Quiet Time

Chapter 26

     The next thing Emma knew she was being gently woken by Elizabeth.

"Wakey wakey baby," Elizabeth said quietly. Carmen was busy rousing Lucy who was considerably more active than Emma. Emma groaned and stretched as much as her confines would allow. Despite the relative comfort of the cage she was still sore, more from not sleeping in her own bed than anything else, she reasoned. Or the closest thing to her bed which was her crib. Her crib was at least cozy and had all of the stuffed animals she had grown accustomed to in her time here.

     Thankfully Elizabeth was opening the cage to let her out and Emma quickly evacuated from the cage.

"Momma's gonna make you some nummies downstairs. Why don't you go with her while mommy wakes the kitty," Elizabeth said moving to Becca's cage. Carmen made her way out of the room shooting a quick smile at Emma and a gentle wave. Emma yawned and stretched and made her way downstairs following Carmen. Carmen quickly set up a small portable booster seat. Without being told Emma clambered up on to the seat, which Carmen had affixed to one of the kitchen chairs. The device wasn't much more than a small padded seat with some straps that went along the bottom and behind the chair all fastening across Emma's chest with Velcro.

Emma fumbled with the straps a bit and eventually managed to secure herself in while Carmen began to busy herself with cooking some kind of meal involving eggs.

"Look at you strapping yourself into your booster seat like a good girl," Carmen praised.

"Yes Momma," Emma replied. "What's for brekky?"

"Well I found some eggs and bacon, though I might make you kids some omelets. Do you like omelets baby girl?"

"I tink so," Emma said kicking her feet. "I didn't have dem a whole lot."

"Well momma made them special for you so I think you'll like it," Carmen walked behind Emma and pushed her chair up to the kitchen table, since the portable booster seat lacked any kind of tray she would have to be fed from the table.

      As Carmen was setting a plate down Elizabeth, Lucy, and Becca emerged from the stairs. Lucy bolted toward the table and hugged Carmen. "There's everyone else. I was beginning to wonder." While Carmen was busy greeting everyone else Emma was stuck with the food temptingly in front of her. Despite how much she wanted to, she knew she wasn't allowed to eat big meals like this without help and waited patiently to be fed.

"I'll get these two situated, looks like you got a hungry baby already," Elizabeth said noticing Emma's hungry stares. Elizabeth pecked Carmen on the cheek and went off to prepare food for Lucy and Becca while Carmen got to work feeding Emma bite by bite.

"This is really good Momma," Emma said mouth full of the eggy delight.

"You always say that when we let you eat big girl food," Carmen said pointedly.

"Nuh uh!" Emma protested.

"You know you do."

"Jeez jus take the compliment," Emma said pouting. Carmen giggled.