"Are you sure that you're going to be okay?" Kuvira asked again for the tenth time that morning.
"Kuvira, for the last time we are going to be fine." Baatar said once more. "Now get going or you're going to be late for your first day of work." He adjusted their daughter in his arms.
"I don't know Baatar, this is going to be the longest I have been away from her since she was born." The mother reached out and stroked the top of her daughter's head. She had thought getting a job again sounded like a good idea but now she wasn't so sure.
"Common Kuvira this will get good for you, plus I'm here to take care of her. I haven't spent as much time as I would have liked with Kiara. So it gives me a chance to be with her." He reasoned.
"What if something happens?"
"I'm here Kuvira nothing is going to happen."
"But what if something does?"
"What are you saying? That I'm not a good enough parent? That I'm going to let something bad happen to our daughter?" Baatar frowned.
"What no of course not, I know that you are a wonderful father. It's just…I'm her mother this is hard I don't want to be away from her. We have been together 24/7 for the last eleven months."
"I know but you can do this." Baatar reassured.
"Okay you're right I need this." Kuvira said.
"Good I'll see you when you get home." Baatar gave her a kiss goodbye.
"Okay be good for daddy, Kiara," Kuvira planted a soft kiss atop her daughter's head and then head out for work.
Baatar walked out to the porch and waved goodbye. "Looks like it's just you and me now." Baatar said to his daughter who looked up at him with her dark eyes identical to the ones of her mother. Turning back into the house, he gave her a quick cuddle then set her down to make himself something to eat.
In the midst of making breakfast, the soft cries of Kiara started. Going over to her, he patted her bottom she needed a diaper change. Taking her into the nursery he placed her on the changing table and removed the soiled diaper.
"There all better now sweetie." Baatar carried her back out to the living room. Setting her back down, the washed his hands before resuming his previous activity.
Kiara remained quiet as he ate his breakfast. He briefly looked over the instructions Kuvira had left for him for taking care of Kiara. Setting her long list of instructions down he moved onto the chore list she had written down. It seemed very reasonable.
Clearing away his dirty plate, Baatar went over to Kiara. Bending over he gave her stomach a little pat. She seemed just fine to be in the play pen for a while. Grabbing the chore list he got started on it.
As he was working Baatar thought to himself that staying home with Kiara was pretty easy. The first time that she really cried, she only wanted her binky, the second time she wanted to be held but the third time was the worst of it. She was hungry.
"Come here," Baatar lifted her from the pen bringing her up to his shoulder giving her back a little pat. Holding his small baby in one arm, he prepared her formula. The first end result is was too watery the second time it had too many chunks.
"Shh, Kiara I'm trying," Baatar gently placed her back in the play pen going back to the notes that Kuvira had left. His daughter continued to cry it made him feel bad because probably by now Kuvira would have already gotten Kiara fed. Following the instructions Baatar remade the formula once more this time it was right.
"Here we are something to eat at last." Baatar arranged Kiara in the crook of his arm and brought the bottle to her lips. She did not latch on like he expected her to.
"I know sweetie it's not as good as mommy's milk but it's going to have to do." Baatar tried again to get her to drink. For an hour he struggled in feeding his child. She wouldn't take the bottle, all the while she continued to cry. Taking the bottle away he stood and walked around with her to calm her down.
After a while her crying stopped and Baatar set her in her crib. Going back to the notes Kuvira had left him, he thoroughly read over them again and again. When Kiara woke, she woke crying and wouldn't stop. For the rest of the day Baatar tried to get Kiara to take the formula but she wasn't cooperating with him.
So when Kuvira came back home, she came home to a flustered husband and a crying daughter.
"What's going on?" She asked setting down her things and walking over to the couch where Baatar sat with Kiara attempting to feed her.
"She won't take her bottle."
"How long has she been fussy?"
Baatar averted his gaze from his wife, he knew that she was going to be super mad with him when he told her.
"Baatar?" Kuvira asked again when he didn't answer her. "How long has she been refusing her bottle?"
"Ummm…what time did you leave this morning?"
Kuvira's eyes hardened into a death glare, "What!? Are you kidding me Baatar?" She roared, "She hasn't had anything to eat since I left this morning? You…you starved our daughter the whole day?"
"Yes?" Baatar said quietly feeling like a failure. Angrily Kuvira took Kiara from him and took her to the nursery.
"It's okay mommy's here now Kiara," Kuvira said while taking a seat in the rocking chair. Pulling down her shirt and bindings, she brought her daughter up to her breast. She felt as Kiara hungrily latched on and started suckling. "Easy there not too fast sweetie," Kuvira shifted Kiara a bit more.
Forty-five minutes later Baatar tentatively poked his head into the nursery, "Dinner is ready."
"Well Kiara isn't done nursing yet," Kuvira replied without looking at Baatar. Returning to the table, he waited for Kuvira to start eating. He knew that he was going to get an earful. It was another twenty minutes before Kuvira came to sit down. He took note that there was a little baby vomit on her shoulder.
For the first ten minutes or so they ate in silence. Then he got his lecture, Kuvira was pretty pissed off. He sat there and took it.
"Look Kuvira I'm sorry I should have called you. Did I mess up today oh yeah defiantly. It's just that you made it look easy."
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I don't know it was your first day back at work and it seemed wrong for you to just leave on the first day." He replied.
"Baatar, it's just a job my family comes first now." Kuvira said. "Especially if our daughter hasn't had anything to eat."
"I'm sorry Kuv—" He paused hearing the cries of their daughter. He made a move to stand up but Kuvira held a hand up to stop him.
"No I think you have done enough for today." She said icily before leaving the room.
That night in bed was filled will silences and a couple of glares from Kuvira. They both slept on their sides and away from each other. Kiara woke them up around one in the morning. Kuvira was already out of the bed before Baatar even had a chance so open his eyes.
Sighing he settle back down, he would need to figure out a way to make this up to Kuvira. Baatar had closed his eyes when the cries of their child got louder opening his eyes in sat up. Kuvira came into the room cradling Kiara.
"Apparently she wants you." Kuvira said delicately handing over Kiara to him.
Baatar took Kiara into his arms and swayed her back and forth, "Hey there sweetie daddy's here."
Kuvira climbed back into the bed and watched her husband calm Kiara.
"About earlier I'm sorry for yelling at you." Kuvira said quietly as Kiara started to close her eyes. "I know that you would never intentionally let her go hungry all day."
"I'm sorry too," Baatar whispered letting Kiara grip his index finger, "I should have called you instead of thinking that I could handle it. You just made it look easy staying home with her but it's not it hard."
"I know it is but, you'll get better you just need a little more practice." Kuvira scooted closer to rest her head on Baatar's shoulder. She looked down at their sleeping daughter and smiled.
XXXX
Cute little one shot, don't worry I plan on having the next chapter of what a crazy ride up sometime tomorrow. So I have not forgotten or given up on that story just hit a match of writers block.