Merry and Pippin stood stunned for a moment, as the two woman had disappeared. Merry's jaw was still dropped and the tears in his eyes were now starting to fall out. Suddenly his daughter, started to cry, bringing the him out of his trance.
"Let...let's get them inside, Pip," Pippin nodded and went in first, Merry closed the door behind him.
"She's awfully loud," Pippin pointed out. And if that was his cue, Théodoc started to wail too.
"Put the stuff down and meet me in the bedroom," Merry sighed and rushed back down the hall, softly rubbing Simblemynë's back. "It's okay, love," he cooed as he placed her on the bed. "Are you hungry? Or-"
"Babies don't answer back," Pippin replied, entering the room with the equally loud Théodoc. Pippin put the bags on the floor and the baby next to his sister.
"Stop. It." Merry angrily told his cousin. "Go and get the milk ready and I'll...I'll find their toys."
"Fine," Pippin took the bottles that had been packed and went to the kitchen. Merry dashed to the second bag and dug through the linens, tossing them over his head, until he came along two clothed animals.
"Now Théodoc has the rabbit and Simblemynë had the horse...no..." they cried louder. "Here you go." He held the animals up in front of the children, waving them, but they still cried. "Please...just...don't cry..." deep down he almost wanted to laugh at himself for telling the babies not to cry, for he was crying himself. "It'll be okay..." he tried. He picked up Théodoc first, then the girl and sat on the chair, with both babies in his arms, trying to soothe them. "Your Uncle Pip is getting you some milk," he gently and slowly bounced his knees. "Please," he tried again. "She left me too," he quietly said.
"Here you go," Pippin returned with two bottles full of warm milk. "I'll take...the one on the left?" Merry didn't answer but just handed over Simblemynë.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Merry asked as Pippin sat down, getting ready to feed the daughter.
"Please, Merry," Pippin tried to brush off. "I happened to have three sisters-"
"Who are older than you," he yanked the other bottle from his cousin's hand and tried to feed the son.
"How hard can it be?" Pippin replied, offering the bottle to Simblemynë who took it willingly. "See?"
Merry rolled his eyes and turned to his son, who also took the bottle. Things were only going to get worse.
"Let...let's get them inside, Pip," Pippin nodded and went in first, Merry closed the door behind him.
"She's awfully loud," Pippin pointed out. And if that was his cue, Théodoc started to wail too.
"Put the stuff down and meet me in the bedroom," Merry sighed and rushed back down the hall, softly rubbing Simblemynë's back. "It's okay, love," he cooed as he placed her on the bed. "Are you hungry? Or-"
"Babies don't answer back," Pippin replied, entering the room with the equally loud Théodoc. Pippin put the bags on the floor and the baby next to his sister.
"Stop. It." Merry angrily told his cousin. "Go and get the milk ready and I'll...I'll find their toys."
"Fine," Pippin took the bottles that had been packed and went to the kitchen. Merry dashed to the second bag and dug through the linens, tossing them over his head, until he came along two clothed animals.
"Now Théodoc has the rabbit and Simblemynë had the horse...no..." they cried louder. "Here you go." He held the animals up in front of the children, waving them, but they still cried. "Please...just...don't cry..." deep down he almost wanted to laugh at himself for telling the babies not to cry, for he was crying himself. "It'll be okay..." he tried. He picked up Théodoc first, then the girl and sat on the chair, with both babies in his arms, trying to soothe them. "Your Uncle Pip is getting you some milk," he gently and slowly bounced his knees. "Please," he tried again. "She left me too," he quietly said.
"Here you go," Pippin returned with two bottles full of warm milk. "I'll take...the one on the left?" Merry didn't answer but just handed over Simblemynë.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Merry asked as Pippin sat down, getting ready to feed the daughter.
"Please, Merry," Pippin tried to brush off. "I happened to have three sisters-"
"Who are older than you," he yanked the other bottle from his cousin's hand and tried to feed the son.
"How hard can it be?" Pippin replied, offering the bottle to Simblemynë who took it willingly. "See?"
Merry rolled his eyes and turned to his son, who also took the bottle. Things were only going to get worse.