Learning to Talk

"Da!"

"Very good, Gracie!" Neil beamed at his seven-month-old daughter as he helped her stand on his thighs. "Now try saying 'da' two times fast."

"She's not going to say 'Dada' just because you tell her to," Eva said from her side of the couch.

Her husband huffed, shooting her a sharp look. "I'm not telling her, I'm making suggestions. Totally different things. Besides, Grace's been saying 'da' nonstop."

"She's also said 'ma' a lot, too." Eva smiled slightly. "There's no reason why her first word can't be 'Mama.'"

"Ma?" Grace squeaked, tilting her head and blinking.

"See?" Eva asked rhetorically, her smile widening.

"Don't listen to Mama, princess," Neil told Grace, bouncing her a little and making her giggle in delight. "We both know your first word's gonna be 'Dada.'"

"Da!" Grace cheered.

"That's two to one, Eva," Neil said, grinning. "You're falling behind."

Grace let out a startled, "Ma!" barely after Neil had finished, her little legs shaking, and he quickly but gently sat her in his lap.

"Ma!" Grace repeated with a bright smile.

"Right, because that sounded like 'da' just now," Eva said dryly, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, two to three ain't nothing to brag about," Neil retorted. "Just wait, she'll be saying 'da' again in the next two seconds."

"Ba!" Grace squealed. "Babaya! Babaya!"

"None of that sounded like 'da,' either," Eva said, another smile crossing her face.

But Neil was now frowning. "Uh, she's not trying to say 'Baba Yaga,' is she?"

Eva groaned, all amusement gone. "No, you moron. She's just babbling. You know, stringing a bunch of syllables together?"

"Oh, good—I'd hate to lose to a mythical hag in the first word department."

"Da!" Grace chimed in before Eva could say anything.

"And speak of the devil." Neil grinned again as he patted Grace's head. "Wanna try saying 'Dada,' Gracie?"

"Baya!"

"Aw, c'mon. Say 'Dada.'"

"Ma!"

"I'll give you my computer if you say 'Dada.'"

"Neil!" Eva scolded, though her efforts to be stern were ruined by the laugh that escaped her throat. "You can't bribe her into saying it."

"Dama!" Grace chirped.

"Okay, now you're just teasing me." Neil pouted.

"Da!"

"But an A for effort is still good," he added, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

"Nice to see you find a silver lining," Eva quipped.

"Gotta find 'em somewhere, yeah?"

The only answer to that was Grace's happy, "Dama!"