"She's so adorable!" Mommy cooed at the baby bouncy seat in front of her and Daddy.
"Yeah, and she's gotten so big already!" Daddy agreed, fawning as much as Mommy.
Two-year-old Leah Healy sighed as she stacked another block on top of the tower she was building. Mommy and Daddy were acting ridiculous! They were babysitting Leah's six-month-old cousin, Harris. Harris was the daughter of Mommy's sister Darlene, and Daddy's brother, David. Mommy said that made her Leah's "double cousin" whatever that meant. All Leah knew was that Harris was taking up all of Mommy and Daddy's attention and she was over it.
Harris had spent extra time in the hospital after she was born because she was "creamy" or something. Leah couldn't remember the exact word that Aunt Darlene and everybody else had used. "Creamy" made Leah think of ice cream, something that made her happy, and Harris did not make Leah feel happy. All she did was cry and keep Mommy and Daddy from playing with Leah. When would her aunt and uncle be back to pick her up?!
Leah sighed again once she was out of blocks to add to her tower. Out of frustration, she knocked it over. Then she looked at Daddy waiting for him to say, "boom!" which always made her laugh. But of course, he was busy with baby Harris. Now, Mommy had taken her out of the seat and was holding her, sitting next to Daddy on the couch.
Suddenly, Mommy sniffed and said, "Uh-oh, I think someone needs a change. I'll go change her in Leah's room. We'll be right back." They left, and Daddy turned to Leah.
"And how is your diaper young lady?" He walked over to Leah and scooped her up, then tossed her up in the air, causing her to giggle.
"That's more like it," Leah thought to herself. But after Daddy gave her diaper a quick check, he set her back on the ground and with a pat on her head, he was back on the couch.
Of course, Mommy happened to walk back in the room with Harris right at that moment.
"She's all fresh and clean!" Mommy said excitedly, sitting back down next to Daddy, who reached a finger out to Harris, who quickly wrapped her little hand around it.
"Look, Becks!" Daddy exclaimed. "She's grabbing my finger," he was grinning from ear to ear.
"So what?" Leah thought. "I can grab his fingers too – and ride him like a horsey!" Enough was enough. She had to put a stop to this nonsense.
"Mommy, I want to go play outside!" Leah said suddenly.
"Sorry, sweetheart. It's a bit too cold outside today for the baby."
"Well she can stay in here!" Leah said indignantly.
Mommy just laughed, "we can't leave the baby in the house by herself, silly Leah!"
Leah frowned. She didn't find the situation to be so hilarious. Suddenly, she angrily stomped her foot. "I WANT to go OUTSIDE NOW!" she yelled. Mommy and Daddy stared back at her, shocked.
"Leah," Mommy scolded firmly. "You do not yell at us." Leah just scowled back.
"Don't you give me that look," Mommy was adamant. So was Leah.
Then Leah's eyes landed on her blocks, and she got an idea, perhaps the naughtiest idea she had ever had. Leah picked up one of the blocks and threw it as hard as she could. The block hit baby Harris right on the head.
"Leah Rebecca Healy!" Mommy handed a crying Harris to Daddy, who immediately tried to calm her down. Then she stood up and walked over to the toddler vigilante staring ruthlessly back at her. Mommy promptly picked Leah up and carried her to her bedroom. She firmly placed Leah in her little wooden rocking chair in the corner.
"We do not throw things – especially not at our baby cousins!" Mommy said. Leah wasn't sure she had ever seen her mother so upset. "You are going to sit here for a few minutes in time out!" With that, Mommy turned around and went out the door, closing it behind her.
Up until that point, Leah's eyes had been brimming with tears. At that moment, she just started crying. It wasn't fair! First, Harris took all Mommy and Daddy's attention away from her. Then, she got Leah in trouble! Clearly, Leah was out, and Harris was in. It was obvious that Mommy and Daddy didn't love her anymore. Maybe when Aunt Darlene and Uncle David got back, they would just take Leah home with them so Mommy and Daddy could keep the baby.
Eventually, the door creaked open.
"Leah?" Mommy asked, her voice much softer and calmer.
Leah stopped mid-sob.
"Oh, sweetheart, why are you crying? Harris was the one who got hurt?" Mommy scooped Leah up again and wiped the tears from her face. "Why did you do that to her?"
"You and Daddy don't love me anymore. You just love Harris," Leah heaved.
"What?!" Mommy sounded surprised. She carried Leah back into the family room.
"Mark," Mommy said, sitting down next to Daddy. "Leah thinks we don't love her anymore and that we only love Harris!"
"What?!" Daddy echoed Mommy. "Why do you think that honey?" He reached out and stroked Leah's hair.
"You are only holding her and playing with her and not me! You forgot about me." Leah looked down.
"We could never forget about you!" Mommy exclaimed. "You're our baby!" She gave Leah a kiss on the forehead.
Normally, when her parents referred to her as a baby, Leah indignantly replied, "no, I'm not a baby. I'm a BIG GIRL!" But this time, she didn't mind at all.
"We're sorry if we've been giving Harris more attention than you," Mark said. "But babies need more help than two-year-olds. They need grown-ups to feed them and you can feed yourself. Harris still doesn't know how to play with toys, but you do."
"I know that you were upset, but you should use your words and tell us that. You should never hurt your baby cousin, okay?"
"Okay," Leah agreed. She got another kiss from Mommy, as well as one from Daddy.
Then, Leah surprised her parents by kissing baby Harris on the top of her head.
"I sorry, Harris. You a good baby!" Leah smiled at her cousin, and Mommy and Daddy smiled at her.
"How about after Harris goes home, you, me, and Mommy go play at the park?" Daddy suggested.
"Yay! I love the park!" Leah said excitedly.
"And we love you!" Daddy said.
"Don't you ever forget that," Mommy added.
