Emma had already turned one and she made it very apparent that she had grown tired of staying inside the Dean's apartment. She ignored her toys and the shows that Laura made her watch on the laptop. She had even stopped liking sliding down the stair banister (which Laura disapproved of but Carmilla helped the little monkey do it anyway). As much as Laura hated to admit it, it was time to take Emma out more. She had grown a bit attached to the apartment but it was clearly not baby-friendly with all the antiques on the wall and on the tables and the dismembered mannequin parts on some of the furniture. She still liked the hot tub and even that wasn't baby-friendly.
She asked for a day-off from the office weeks ago and they finally gave her one. It was a good thing there was an intern who could take over her job as a receptionist at student affairs. She really needed some fresh air and some time with her daughter, who had been spending most of her days with Carmilla ever since she took the receptionist job.
"What's taking you so long?" Carmilla asked as she watched Laura maneuver around the kitchen. Laura took one look at her and laughed. She furrowed her brows and looked at herself. "What?"
Laura could only point at her and laugh, almost dropping the picnic basket she prepared.
"You know I only wore this because you asked me to, right?" Carmilla said, shifting her weight on one foot. She stared down at the baby harness that was strapped to her torso and the top of Emma's head, which was all she could see from this angle. Laura was still fighting off the giggles and it looked like Emma had caught it, too. She started laughing with Laura while flailing her arms, making Carmilla almost lose her balance. The little monkey gained some weight. Goodness!
"I'm sorry, Carm," Laura said in between giggles. She kissed the top of Emma's head and then Carmilla's cheek before heading out of the kitchen. "We should go before it gets too hot. You're not the only one who can't be in the sun for too long, you broody vampire. Babies are still sensitive, too."
They walked past the entrance to Silas university and went through a small gate that led to the woods. Carmilla led the way, obviously more familiar with the area than Laura was. They arrived at a clearing not long after and Laura proceeded to setting the blanket down under a willow tree.
"I'm taking this off now, okay?" Carmilla alerted Laura, pertaining to the baby harness. She unbuckled Emma from the seat once she saw Laura nod in response. "Go on, little monkey," she told Emma, giving her a soft push toward the clearing. Emma stretched her arms to her sides and wobbled as she tried to walk while Carmilla followed from behind with her hands ready in case she falls. "You're actually walking!"
Laura smiled to herself as she watched Carmilla following Emma to the grassy path. Carmilla was still in her usual black leather pants and an old band tee and her combat boots so watching her look after a one-year-old in a onesie seemed out of character, which was one more reason for her to smile at the sight. Once Carmilla and Emma were farther from view, she leaned back on her elbows and stared up at the bit of sunlight peeking through the branches of the willow tree. This feels nice. When was the last time that I felt this content? She honestly could not remember until she heard Carmilla calling out to her.
"Laura!"
"Huh? What?"
Carmilla was holding Emma by the armpits with her arms outstretched in front of her, determined not to get the baby near her clothing as if her life – death… undeath… whatever – depended on it. "She… How do you say it? Took a crap?"
Laura let out a giggle, shaking her head at Carmilla's panic. She realized that these little moments were what made her feel content and there had been a lot of them since even before Emma entered their lives, when it was just her and Carmilla in their dorm room watching Netflix on her bed or waking up to hot cocoa that Carmilla made while she dozed off in the middle of homework.
"Don't just sit there! Help me!" Carmilla demanded, shaking Emma from side to side before Laura. "Laura…" she whined.
Laura got on her knees and reached out for her daughter, still giggling at how childish Carmilla was acting. "Sheesh! It's like you've never changed her diaper before. Oh wait, you haven't. Ever." She laid Emma down on the blanket and started removing the onesie to get to the soiled diaper. Carmilla remained at a distance. "Carm, you're going to have to learn to do this one way or another. What if I'm at work and she poops? It's bound to happen. Are you just going to leave her like this until I get home?"
Carmilla paused, her eyes shifting to the side.
"Oh my god! You are not seriously considering that, are you?! That's downright unsanitary!" Laura blurted out, feeling slightly panicked at the thought of Carmilla leaving Emma in a soiled diaper.
It was Carmilla's turn to laugh now. She knelt beside Laura and looked on but still kept her distance. "Fine, fine. I'll learn how to change a damn diaper."
"Carm… language."
Carmilla let out a groan. "You're such a mom."
"Because I am a mom. Duh."
Carmilla couldn't help but smile at that and how concentrated Laura looked while putting Emma in a fresh diaper.
"So just remember that the side with the tape thingies goes underneath and you press the tape to this shiny area here, okay? And it'll stick."
"I think I got it, mom."
Laura gave Emma a little squeeze before turning to Carmilla. "Harhar. Really funny, vampire. Are you sure you got it?"
"It's not rocket science, cutie. But where should I get the towels and the powder?"
"I keep some in the baby bag but they're also in the bathroom."
"Okay. I'll just check at home then."
Home. Laura felt something tug at her heart just then. "Uh, Carm, speaking of that, can we talk about the apartment?"
"What about it?"
They had both changed to a sitting position by this time with Emma sitting right on Laura's lap, oblivious to everything except the ladybug that was fluttering about near the base of the tree.
"I like living there and all but I think we should move out," Laura started, biting her lip because she was scared Carmilla would get upset. "A lot of the Dean's things are really… old. And I just keep thinking that with a baby around, something might break or get damaged and I don't really have the money to replace anything—"
"Laura, stop." Carmilla placed a hand on Laura's knee and gave it a squeeze. She understood what Laura meant. Living in her maker's apartment did seem a tad awkward. "What do you suggest we do?"
Laura shrugged. She hadn't really thought that far ahead. "Do you think we can afford to rent another apartment? Not something as big as the one now, for sure. But you know, just somewhere else."
Carmilla scooted over until her shoulder was touching Laura's and wrapped an arm around Laura's back to hold her and Emma close. "It has to be somewhere near your work, which just happened to be here."
"We don't have to live next to where I work. I can commute," Laura suggested, now resting on Carmilla's side.
"That'll cost more though, don't you think? And the commute is such a hassle."
"Well, working at student affairs is a bit weird anyway. I think they still remember my endless complaints about campus security. Maybe I should just look for another job. Somewhere that's closer to whatever place we can afford."
Carmilla let out a chuckle as she rested her chin on Laura's shoulder. "It would be so much easier to spend my centuries' worth of money on you, creampuff, but I'm sure you'd just push me away if I even suggested it."
"Damn right I would," Laura replied with a chuckle of her own.
Carmilla lifted her head and waved a finger. "Nuh-uh-uh. Language, Miss Hollis."