Azura clenched her teeth as Kana kicked her tiny arms and legs.
Usually Corrin would have been there to calm the baby down. Somehow Corrin could get the child to sleep on command, or to simply whisper to her and stop her from crying. It was a shame Corrin was out picking up groceries.
Azura picked the crying Kana up and carried her to the window. She bounced the baby gently, rocking back and fourth. "Hush little baby don't say a word..." She began to sing softly, only for Kana to wail louder.
"Mommy?" Shigure opened the door to the nursery. He held a crayon in one hand, a sheet of paper in the other.
"Yes, dear?" Azura asked, a little too harshly. She bit her tongue and softened her voice. "Is anything wrong?"
"I just wanted to show you this..." He held up the paper, a well-drawn depiction of the house with the family standing in front.
Azura's eyes widened. "Shigure... that's wonderful."
"Really?"
"Of course. I want to frame it and hang it-" Azura was cut off by the sound of the front door opening.
"I'm home!" Corrin called.
The trio stepped into the hallway to greet the man, Kana still crying and kicking despite her mother's best attempts to placate her. Corrin set down the groceries and kicked off his shoes hastily.
Corrin patted Shigure on the shoulder, praising his work. A moment later he was at Azura's side, scooping Kana out of her arms. The man could tell that Azura was exhausted.
"Hush, little Kana, hush..." He whispered, rocking her back and fourth.
()()()()
"It's been thirty minutes, Corrin."
Corrin sighed as he leaned over the crib. "I know." The air was tense in the room. Corrin found it hard to focus with the pain in the front of his head. He grit his teeth and resolved to find a Tylenol later.
"Should we take her to the children's hospital?" Azura asked fearfully, her hands wrapping around Corrin's forearm. "She could have pain, or a fever!"
Corrin placed the back of his palm on Kana's bald head. "Well..." He hummed. "She kinda feels hot... I guess?"
"You guess?"
"I don't know, I don't know her average temperature!" He exclaimed. Corrin took a deep breath and placed his own hand over Azura's. "Sorry, sorry. Just... I guess I'll let her cool off?"
Azura nodded in understanding. Corrin bit his lip and began to slide off the wooly red socks Camilla had knitted for the baby. As soon as both socks were off Kana's feet, the crying finally came to an echoing halt.
Azura and Corrin shared a dumbfounded look.
"Does she..."
Corrin took one sock and slid it back onto Kana's foot, only to be met with screaming again.
Azura raised a hand to her forehead and leaned against the wall. "She doesn't like socks..."
Corrin chuckled to himself. "You know, mother said I was like that when I was young too."
Azura glanced down to Corrin's own bare feet. Her husband only wore shoes when it was absolutely necessary, which was a majority of the time. Whenever he could get away with it, however...
"Great." Azura said dryly. "Now we know that hating shoes is hereditary."