Page 21 of Medusa

“Did you give Mummy a hard time, Baby?” Maddie cooed to the little girl. “We’ll see what we can do for your teeth today, shall we?”

Lyta scrunched up her face, two big fat tears trickling down her cheeks.

“Sweetheart,” Maddie said, her heart melting. She hugged the baby to her chest. “Maybe you should take an hour nap and then head to work,” she suggested to the woman. “You’ll be more prepared to tackle the day.

“That sounds amazing.” Lyta’s mother brightened. “I’ll call in while I head home. You’re a genius.”

“I know.” Maddie grinned and closed the door behind her. “Let’s get you a frozen teether, hmm?”

More silent tears fell.

“What do you say about a nice foot massage from Hestia? She’s been studying pressure points and might be able to get rid of some of that pain.” Maddie carried the baby to the kitchen, dug her teether out of the freezer, and handed both over to Hestia just in time to welcome the last parent.

It wasn’t Lucifer.

Maddie greeted Atlanta without looking at Chloe, afraid of what she’d see in the detective’s gaze.

“It has been far too long,” Chloe said. “This case has got me running around like a chicken without a head, if you can believe it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Maddie replied, taking the baby from her.

“Every lead we have dries up like Ilia.” Chloe sighed, obviously frustrated. “Must be a professional hit, but why would it be on one of the fighters at Odin’s?” She shook her head. “Sorry to bother you with all this. Forget I said anything. How are you?”

Maddie stared for a second. “Miserable,” she said at last, and then wished she could take the word back.

Chloe frowned, upset. “I have to get to work, but when I pick Atlanta up, we can chat about that. I’ve missed you.” She gave Maddie a tight hug and kissed her daughter’s head, running her hand through the baby’s thin hair. “Have a good day.”

“You too,” Maddie replied. She was a little confused; Chloe seemed genuinely concerned about her.

It’s been a while since I had a friend, I guess.

“Why don’t we all head outside and learn how to do a somersault?” she said to the delighted children. She was grateful that she’d decided to wear leggings this morning.

The morning was full of hilarity, grass stains, and triumphs. Damien already knew how to do a somersault, so Maddie started teaching him cartwheels. Alexander could manage a somersault by the end of their time outside, and proudly did a set of three in a row across the lawn just to prove he could. Lyta enjoyed watching, but wasn’t interested in leaving Hestia’s lap, or the shade that they were sitting underneath.

Atlanta, the instant she was placed on the ground, half-transformed into her usual wolf-demon form. She rocked back and forth on her hind paws and hands, screeching whenever one of the boys ran by her.

“Put your head down,” Damien suggested to her at one point. “Then you’ll tumble forward and you’ll do the somersault!”

“Unfortunately, she’s too little to understand,” Maddie said comfortingly when Damien started getting frustrated that she wasn’t doing what he said.

“Like this!” Alexander said, demonstrating again in front of the baby.

Atlanta shrieked and moved forward a step.

“You did it! You crawled!” Maddie said excitedly. She crouched in front of the baby. “Come here, sweetie.”

Atlanta grinned a gummy smile and moved robotically forward again until she fell on her nose and the rest of her transformed in a blink into a wolf. She howled, picked herself up, and trotted the rest of the way to Maddie for comfort.

Maddie’s jaw dropped as she sat down. “You just transformed! You did it! And then you walked!” She cradled the baby in her arms, rubbing her hands through the soft fur on the baby’s belly. In a second, she was holding the human form of Atlanta again. “I’m so proud of you!” Maddie said happily. “You did it all by yourself!”

The baby burbled cheerfully, so obviously proud of herself that the adults chuckled.

“I think it’s time for snacks and quiet time,” Maddie said, repeating the phrase that started their calm down routine.

Forty minutes later, all four kids were asleep in various locations. Lyta had cried until Maddie wrapped her to her chest and walked around the yard, the constant motion finally soothing the baby to sleep.

“Poor thing,” Maddie had murmured to Hestia when she’d entered the building. She sat in the rocking chair with Lyta still on her, keeping up with the constant motion, and pulled out her phone to text Chloe.

---