Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 34
"Mama!"
"Aww, my baby can say Mama with no problem!"
Maya was overjoyed as she played with Iñigo, who could now call her Mama. His tiny hands reached up for her cheeks.
"You too, Arabella, call me Mama."
"Mama!" Arabella giggled and wobbly stood up like a small penguin.
"I love my kids so much. Mwah! Mwah!" She kissed the twins with rapid little pecks until both squirmed and laughed.
It had been two months since Karlos fixed the boat. Since then, he had been sailing to the sea almost every day, earning money.
Arabella and Iñigo were now 8 months old, and they could call their parents Mama and Papa with ease. Of course, their vocabulary wasn't great; they usually only said Mama and Papa, sometimes in rapid succession to get attention.
The twins were born on January 16, 2000, and after 8 months of being in this world, they were growing healthy and active, with curious eyes that seemed to study everything.
A few days ago, Arabella had even tried to climb out of the baby crib all by herself. Since then, the couple decided the kids no longer needed the crib. They now slept on bedding next to Maya and Karlos, where they could keep the little adventurers from causing trouble.
Because of that, Karlos and Maya's intimate moments decreased, the kids would make noise if they tried anything snu snu.
As the kids grew, they could now eat a wider variety of food. Maya fed them fruits and rice porridge. She no longer had to mash fruits for them. Their appetites were strong, and they would eat almost anything put in their mouths.
The radio in the background played a song, and Maya sang along softly, swaying as her warm, sweet voice blended with the music. She had an amazing voice that captivated the kids. They tried to follow her singing, but it usually came out as babbling and random noises with no sense of tune.
"Once Papa arrives, we will take you out for sightseeing."
Right as Maya said that, Karlos showed up carrying baskets and containers that clunked faintly. He placed them under the Kubo.
"Papa's here, kids! Say hi to Papa."
"Papa!"
"Pa!"
The kids listened to their mother and waved at Karlos, who wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, leaving a faint streak of sweat on his temple. He waved back at them.
"I'll be right back. I have to push the engine." Karlos grabbed a pushcart he had built a few weeks ago. Carrying heavy things was now easier thanks to it.
"Okay, I'll prepare breakfast."
Maya took out the strollers and parked them in front of the open kitchen, under the tarpaulin where the morning breeze could still reach them, but the harsh sun could not.
She put Arabella and Iñigo in their respective strollers and strapped them in securely, testing each buckle twice. She made sure they couldn't escape, they were getting far too mischievous.
Taking care of two toddlers was getting harder as they could move around faster now. Once, Arabella had nearly fallen from the two-foot elevated Kubo when she saw a cat outside.
Karlos had to make a barrier at the entrance, a makeshift bamboo fence, to ensure the kids couldn't escape even if the door was open.
Since then, whenever Maya had something to do, she strapped the twins in their strollers. Arabella especially was too naughty to be left free, treating every corner of the Kubo like her personal climbing wall.
Maya kept singing as she prepared breakfast. Today she was cooking beef stew, and the aroma was enough to make anyone hungry.
Arabella's nose crinkled as she caught the scent, her eyes lighting up.
"Mama! Ga! Mama!"
She could only say Mama, Ga, Gu, Ah, and Ha, but that didn't stop her from bouncing in her seat with excitement. Thankfully, she was strapped in so she couldn't do anything funny or dangerous.
"Dear Goddess, you always go crazy whenever there's food. Look at you, your cheeks are getting fatter. You just ate earlier, how fast is your metabolism?" Maya shook her head in amused disbelief, though her tone was more loving than scolding.
Maya sighed at her daughter, who was wiggling, twisting, and trying to free herself from the straps as if she were in a straightjacket in an asylum.
"Ga!"
Arabella cried out, clearly the glutton of the family and she was proud of it.
"Why don't you be like your brother? Iñigo behaves most of the time."
"Ga!"
Iñigo stayed quiet because he had already eaten earlier. Arabella had eaten too, but now her gaze was fixed on the cooking pot.
Maya was preparing the dishes when Karlos arrived with the pushcart, the engine and other belongings still smelling faintly of oil and seawater.
"Let's eat first. Don't mind Arabella; she already ate earlier."
"Ga!" Arabella cried, kicking in protest.
Karlos nodded and sat next to Maya. The two began to eat, but Arabella's constant cries forced Maya to feed her rice with a small piece of beef just to stop the rebellion.
When Iñigo saw his sister being fed, he started fussing too, not wanting to miss out. Now Maya had to feed him as well.
Karlos quickly finished his meal so Maya could rest. "I'll take care of feeding them."
"Alright."
Karlos took the bowl of rice and beef stew, cutting the beef into small pieces so the kids could chew without trouble. His kids rarely got stomach aches, but it was better to be careful. He kept an eye on Arabella's impatient hands reaching for the spoon.
He blew gently on the hot rice until it cooled, then fed Iñigo. He repeated the process for Arabella.
Maya watched quietly, her lips curling into a smile at the tender sight.
"They're done eating... They didn't even finish the bowl."
The bowl was still two-thirds full, but the rice scattered on the twins' mouths made it clear they had enjoyed what they did eat.
"Well, they already ate earlier. Just eat what's left."
"Alright."
Karlos finished the leftovers in a few big bites, barely a snack for him.
"Take them back to the house. I'm sure they want to move around after getting their fill. I'll take care of the dishes."
Once freed, the twins happily explored the wooden floor. Iñigo curiously eyed the engine in the corner, but Karlos quickly covered it with a tarpaulin.
"Don't go there, the engine smells bad."
"Pa!"
Karlos warned, and Iñigo replied before turning back.
"That's my son." Karlos tickled Iñigo's nose, making the boy scrunch his face.