So I intended to give this a short story..but i don't think it stayed short (edit maybe it did on word it's four pages but here it looks like nothing) lol Just something for my little sweetheart Gem
Story:
The little infant squirrel awoke in her crib. She blinked in the sunlight that can through the bars of her crib as she sucked her pacifier in silence holding her stuffed caterpillar, Grub, playing with his fluff in both of her podgy little hands. She saw a shadowed figured leaning on the doorway to her nursery and looked up expecting her daddy. Instead she soon realized it was a mare, her big cousin Ariana walked towards her. “What a good girl you are keeping quiet.” she whispered happily to the little squirrel.
Ariana had been sleeping over to help Gem’s daddy and she was glad to have caught Gem before she started crying. She spoke excitedly at a whisper to the baby squirrel. “Are you ready for a fun day sweetie? How would you like to surprise your daddy and be all clean and ready for the day before he wakes up?”
The baby squirrel cooed as her cousin placed her hand between Gem’s head and the cot and lay her arm under the little squirrels back. Placing her other arm across the babies bottom the mare lifted Gemma to her chest. Gem felt the soft silk of her sundress. It looked like outside with clouds and grass and things. She liked it lots.
Ariana noticed that the toddler was playing with the shoulder strap of her sundress. “I thought you’d like the silk, nice and soft right? And mess free, things just slide right off” she added. “I’ve got a special surprise for you” she said laying her baby cousin down on the changing table as she began to remove the squirrel’s pajamas and night diaper cleaning her up and changing her into a fresh new one.
Gem watched curiously wondering what the surprise was sucking her hand as she was changed, the pacifier long forgotten in her crib. Ariana soon pulled a little dress out of a bag. It looked exactly like hers only tiny. The little squirrel wanted to touch it. She reach her hands out and Ari lifted her into a sitting position before gently pulling the dress over her head and stringing her little arms through the arm holes. It felt really soft around her. Gem cooed happily, she liked it lots and wanted to show her daddy. “Daddy!” she called out towards the doorway. She was met by the mares gaze
Ari shook her head “no no sweetie. Daddies sleeping. You want him to be really happy and surprised right?” Gem nodded “he’s been working a lot so he needs to nap ok? That means we have to be really quiet. We can make lots of noise later when he wakes up but for now..” she placed a finger to her lips “shh ok?”
Gem giggled and put her finger in her mouth “sss sss” she repeated and was met with praise as she was lifted into her cousin’s arms “such a good girl your being for daddy he’s gonna be so proud, yes he is” she whispered into the little squirrels big ear. The toddler looked around wondering where they were going as she saw the world moving in reverse over the mare’s shoulder. She could see the wall move downward as Ari sat in the rocking chair.
Ari picked up a brush off the little table as she adjusted Gemma to face forward in her lap. She began to brush the baby’s soft silky hair with the bristle brush enjoying to closeness to her little cousin. She loved being able to spend time alone with Gemma. She spent extra time and care to make Gem’s hair extra soft and free from any tangles before putting it up in a bow. She loved that she could dress Gemma the same way she was. The little baby was too young to care what she was put in as long as it was comfortable and matching made the mare feel even closer to her beloved baby cousin.
Gem gurgled and reached feeling something new in her hair. It felt like the dress. She liked the silky feeling unaware it was intended to keep the messy little squirrel from staining her clothing. The mare lifted her up and turned her so the two girls were eye to eye as she looked her over.
Gem looked nice and neat. A rare sight the mare thought to herself wondering just how long it would last before she had made a mess of herself. She did hope it would last until Gem’s daddy woke up but figured if it didn’t she could clean her up again. She was determined to be a good help to him to thank him for letting her spend time with her favorite squirrel.
The toddler felt herself being lifted back to her cousin’s shoulder cradled between her arms. She leaned into her resting her head and was surprised to find herself being lowered into her highchair when she looked up. Gem played with her caterpillar on the highchair tray thumping him up and down giggling. She was met with the signal to quiet down and returned it again as Ari brought out a bowl of something mushy and green. “Today you’re being so good I bet you can try some big kid food before your bottle.” Gem heard the mare say.
Ari placed the bowl on the table she had chosen it because she loved the lion guard theme. She had shown Gem the show but she knew Gem was too small to really appreciate it even if it was targeted at preschoolers, Gem wasn’t quite there just yet. Ari looked forward to the day they could watch and enjoy the same shows together. She took the spoon out of the bowl and held it out to Gem. “Here comes Kion, He’s got a special treat to deliver to your tummy. It the lion guard’s mission to get you fed.” She said making up nonsense.
Gem giggled and opened her mouth she barely understood a word Ari was saying but she sounded so happy to say it that it made Gem feel happy to and the little lion on the spoon reminded her a bit of her daddy. Gem ate happily pointing to things in the room and on Ari’s dress asking what they were. Each time she was met with a detailed answer with lots of new words.
The mare felt silly answering the same questions over and over as Gem would point to the clouds on her dress or the ceiling and ask “wassat?” but though there were only so many ways she could describe a table, she knew it was important for the little girls developing speech so she tried her best to be creative.
Gem felt cold baby wipes on her face and pulled away but soon forgot them as she noticed a figure in the door. “Daddee daddee!” she yelled happily. “Shh Gem you don’t want to wake him do you?” the mare hushed her gently. “Daddee!” Gem insisted pointing. Ariana turned to look in the direction she pointed and saw the blue lion standing in the doorway watching them with a smile.
“Good morning poppet” he said patting Gemma’s head as she babbled happily up at him.