"Uncle Kai!"
Miya Walker, Jay and Nya Walker's three-and-a-half year old daughter, shrieked with delight as her father handed her to her uncle, who swung her through the air. "Uncle Kai!"
"Where's my little girl?" Kai grinned as he swung the little girl through the air. "Where's my Mi-Mi?"
"You are holding her, Kai," Zane supplied helpfully. Cole grinned and reached for the little girl.
"Fork over the baby, Kai," he deadpanned. Miya wriggled in protest as her parents sat down on the couch in the Walker's apartment. "'M nodda baby, Uncle Cole!"
"My deepest apologies," Cole said sorrowfully, tickling Miya under the chin until she squealed. "You are not a baby, but rather a pint-sized terror who keeps your poor parents up half the night."
"And uncles," Lloyd cut in, walking into the room with a pitcher of lemonade in one hand, several cups in the other. "Every night! It's five books, eighteen cups of water, twelve potty breaks..."
"You don't know the half of it," Jay groaned, accepting a cup from Lloyd. "Parenting isn't just snuggles and kisses."
"And you're the ones who decided to come over here," Nya put in, her arms wrapped tightly around a small blue bundle. "You knew what you were getting into."
"C'mon, sis," Kai joked, flopping down beside Nya and putting an arm around her shoulder. "You didn't think we'd just let you take care of your new baby and Miya, did you?"
"Never crossed my mind," Nya yawned. Jay gently pulled his son out of his wife's arms, running a hand over the soft dark fuzz crowning the baby's head.
"So this is the new one?" Lloyd asked interestedly, bending over the bundle. "He has your eyes, Jay."
"Yes, he does," Nya smiled proudly. "And he seems to have inherited Cole's liking for eating."
"Did you start him on cake yet?" Cole, sitting down and taking the baby. "Are you educating him properly?"
"The infant is two weeks old," Zane stated. "At this age, cake is not the ideal food."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Lloyd snarked, leaning over and offering the baby a finger. The small fist closed over it, and Lloyd grinned.
"Looks like he already knows who his favorite uncle is."
"That would be me," Kai deadpanned. The baby whimpered, and Cole handed him back to Nya.
Nya smiled happily as she sank back into the couch, Jay's arm around her shoulders, her baby in her arms, and her friends all around her, bickering away as usual.
Life was wonderful.