Baby Steps

Megumi inquisitively looked at Johnny with curiosity as he stopped his speech mid word to avoid cussing. It would be one hell of a first word to learn. Aurora picked her back up from Johnny, and she just looked between the two before staring at her uncle as Aurora sat her down on her lap. "Well thank you, you didn't need to," Aurora thanked with a smile as she picked up the small bowl of baby food. They had plenty of baby food in their pack but the thought was nice. And homemade natural stuff was ridiculously expensive to buy fresh, so Aurora could appreciate the effort, even if it was only a little.

She removed the pacifier and picked up the spoon of mashed sweet potatoes and hovered it in front of Megumi's mouth. "Come on sweetie, you'll like it," her mother offered but the teeny person just stared at the orange mush in front of her. It didn't actually look all that different from some of the baby food she'd eaten before. But somehow she knew it wasn't the same. She didn't actively turn away from it but she was more interested in the nearby man. She was fascinated by Johnny eating for whatever reason. For the moment, Aurora just smiled and put the spoon back down.

Mommy didn't make any haste in eating the adult food either. She was already dealing with a mouthful of a question anyhow. "I don't know...I've been missing the action but...I've been thinking about doing something more regular and consistent than wrestling. When you're a mother I guess it really changes your priorities." And she'd be lying if she said her sister's presence wasn't influencing that.

"But I do need to do something soon. This little girl-," she shook her knee so Megumi just kinda rocked around. "-is expensive. We've spent more money on diapers than...well anything for us two. And that's just the diapers!" Megumi, sensing a tone, looked straight up at Aurora, who looked down with a goofy face. "Isn't that right, you little pooping machine?" she said with scrunched up lips and a lower tone voice and rocking her back and forth. That was enough convincing for the baby, though, who laughed and wiggled her chubby arms.

Taylor had silently set the tea tray on the table and sat down next to Johnny while Aurora talked about (and to) Megumi. She tightly crossed her legs and similarly crossed her arms on top of them, folded forward like she was keeping warm with her hands clasped together and her eyes attentively on the mom.

"Oh!" She spoke up excitedly. "Can we give you money? Or like, at least can we give you diapers? We have so much money, so it's no problem or anything. We can't do very much, but if it helps we can do that!"

It never seemed very fair to Taylor that she had so much money while there were people doing more important things who needed it more, like raising kids. But then, she was a celebrity, and not every mom can be famous for being a mom... Maybe she could do something to help. She could talk to Morrigan about it.

"Baby food is super easy, too. You can buy like ten pounds of sweet potatoes and stuff, and bananas and berries and stuff like pumpkin. Sweet potatoes last forever in the cupboard, and then I just boil a potful at the start of the week and mash them up when I need 'em. I pretty much eat baby food, is what I'm saying!" She laughed, and felt super awkward like she was the only one laughing and stopped. "You could use a food processor or whatever, too, if you wanted..."

Aurora hadn't really acknowledged Taylor when she walked in if only because she was already talking about her experiences so far as a mother. She more or less gave a look her way of acknowledgement but that was about it. Her presence was enough to offend her, even despite their ill past. But all it took was Taylor to open her mouth for that tolerance to vanish.

Offering money? Because they had so much? It wasn't like they needed help with raising their family. Or even asked. Aurora couldn't help but feel a little insulted by the offer. "We're fine," she said rather flatly while still looking at down at the laughing Megumi.

The little girl bounced around a bit on her knee, before noticing the new woman in the room. The baby stared at Taylor, before reaching her general way and laughing. She wiggled her arms and looked up at Aurora with a chubby little smile. At that moment, Aurora couldn't help but smile back at her.

Mentally, Aurora took the greatest of breaths. "That sounds good. I'll try it sometime," she said to Taylor with the motherly smile on her face. She put the bowl of food down and picked up Megumi underneath her shoulders. "Do you want to..." she asked, offering the little human to Taylor. From the way Megumi squirmed, she seemed far more interested in the idea than Aurora did.

Mamouru gave Taylor a hard glance when she mentioned money. Although he cared for his sister-in-law, that was especially rude to to speak that way. Mamouru didn't make the kind of money that Johnny and Taylor did, but he was able to support him, his wife, and child comfortably enough. Their belts were tight, but they were happy and healthy and he had his pride to maintain.

But, his frown was quickly replaced by a smile as Megumi seemed to want to see his aunt. "Nee-san, you should learn to become comfortable around Megu-chan. I think everyone would like that, especially her." Mamouru said, nodding towards the squirming baby.

Mamouru stood up and took Megumi from Aurora. He cradled her in his arms and then stepped over to Taylor and tried to ease Megumi towards her. "You'll do fine, Nee-san."

C'mon, babe!" Johnny encouraged with a nudge. "Megumi's pretty awesome. She's totally chill for a baby too!"

Taylor's offer's icy reception immediately turned her face bright red and she averted her eyes away from the group. She just wanted to help, and she sucked with baby stuff. Money was one of the few things they had the ability and time to do.

"Oh, nonono, I don't..." Taylor shook her head and waved her hands. "I'm the last person you ever want to let..."

Her protests came to an abrupt end as she found a baby thrust into her hands. She held Megumi's tiny potato body between her hands while her little arms and legs wandered. Now how did she do this before?

She could feel the eyes on her as she awkwardly tried to maneuver Megumi into position. She had only done it once before, and it felt so foreign. She was the farthest thing from a mom. She spent her time hardening her body and learning to hit things and hurt things, and this...

There. She cradled Megumi in her arms and cautiously leaned her back until she hugged her against her chest. It was an incredible feeling, a unique feeling, and she wondered if everyone else felt the same thing when they held a baby. Or maybe it was just Megumi.

Taylor closed her eyes and even her breathing was shallow so as not to disturb the baby while she rocked ever so slightly back and forth.

Aurora was more than a little nervous as Megumi was handed to Taylor. She gripped the cushion of the couch when the woman seemed to struggle to figure out how to hold her. Aurora believed there were very few wrong ways to hold a baby. Everyone always seemed to find the common sense to hold little ones in a safe position.

And finally, Taylor found one. Aurora breathed a silent sigh of relief and managed to smile. Megumi seemed comfortable in her careful and soft embrace. She stared like a baby always did, unsquirming in Taylor's cradle. "There you go," Aurora said while leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "Not so hard, right?"

Maybe it was because her hands were free or just because Taylor was occupied, but Aurora suddenly seemed more open to the generosity in front of her. She took one of the bowls and quietly ate slowly. Her grip with the chopsticks seemed a little awkward, but somehow she made it work. Her attention, though, was still clearly on Taylor as she held the baby. She was being so careful. "How does she feel?" Aurora asked between two bites.

Johnny slid up behind Taylor and eased his arms around her once she secured Megumi. He nestled his head on Taylor's shoulder and looked down at the squirming, but placid child.

"Somehow, it just works out." Johnny said with a grin and turned to kiss Taylor's cheek. "Isn't that right, lil dudette? Aunt Taylor's pretty awesome, right? just don't poop while she's holding you!" Johnny laughed and squeezed Taylor gently.

Mamouru smiled. "Nee-san, don't sell yourself short. I agree with Junichi-kun. Besides, you would make mother quite happy. I still think that she sees Megumi-chan more than I do..." He said with a soft laugh.

Megumi's squirming then turned into some fussing and mewls of discontent began to escape from her mouth while her wriggling increased.

Taylor gave Aurora a slight nod, but didn't speak. She didn't want to disturb the precarious balance that allowed the baby to remain content in her arms.

She did, however, give Johnny a dirty look. "Ohmigod, Johnny."

Why would he even say that? Who says that? That's so, so gross!

And then Megumi got fussy, and Taylor was quick to turf her out to a parent before anything got messy. She offered the baby back to Aurora and stood up, just because she had too much energy to stay sitting.

But there was one thing she wanted to ask the happy couple...

"She's awesome," she said in a hushed voice. She was the only one keeping her voice down. "Um... But how are you guys, though? Like... how's... stuff?"

Aurora grinned when Megumi started fussing, it wasn't a very alarming wiggle. She just wanted something. "She's probably hungry," she assured Taylor as she took the baby back from her. She placed her back in her lap and reached for the bowl of baby food once more. "Maybe now she'll eat." The mother offered the spoon once more to Megumi who stared at it for a second in front of her before eating the soft mush.

Aurora smiled as her daughter seemed to enjoy the food. Maybe. It was hard to tell sometimes since she just kinda stared. At the very least she didn't dislike it. "I think she likes it," the mother offered as a semi-compliment, keeping her focus on Megumi even as Taylor asked the next question. She wasn't entirely sure what the quiet voiced Taylor had meant. "Yea...everything's fine...I hope its the same for you?"

Mamouru watched as Aurora took Megumi and began feeding her. Taylor's question, however, made him frown a bit. They'd already exchanged pleasantries, so what was Taylor after? He looked to Aurora and then to Megumi who was making a good mess of herself even with how good she was behaving. Mamouru stood up and went to the stroller to pull out some wipes and a bib.

"What do you mean, nee-san?" Mamouru asked as he passed by her, giving her a bit of an incredulous look that he hoped Aurora wouldn't see.

"We're doing well... I haven't really had much luck with clients, but that's alright. I can supplement it with wrestling... But, that isn't what you mean, is it?" He asked.