Baby Book - Phase Two

Chapter Fifty-three - Two Heads Are Better Than One

Early August, 2272

Nyota peeked into the playroom. Grayson and Amanda sat on the floor, heads together, backs to her, playing with something small. She smiled and withdrew. She would finished that last report then, while they were playing. Spock was going through messages, almost finished as well. Family playtime, soon.

Grayson sat cross-legged on the floor of the playroom, the small controller for his toy shuttle in his hand. Amanda sat beside him, rocking back and forth. Her hands made little grabby motions, and he could feel her, pushing just the tiniest bit. "No, Amanda. You cannot have it. But I will make the shuttle fly if you do as I ask. I promise."

She looked at him, her eyes big. "Fy."

"Yes, I will make the shuttle fly. I promise. But you must learn to say my name properly. I do not like Gaga!" He shook his head very strongly. "I don't like it at all. So you must learn to say Grayson, or something very close to it. Then I will make the small shuttle fly."

She looked at him again, her eyes begging, "Fy, Gaga, fy."

"No, no, no, Amanda! Not Gaga! Say Grayson. Grr-a-son."

She watched carefully. She held out her hand, her little fingers touching his lips.

Carefully he shaped his mouth. "GRRRR".

She giggled. "bear."

His eyes lit up. "Yes, Amanda, like what a bear says. Grrrr!"

She tilted her head and looked at him. "Grrr."

"Yes, yes! Now say 'a'."

"ah."

"No, no, Amanda, not ah, ay."

"Ay?"

"Yes, yes, Now say them together. Grrray."

She focused so hard she crossed her eyes. "grrrrrayy."

Grayson leaned over and hugged her. "That is so good, Amanda! Now the last part. Say 'son'."

"Baba."

Grayson looked confused. "No, Amanda, not baba. Son."

Amanda insisted "Baba."

Grayson cocked his head and tried to figure out what she meant. And then it was clear. "Yes, Amanda, sometimes when Baba talks to me he calls me his son. That's right! That's the right word!" He grinned at her.

She grinned back. "Son. Son. Son."

"Now say it all together, Amanda. Grrrrayyson. Grayson."

She puckered up her face and concentrated. "Grraayyson. Grraysson. Grayson." She laughed and giggled and rocked back and forth. Her brother threw his arms around her and hugged her tight. And then he sat there beside her on the floor and worked the controller in his hands and made the little shuttle fly out of his bedroom and around and around the playroom, circling behind her and around in front again and again and again.

When Spock and Nyota came back to the playroom a few minutes later, ready for evening playtime, their children were sitting so close together. The little shuttle was flying circles around the two of them. And Amanda was rocking back and forth, chanting "Grayson, Grayson" over and over again.