Lauren and Kaila had been quietly sitting with Faye in her room for the past hour and neither of them had made any attempt to interact with the overly excited girl.
After many failed attempts to play Faye gave up and rushed out of her room and walked downstairs to where the women and Nina's mother sat.
Faye huffed as she sat besides Nina crossing her arms as she pouted.
Bringing her girl in for a side hug, Nina snuggled closely to her little girl. "Why the long face?" She asked kissing the top of the girls head.
"Their boring. They won't play with me. Or talk to me. Or look at me! Their being big meanies!" She complained as the three women surrounding her couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
"They're new baby. We've got to give them some time." Lain told her only earning a louder whine in response.
"Why?!" She threw her face into Nina's side. "I don't like them!" She mumbled out.
"Hey, that's not nice Faye." Nina removed the girl from her side as she looked down sternly.
"But they don't like me!" She made her point as she scooted away from the woman who scolded her and over towards the one looking at her with sorrow eyes.
"Mommy's not going to protect you princess. What mama said is right. What you said about Kaila and Lauren wasn't very nice." Lain persisted causing the girl to whine. She threw on her biggest frown and ran over to the eldest woman who she knew she would earn comfort from.
And as expected the woman welcomed the small girl with open arms as she cuddled her close.
"I wasn't done talking to you yet Faye." Lain moved across the room sitting besides her mother-in-law and little girl. Placing a hand on the sulking girls back she looked down into her glassy eyes. "Don't be so upset with Kaila and Lauren. They don't hate you."
"But their ignoring me!"
"Because their new baby." Nina said.
"But you said we could play!"
"Calm down sweets, no need to be getting all worked up now." Natalia said as she stroked the girls hair.
"It not fair!" She collapsed in the woman's arms sinking far into her hold as tears came streaming out.
Sighing the couple looked towards one another. "I'm going to go check on Lauren and Kaila." Nina said as she stood.
Up in Faye's room the two girls were nowhere to be found. But hearing soft whimpers coming out of Kaila's room the woman entered concerned. "Kaila? Lauren?" She called seeing an empty room.
Listening closer to the sound Nina found the source of the noise was coming from the closet. Walking over slowly the woman opened the door finding both girls curled into themselves with red tear stains running down their cheeks.
"Oh look at you." She got down on her kneels pulling both girls out and into a tight embrace. "Why were you girls in the closet?" She asked holding them securely.
"Don't wanna get in trouble." Lauren cried out as her body trembled.
"Trouble?"
"Faye yelled at us and said we were being mean then left." Kaila explained behind her cries.
"Well that's because Faye thought she was coming home and getting to meet some new playmates but all you two have done is ignore her."
Silently continuing to cry Nina held them on the floor while she spoke. "You girls can't be cooped up inside that closet forever now. You should at least try to get to know Faye. She's the sweetest girl around. She's not going to hurt you."
"C-can y-you play too?" Lauren begged of the woman.
"Sure. If you can give it a try, I'll play too." Standing up first, Kaila followed after as she wiped her tears away. Lauren on the other hand had thrown her arms into the air waiting for the woman. "Lazy girl." She teased picking the girl up and setting her on her hip.
"Hey, where'd your paci go Lauren?" She asked noticing the missing object. Pointing towards the closet Nina picked up the dirty pacifier off the closet floor. The small girl held her hands out waiting for it, but the woman shook her head. "It's dirty now. I'll grab you another one when we're downstairs. Come on Kaila." Nina held her hand out towards the girl on the ground.
Taking them both down carefully all of the attention was immediately on them. Walking over to Lain, Nina passed over Lauren as she sat Kaila down besides them.
Lain began to bounce the girl on her lap seeing her wet cheeks while Kaila hid her tiny body as far as she could behind the woman seeing as Faye was only sitting a foot away.
Nina had walked away momentarily before returning with some items in her hands.
Passing over a bottle with warm milk towards the girl in her mother's lap, Faye began lapping up the contents inside while Lauren and Kaila were more hesitant to grab theirs.
Handing one of the bottles to Lain, Nina picked Kaila up from behind her wife and sat across the room on a chair where they could comfortably sit out. Watching as her wife guided the bottle slowly to Lauren's lips, the girl eventually attached back to it.
"You're the last one." She whispered into Kaila's ear gently. Cradling the girl in her arms, Nina held the bottle out towards her. "Do you want to hold it?" She offered.
But the girl simply watched the room while the two other girls drank theirs. Chuckling to herself Nina guided the bottle towards Kaila waiting to see if she would protest. But sooner or later the bottle reached the girls lips and she hadn't protested as the teat slipped through.
Waiting patiently for some movement, Nina held the bottle in place while Kaila eventually began drinking down the warm liquid.
With no more sobs nor sniffles the women used this time to recollect their thoughts.
And one by one the girls began finishing their milk. Growing tired as they rubbed their eyes Natalia had an idea. While she was older, nothing held her back. Lifting Faye up and onto her hip with ease, Nina's mother began walking towards a guest bedroom downstairs.
Looking back she waited for Nina and Lain to follow her with the other girls. Inside what is typically her room for when she stays the night, Natalia laid Faye down on the large bed as the women laid Kaila and Lauren besides her.
As soon as she hit the bed, Lauren whined clinging onto Lain tightly but the woman only shushed her as she laid her back down. When the girl tried to sit up, Lain pushed her hand against the girls chest softly. "Go to bed honey. It's nap time anyways. I'll come and get you afterwards." She assured.
"Besides you've got Faye and Kaila here with you." Natalia said trying to help the girl adjust to the inclusion of Faye.
"Not tired Grammy." Faye mumbled as her heavy eyes already began to fall.
Chuckling at her Nina's mom began humming a little tune. Slowly all the girls eyes started falling and it wasn't much longer after when they all fell right asleep.
Walking out of the room and shutting the door behind them Nina looked to her mom in confusion. "Why'd you take them to your room? They usually nap in theirs."
"Because if the girls are really all that scared to be around Faye, then sleeping together is just going to show them that they can be around each other and not have to worry because their too tired to do anything."
"Kaila's as cuddly as a koala though. The second she finds someone she's not going to let them go." Nina said stretching her back out feeling the pain of her position last night coming to her.
"Leave the girl alone. There's nothing wrong with that." Natalia scolded.
"How long are you staying for mom?" Lain asked of her.
"Trying to kick me out I see." The woman chuckled as Lain shuffled to deny that accusation. "Oh please. I love staying here with you both, but unfortunately I have some work I have to finish tomorrow. So I'll just stay for dinner before I go home."
"Yes!" Nina snickered as she watched her mother raised an eyebrow at her and cross her arms.
"Or I can just call out sick for tomorrow and stay for a week like normal." She said making Lain laugh while her daughter laughed harder than before.
"I swear you both have the same poor sense of humor." Lain teased them.
"Yup!" Nina agreed. "And I couldn't have been more proud." She hugged her mother pressing a peck onto her cheek.
All quietly laughing as the girls napped the three women finally shifted topics as Natalia made herself a cup of tea.
"So Kaila and Lauren aren't ready to be babied yet like Faye?" She asked before blowing at the top of her mug as she sipped her drink.
"Mom, I tried to tell you on the phone yesterday that the girls are still really shy. It's going to take them more than a week before their ready for that."
"Perhaps babying them will bring them out of their shells." She suggested.
"What do you mean?" Nina asked.
"Well based off what I've seen so far, they seem hesitant to do or say anything. All I'm saying is that I think if you treated them like Faye they would open up more since they'll have to depend on you."
"Do you really think that'll help get them out of their shells?" Lain seemed hopeful.
"How am I suppose to know I've never tried it before." She teased with a shrug. "Just give it a shot and see how it goes." She leaned closer as her voice softened. "Plus it means I get to buy more toys for them if it works! I had to hold myself back from buying bags full of them on my way here with Faye!"
Laughing the women continued talking about their lives. But something the couple decided right then and there was that Natalia did have a point about taking things further with the girls.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off