Three days had passed since Lily and her mates' arrival, and the estate had settled into a rhythm that was part domestic tranquility, part organized chaos, and entirely unpredictable thanks to Nova's continued interventions in daily life.
The morning sun streamed through the nursery windows as Samantha finished changing Nova's diaper, marveling once again at how something so small could produce such impressively destructive messes. Her daughter gurgled contentedly, seemingly proud of her latest biological achievement.
"You know," Samantha said conversationally to Nova as she fastened the fresh diaper, "normal babies don't coordinate their bodily functions with their parents' schedules quite so strategically. That was definitely timed to interrupt my coffee."
Nova's response was a smile that looked far too knowing for someone who was supposedly still figuring out how to control her own limbs.
