Prior Rings

Chapter 41: Tris - Babysitting

A/N: Just a reminder that I posted the last chapter out of order. I just moved it to the right place, but if you haven't read Tobias' POV of the wedding yet, or Christina's POV of the memorial, please go back to the last two chapters to find them.

As always, thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to review, favorite, and follow this story! I appreciate your support very much. Thank you also to my wonderful beta reader, Rosalie!

Chapter 41: Tris – Babysitting

It's not like Zeke and Shauna don't have plenty of babysitters when they want to go out by themselves. Between everyone in our faction, plus their families in Dauntless, it's almost a contest for who gets to watch Lionel each time.

So, I guess it's not surprising that Tobias and I don't end up filling the role until Lionel is ten months old. What's stranger, really, is that neither of us has watched a child this young before, given that everyone in Abnegation pitches in to help others whenever needed. But maybe that's why – others were so quick to volunteer that it never came down to us.

"He usually falls asleep after his eight o'clock feeding," Shauna tells us as she loosens his fingers from the necklace that he caught hold of. He makes a squawk of protest when she pulls it away and tucks it under her shirt. "So, you'll probably have a quiet evening after that. Just make sure you change his diaper first, around seven-thirty, or he'll wake up wet, and then he's hard to get back to sleep."

She wheels into the nursery, and I smile at the way Lionel extends his arms as if he's flying, clearly enjoying the movement from his seat in her lap. We follow them, somewhat mesmerized by the sheer volume of toys that fill the room. They're packed into bookshelves and are overflowing from the large chest. I can't imagine how a ten-month-old could possibly use so many items, but that may just be my perspective. We had very few toys in Abnegation.

Waving at the changing table, Shauna adds, "We use a disposable diaper at night, since it holds more, and cloth diapers the rest of the time."

We nod, a little wide-eyed, before I hesitantly admit that I've never changed a diaper before. Tobias seems relieved that I spoke up.

Zeke laughs. "It's easy. C'mere, and I'll show you."

He proceeds to demonstrate, swooping Lionel up from his mother's lap, laying him on the changing table, and giving him a toy to keep him occupied. I notice that it's attached to the table by a short tether, and it's easy to tell why once Lionel begins trying to throw it away from him.

"He'll roll off the table if you give him a chance, so keep a hand on him at all times," Zeke tells us, placing his palm firmly on his son's chest. He uses his other hand to wipe Lionel down before grabbing a cloth diaper from a large stack, folding it, and putting it into a water-proof cover. By the time he snaps it in place, I'm feeling more than a little daunted. I can only hope that Tobias and I can handle this task together.

"He'll fuss if the diaper is wet enough to bother him," Zeke continues, "so you don't need to constantly check it or anything. And if it needs to be changed for more solid reasons…." He smirks. "Well, you'll smell that pretty quickly."

"Yeah, I bet," Tobias responds snidely, "given who his father is." He mutters to me, "That was Zeke's secret weapon during fights." My mouth drops open a little at the implication, but Zeke just grins proudly.

"Hey, first rule of Dauntless – make use of your available resources."

Shauna rolls her eyes, and I do, too. What is it with men and bathroom humor?

"I'm sure you'll be fine," she says, turning away from her husband and focusing on me. "We'll be back around eleven. Uriah and Christina will be out, too, but George is always good with Lionel if you need a hand for any reason."