Small But Loved (Age-Regression)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Clingy Tears

Hazel POV:

I hold Mila to my chest as she sleeps restlessly. It's been a long night with a cranky little girl. Her throat is swollen, and she had trouble sleeping. Poor thing slept on my chest all night. Even Kai and West showed concern for her when she wouldn't stop crying. They tried to calm her, but Mila wanted her Mama. She wouldn't even bother with Theo.

Currently, Theo is getting ready to wake the boys for school. Recently, we've learned that they've been slacking in school, so he's headed in for a parent teacher conference. I was supposed to go with them, but Mila needs me right now. "Are you going to be okay with her? We can reschedule this." Theo asks with a touch of concern on his face as he slips on his pants.

"I'm sure. The boys' grades are slipping, and we need to get on that. They're good boys, so something has to be going on." I reply while patting Mila's diapered butt when she starts to fuss. Theo nods, still looking a little unsure.

"Alright. I'm one phone call away. If you guys need anything let me know." When I agree, Theo walks off to get the boys. As soon as the bedroom door is shut, Mila starts crying again. She needs more sleep and her medicine. I have no idea how I'm going to get her to swallow a pill right now.

I'm going to have to chop it up and put it in a breastmilk bottle. Hopefully, she'll take it. If not, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. With a weary sigh, I stand up and head downstairs. Luna greets me at the bottom of the stairs with a happy wag of her tail. She happily trots towards me and stands up on her hind legs to sniff Mila's foot. "She's not feeling well, Luna. Let her sleep."

My happy, fat dog trots off towards the kitchen and sits in front of her food bowl. It's empty, so I quickly fill it while trying to calm Mila. Her cries are slowing, but I can tell it's about to start up again. "Hold on, pea. Mama's getting you a baba." I coo, heading to the freezer and grab a frozen bag of breastmilk. It's dated from a few months ago, so it still should be good. While that's thawing under some hot water in the sink, I wrap Mila in her sling. The skin to skin contact with my chest keeps her calm for a while.

"There, snug as a bug in a rug." I tell her while swiping away some tears that have fallen on her cherub cheeks. I pat Mila's butt while I walk into the kitchen to get started chopping up her medicine. The process is quick and finished by the time her milk is warmed up. Pouring the bag into a bottle, I add in the chopped-up medicine, then offer it to Mila. She sucks on the bottle wile I move around the kitchen, preparing some food for myself.

A bagel with cream cheese, salmon, and everything but the bagel seasoning is what rests on my plate in front of me. Mila eyes my breakfast while slowly sipping on her bottle. She probably wants real food, but her throat is too swollen to have solids right now. Milk is dribbling down her chin and I swipe it away with a burp cloth. "You are one messy girl." I laugh while carrying my plate up to my office. Upon sitting down and booting up my computer, I see the emails waiting for me. A soft groan escapes me. So much work to do with a sick baby. Hopefully, I can get through a couple consultations before Mila decides she's had enough and starts crying again.

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Theo POV:

The boys are both quiet on the drive to school. Kai sits beside me in the passenger seat, West sitting behind the drivers seat. Kai seems a tad bit nervous. He wont stop biting down on his lip ring and twiddling his fingers. West doesn't seem to be fairing any better. He's anxiously biting his fingernails and tapping his foot on the floorboard. Whatever they have done, I can guarantee it wasn't that serious. My boys are good. They do their chores, abide by the rules, and don't put up a fit when asked to do something. West even started picking up on some chores around the house since he started staying with us. We didn't even have to ask him. If he sees something that needs done, he does it.