The Last Humans (Age-Regression)

Chapter Forty-Four: Messy Paint

Atticus (Papa) POV:

Grace, Dechen, and Calisto had to attend an important meeting so I was left on babysitting duty. I don't mind watching my princes, though. Currently, we're finger painting in the dining room. Clara's in her diaper and I'm wearing a old shirt so we don't get messy.

"Papa! Chu dwa Cwara?" Clara asks sweetly.

"Of course I'll draw you, princess." Using my finger, I scoop up some pink paint and draw a stick finger on the large sheet of paper Clara and I are sharing.

I put some gold paint on my middle finger and use it draw a crown on the stick figures head. "There! All done!" I smile and look towards Clara.

She has blue, green, and orange paint on her stomach. Pink paint in her hair, and brown paint on her face. She looks adorable. "Cwara dwa Mama." Clara points towards a brown smudge on the paper.

It doesn't look like anything but I still praise her anyways. "Good job, baby!" I clap my hands together, forgetting I had paint on them. The action sends paint everywhere.

Clara's eyes widen and she sticks her whole hand in the blue paint cup and copies my motion, spraying the chairs, table, paper, and our bodies in blue paint. Clara stares for a moment then busts out in baby giggles.

I can help but clap my hands together again so I can hear Clara laugh again. Of course Clara decided it would be funny to grab the whole cup of paint and chuck it at me. Purple paint hits the floor, our antique table and chairs, and gets all over me.

"Okay, we're done." I say, picking up Clara out of her highchair and placing her on the floor.

I start to clean up the paints before I realize my mistake. Turning around, I see multicolored little baby hand and knee prints imprinted on the floor from where Clara crawled away. Grace is going to kill me.

Running to catch up with Clara, I find her crawling down the hall, giggling like a maniac. I run and scoop her up off the floor, tossing her little body over my shoulder and holding onto her legs. "We have to get this mess cleaned up before Mama gets home or we're both going to be in deep trouble."

"Too late." My eyes widen and I slowly turn around. Grace, Dechen, and Calisto are all standing behind me dressed in their finest clothes.

"Well, shi-shoot." I whisper.

"Shoots about right." Grace says, looking down at the handprints on the floor by her feet.

"I can explain!" I shout.

"Do tell, then." Grace gestures for me to speak and waits patiently.

I can't really think of a good excuse so I just point to Clara saying, "It's her fault."

"Really, Atticus? Blaming the baby?" Calisto asks incredulously.

I nod my head and slowly back up, Clara still in my arms. "Nah uh. You go get in the shower and get all that paint off. Then you can scrub the halls yourself. It's unfair to the maids for them to clean this up." Grace snaps her fingers and points towards the bathroom.

Sighing, I walk towards Grace and try to hand Clara over to her. "Nope, you can bathe her too. Have fun with that. I'm going to go get changed." Grace throws her arms up and moves into our room, Dechen and Calisto following.

"It's just you and me kid." I tell Clara, moving into the bathroom.

I remove her diaper and put her in the shower, closing the glass door so I can get undressed. After my clothes are gone, I open the shower door and turn on the water. Clara screeches and giggles, crawling to the far side of the shower so the water doesn't touch her.