Other Side

36 | Fear No Colors

The next morning, Talia got a taste of motherhood.

Actually, the true mom hovered over her, sleep deprived, makeup-less, and swimming in an oversized college T-shirt. Meredith, in the bluntest terms, looked like shit, but so did her husband, Uncle Marcus, currently reclining in an armchair, covered in his wife's purse, diaper bag, and a periwinkle baby blanket.

Seeing them hadn't been on the schedule, as she'd expected her grandparents would return alone after a weekend at their house. But given that neither her uncle or his wife seemed to have eaten or slept in the last three months, Talia understood why Teta Salma was currently cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

"God, what I wouldn't do to be back in college," Marcus groaned, dropping his head back to the cushion. "Leaving was the worst idea of my life."

She scooted over on the couch so Meredith could make herself comfortable. Baby Salma slept soundly in the seat carrier on the ground, her yellow onesie bursting at the seams. Meredith bent down to push back the canopy, but her bony hands floated warily over the tiny human's head, teal-colored eyes darting from left to right.

Talia placed a gentle hand on her arm. "If you're worried she's gonna wake up and start screaming her head off, please leave her be." At her soft words, Salma shifted in her sleep and cooed, but her eyes remained shut, face about ninety percent cheeks. "She's cute enough to look at."

"The thing is, she rarely screams." Meredith chuckled, sliding her fingers through her small tufts of dark blonde hair. "But getting her to fall sleep is a literal Olympic feat. Sometimes I wonder if Marcus slips some caffeine into her bottles."

Her uncle snapped out of his catnap, body returning to a stiff upright position. "What happened, Mer? Is something wrong with the baby?"

I think he's the one you should worry about, Talia thought, trying to conceal her laughter as Meredith had to coax him back into a nap.

At last, she pulled little Salma out of the carrier. As she faced her, the mere thought of having such a tiny human in her arms sent Talia's heart into a frenzy, blurring her hands before her eyes.

"Here, you can take her now," Meredith said. "Just remember to keep a hand at the back of her head."

Eyes the size of saucers, Talia felt her mind float away from her body as she transferred Salma to her hold. After only five seconds in her shaking arms, her eyes snapped open. As her lips parted, a few gurgles escaping, Talia's heart sank to her stomach.

Oh no, no, no. Please no. Oh, god no.

Wincing as she awaited an ear-splitting cry for her mother, she was instead met with the softest of baby yawns. And then, one tiny hand met her chest, giving her left boob an eager pat.

Meredith broke into laughter, throwing her head back. "Okay, someone is definitely hungry. I should go take care of that."

Talia gladly handed her cousin back to her and wiped her slick hands off on her jeans-clad thighs. As Meredith scurried past her husband to reach the stairs, he once again jerked forward, almost falling out of his seat this time.

"Where are you going, babe?" He rubbed his bloodshot eyes, struggling to find a place to look. "Do you need help?"

"You can't help with this one, for once," she grumbled, angling Salma away from her chest. As she made it to the stairs, Talia swore she heard her mumble never again.

"Okay," Talia began, noting her uncle was now wide awake. "I've never exactly been...enamored by this whole 'having kids' thing, but now I think I'm almost terrified—although, I think I can give your daughter a pass for everything just for those chunky cheeks."