The baby was doing just fine in a typical way.
In fact, she couldn’t really walk yet and could only cry or laugh, but hey, she was healthy and well!
“Wahh!”
“Hungry?”
“Wahh!”
“Just a moment…”
I’ve gotten used to nursing the baby by now.
Of course, I still wished she would be a little less bitey.
But I was spending cheerful days with my daughter, except for the times I’d suddenly wake when she cried during her sleep.
“Yummy~”
“Poopy!”
“Pfft…”
The Commander finally headed to the office to work after a long time.
It seemed he hadn’t worked for a while, and lately, he had some free time on his hands.
So he went to help out a bit in the office after a long hiatus.
It had only been a few weeks, but I’m sure Dolores and Midori were really tired.
He just wanted to help them out a bit since vacation was about to end soon.
“When’s he coming back…”
“Wahh!”
“Is it tasty?”
“Hehe~”
Our daughter was diligently drinking milk on her own, smiling brightly.
It was a little painful, but as long as she enjoyed it, I was happy with that.
“Ugh… time for a burp…”
After feeding her, I gently patted her back.
Sometimes she’d burp all by herself, but other times… not so much.
“Phew…”
“Wahh…”
“Seriously, who does she take after to be this cute…?”
I just spent time rubbing the baby’s cheeks.
It felt nice to spend time cradling her, especially since she was smiling.
Well, whether it was my chest or a pillow, I didn’t think it made much of a difference to the baby, right?
Even when she was lying in her crib, she would cry for me to hold her when I passed by.
This way was clearly better for her.
Honestly, after giving birth, I worried that she would like the Commander more than me.
But it seemed that… she was okay with me more than I thought.
“Who do you like better, Daddy or Mommy?”
“Wahh!”
Hmm.
Well… it’s only natural that she can’t speak yet.
“Later, when she grows up, she could say she likes Daddy, and then that wouldn’t do, right?”
“Wahh?”
“…Hmm.”
Well, forgetting everything else, I just hoped she would learn to listen and talk quickly.
Of course, if she said she liked Daddy more, I would be a little disappointed.
“Hmmm… what should I eat for lunch…”
Since giving birth, I’ve been eating super healthy food for my health… I was getting a bit tired of it.
Not that I wasn’t eating meat, but it just had a bland healthy taste.
It was bound to get boring after a while.
I had a craving for something spicy, salty, and unhealthy.
“…Ramen?”
I really wanted something like that.
My mouth was watering and my appetite was coming back.
Maybe I’ve been too healthy lately.
“…Hmm.”
The baby had already fallen asleep comfortably on my chest.
Plus, it just so happened that it was lunchtime, and I had just finished feeding her.
“…Guess I should eat something for the first time in a while.”
I couldn’t even express how much I envied the Commander’s late-night ramen sessions.
Honestly, I had avoided eating any of it, thinking it might be bad for the baby… and I regretted it just a little.
…Ten months had passed without drinking, having coffee, or enjoying ramen.
“…Come to think of it, I haven’t had a drink at all…?”
Ever since those two lines on the test, I hadn’t touched a drop.
I used to enjoy a drink here and there.
How did I end up avoiding alcohol entirely?
Really, it’s amazing how a baby in the crib could change everything.
I used to work a lot, but who knew my life would change this much?
“…Still, I can’t resist ramen.”
I could forgo alcohol and coffee, but now… there was no choice.
*
“Lindera, what did you have for lunch today?”
“Is that the first thing you say when you get home? Just come inside quickly.”
“Oh, okay.”
The Commander came home right at dinnertime after tending to the baby.
I thought he would just do some work and come back, but he left on the dot.
I didn’t wait for long, but I still wished he’d come back a bit earlier.
Anyway, I let the Commander in, and I helped him take off his tie.
“Is the baby okay?”
“Of course she is.”
“Good to hear, so what did you have for lunch?”
“I had ramen.”
“…That’s it?”
“Yes. It’s been ages since I last had it, hasn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true.”
The Commander even acknowledged how long it had been since I last had ramen.
There was a time I’d sneak a bite here and there during late-night snacks, but I managed to give up on it.
“I really enjoyed it since it’s been so long.”
“Now that it’s okay, you should have it more often.”
“…That’s not allowed.”
“…?”
Sure, the ramen was incredibly delicious, but that doesn’t mean I could eat it frequently.
The way my belly had grown during the pregnancy was definitely a factor.
There was no magic to make a belly like that disappear overnight.
So I had to… go on a diet.
…Even if I didn’t want to.
I didn’t like how my belly stuck out, to be honest.
I didn’t want to be out there with a belly bulging out when I was around Corbin, after all.
Of course, it had shrunk a lot compared to when I was pregnant.
“How was work today? After so long of not going in, what was it like?”
“Hmmm… it was fine? As soon as I stepped into the office, both Dolores and Midori gave me this huge smile.”
“Well, you were probably working with the boss and your sister, so…”
“…That sounds a bit rough.”
Honestly, I felt a bit… sorry for them.
Uh-huh.
I really don’t know what to say about how they must feel.
They’d been with the boss for almost a month, after all.
Yup… they really got the short end of the stick?
Even Corbin and I had spent a lot of time together, but they had it tough.
“Let’s wash up first. I’ll start dinner.”
“Can’t we wash up together?”
“I need to watch the baby, so you go wash up quick.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, stop making that sad face and hurry.”
I had to prepare dinner anyway.
Plus, if we both went to wash up, the baby could start crying.
“Quick.”
“…Okay.”
Watching the Commander’s lonely back as he went to wash up was a bit pitiful, but there was no alternative.
I couldn’t leave the baby alone, could I?
She was sleeping, but still.
Anyway, the Commander headed to wash up, and I checked on the baby before starting to prepare dinner.
I had learned how to cook somewhat during pregnancy, and pasta was no big deal.
“Hehe…”
Actually, there wasn’t much to do.
I used store-bought sauce and just boiled the noodles…
“…Is this really cooking?”
I wasn’t sure where the differences lied between this and ramen.
Though the taste differed a lot, so it wasn’t a big deal…?
In any case, dinner was going to be pasta.
It was a dish the Commander really liked, and it wasn’t difficult to make.
“I should grill some meat too.”
…Honestly, I turned down his request to wash up together while preparing dinner, and then only making pasta felt a bit regretful.
“…But I have to watch the baby. No choice.”
Right.
Ugh.
…I felt I should offer a bit of service before bed.
“Lindera, is everything ready?”
“Almost done. Just sit tight.”
“Pasta, huh?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
He strolled over and suddenly wrapped his arms around my belly from behind.
Was he that upset about not washing up together?
“It smells delicious.”
“It’s just store-bought.”
“Yeah, that’s probably true.”
“I added some meat in. Want to give it a taste?”
Anyway, we chatted while I prepared dinner.
I kept working on the pasta while Corbin started preparing other things.
We moved forks and spoons, set out plates, and finally got everything ready.
Then I took the baby’s crib from the room and placed it near the dining table.
“Setting the table is quick, but why can’t we decide on the baby’s name?”
“Haha…”
“You said you’d figure it out, yet here we are.”
“…I’ll decide it quickly. By tomorrow.”
“…Really?”
He had promised to decide before but never followed through.
Would he actually decide this time?
If he doesn’t decide quickly… I feel like I’ll really get scolded by the boss this time.
“…I’ll definitely decide quickly this time.”
“…You better hurry. The boss may really get mad this time.”
“…That’s scary.”
“And… I’ll let you know tonight, so let’s eat dinner now.”
“…Really?”
“………”
What a creep.
“Sit down already, and let’s eat. If the baby wakes up later, we’ll have to stop eating and look after her.”
“Got it, let’s eat fast!”
“…Sigh.”
How did it come to this?
Anyway, with that, we started dinner.
It felt nice to eat dinner with Corbin after he came home from work for a change.
Spending all day together is okay, but having time after work like this is something else…
“Why are you smiling?”
“Is the pasta that good?”
“Maybe it’s because of the meat? It’s even better.”
“Then I’m glad to hear that.”
It was alright to chat in response, but it felt a bit embarrassing.
I decided to keep it vague and just move on.
I wasn’t sure when the baby would wake up, and if she did, I’d have to leave the pasta to take care of her.
I hadn’t fed her dinner yet, and I had a feeling she would wake up soon.
“Oh, Lindera. The boss wants you to come to the office this week.”
“Eh?”
“He said to show the baby to the office folks, and it’s been a while since you visited, so he wants to chat a bit since you’ve been away for so long.”
“Um… Can I just go tomorrow?”
“…No, that’s a bit much.”
“Yes?”
Why would tomorrow not work…?
“…Why isn’t tomorrow okay?”
“…Because if you take the baby without a name, I honestly think you’ll get shot.”
“…Ugh.”
Seriously…
“…Just decide quickly. You’ll really get a scolding.”
“…I’ll decide by tomorrow, I swear.”
“…But it’s been…”
“Hey.”
“………”
“Let’s leave it at that.”
“…Sigh.”
It’s really ridiculous how things have not changed at all.
It was funny enough to be ridiculous.
“Wahhhhhh!”
“…You’re in the middle of eating. I’ll go check on the baby.”
Well… still, I didn’t have the feeling that this everyday life was bad at all.
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