Luisa's Midnight Tantrum

Part 2

Julieta had finally gotten into bed. She had finished her baking for the day, and Agustine convinced her to keep tomorrow's meals for tomorrow. It would be nice to have a good night sleep.

Then Isabela came in. "Mama, Luisa's crying again!"

"Alright, I'm coming" Julieta slowly got out of bed.

"Want me to come to?" Asked her husband, also getting up.

"No, Agustine, I got it"

"Okay…" He sat down again.

Isabela was already out the door. Julieta followed to the nursery, where the screams of her baby could be heard.

Julieta rushed in and picked up her baby. "Shhh. Shhh. It's okay Luisa. Mama's here."

Luisa wailed again. It would probably take her a while to calm down.

"Sorry Tia Leta" Dolores said.

Dolores gave Julieta the baby bottle. The five-year-old looked tired. "I couldn't keep her down."

"It's okay Dolores. Thanks for helping." Julieta meant it. Without Dolores and Isabela, she'd be busy with Luisa every night.

Luisa wailed again. Julieta couldn't leave her with the kids, they'd never get any sleep. "I'll take her to my room now." She didn't care what Abuela would say.

Julieta nodded to Dolores and ran out of the nursery. She shushed her baby as she ran across the hallway to her room, which was very close to Abuela's. She hoped the magic doors would keep the noise from waking her up.

She ran into her room, and Agustine was waiting for her. "Ay she's loud." Agustine closed the door behind Julieta and their wailing baby.

Julieta sat on the bed with Luisa. Agustine came up behind her and started making funny faces to try to appease the little screamer.

"What are you doing?" The voice of a tired elderly woman came from the door. "I said not to bring the kids here. I can't sleep when they cry"

Julieta gave the baby to Agustine and quickly stood before Alma. "I know Mama, but the girls can't sleep with Luisa either. She only does this sometimes-"

"You said they were getting better at calming her down." Alma countered.

Agustine joined "Isa and Dolores are kids! They shouldn't have to take care of her all the time."

"Peppa needs to sleep, Bruno needs to sleep, Julieta needs to sleep!" Alma spoke passionately, "And if we all wake up every time a little one cries, we won't have enough energy for rest of our community."

Luisa wailed again. Agustine bounced her gently, "It's okay, Papa's here"

"Miho, if you always give her attention every time she cries, she'll never stop. She needs to learn how to handle herself."

"Mama please!" Julieta pleaded.

Alma sighed. "Alright, just this time."

Abuela left to go to her room when she yelped. "Aye Dios mio, Bruno, don't scare me like that!"
Bruno's timid "Sorry…" could be heard just outside Julieta's door. Alma walked past him and went straight to bed.

Julieta came to her doorway to talk to her brother. "Hanging out by my door again?"

"Y-yeah, just thought this could help." Bruno gave her a little ragdoll. "You know, with Luisa."

"Wow, thank you Bruno"

"No problemo. I gotta go though, before Mama gets up again,"

"Alright, just sleep this time okay?"

"pffft. Of course I will." He knocked on Julieta's door frame "Knock knock knock knock knock, knock on wood. Good night"

"Haha, good night" And they each went to their rooms.

Agustine was able to get Luisa to stop crying, and Bruno's doll calmed her enough to sleep.

The little family slept soundly for the rest of the night.