her niece and daughter.
As soon as Sonia saw her aunt, she put on her shoes and grinned. "Let's go!"
"Hang on, sweetheart. I need to make sure Kati's diaper bag is ready."
She checked to make sure she had everything Katia would need and slipped on her shoes.
Once the girls were buckled in, Delilah sent a text to Sebastian, Devin and Jemma that she'd be taking Sonia and Katia out for a few hours.
They arrived at the theater and Sonia quickly got out and impatiently waited for Katia to be unbuckled.
Sonia frowned and asked, "Is she gonna be quiet for the movie?"
Delilah nodded. "She should, yes. She's a surprisingly quiet baby. Quite unlike you."
"I wasn't loud, Aunt Lilah!"
"Sorry, sweetie, but you were. You liked having your voice heard. There's nothing wrong with that."
"I like talking. Can we get tickets? Does Katia need a ticket?"
"No, just you and me. Since she's under two, she won't need one."
"Okay, good. Can we get popcorn and soda?"
"We can get popcorn, but I'm going to say no to the soda. Only because we'll be doing lunch after."
"But Mommy always lets me get soda at the movies."
"I'm not your mother, Sonia. There's tea or lemonade you can get."
Sonia was about to protest, but one look from her aunt stopped her.
Delilah bought the tickets and they entered the theater. Their tickets were ripped in half and given back.
Sonia ran to the concessions and waited for her aunt. When Delilah arrived, the little girl asked, "Can we share lemonade?"
"Sure."
Delilah ordered a medium popcorn and a lemonade.
They grabbed salt packets and straws, then made their way in the theater.
When the movie started, both little girls had their eyes glued to the screen.
Just short an hour-and-a-half later, the movie ended and Delilah asked, "What'd you think?"
Sonia smiled. "It was a really good movie. I liked Remember Me as a lullaby a lot better. You should sing it to Katia before she sleeps. Did you like the movie?"
"Maybe I will. I did like it a lot. So much so that I may see it again with your uncle."
"I think Uncle Sebby will like it. And mommy and daddy. Can we get hamburgers?"
"I think they will too. Burgers sound like a wonderful idea."
"Can Kati eat burgers?"
"She can have small bites."
"Let's go!"
They made their way to a burger place and ordered their food; both got burgers without cheese and Delilah got an extra burger for Katia.
When their food arrived, Sonia immediately started eating. Katia whined, seeing the food, and Delilah fed her a small piece before starting on her own burger.
As soon as they finished their food, Sonia said, "Can we do ice cream now?"
"How about shopping, and then ice cream? We should let the food digest a little."
"Okay, that's a good idea. Can we do the Disney store and the book store?"
"Yes, we certainly can."
They made their way to the Disney store and Sonia instantly began looking for clothes. She pulled out an infant baby Minnie shirt, a large Mickey shirt and a slightly smaller Minnie shirt.
Sonia held up her findings and said, "For you, Kati and Uncle Sebby."
Delilah took the shirts and smiled. "Thanks, sweetie. The sizes are a little big, but I can find the right ones."
"Will Uncle Sebby like them?"
"Yes, I think he will."
"Good. Can I get a Bucky thing?"
"Let's see what we can find."
They searched around the store and found a Winter Soldier shirt, much to Sonia's delight. She also grabbed an adult women's shirt and an infant shirt for Delilah and Katia.
Sonia then wanted to get mugs for her parents and a sippy cup for her baby brother or sister.
Delilah glanced at everything and said in a slightly joking manner, "You're lucky I'm working, kid."
Sonia smiled sweetly as she put the sippy cup on the counter.
The cashier smiled as she said, "The Winter Soldier is one of my favorite characters."
"He's my uncle," Sonia said. "And that's-"
Delilah took Sonia's hand, quieting her. The last thing she wanted was to be called out when she was trying to enjoy a day out with her niece and daughter.
"Sure, sweetie."
Delilah paid for the items and Sonia said, "I changed my mind about the bookstore. Can we get ice cream now?"
"How about we pick some up? It's Katia's nap time and if she doesn't nap, she's a terror."
"But we can still be together?"
"Of course we can."
They got ice cream, specifically sorbet, and made their way home.
As soon as they entered, Sebastian glanced up and smiled. "Hey. How was your day?"
Sonia smiled widely. "It was so good! We saw the Day Dead movie and went to the Disney store and got ice cream!"
"Sounds like you had a great day." He turned to Delilah. "The Day Dead movie?"
"Day of the Dead," Delilah clarified. "We saw Coco. It was a good movie. I think you'd enjoy it. But no bag-searching and all you do."
"I have to make sure there are no bombs, Del."
"Oh God. I've got to put Katia down. Be right back."
Delilah left to put Katia down and when she returned, Sonia was giving Sebastian a full recap of the day she'd had with her aunt and cousin.
Delilah stood against the wall with a smile as she watched the interaction. Seeing Sebastian interact with their niece made her far happier than she'd ever thought and she couldn't wait to see how he was with their daughter as she grew.