“Appa?”

“Hmm?”

“Why does Baba look different?”

Sehun forced his eyes from the book he was reading, to his daughter’s little milky white face.

“What do you mean sweetie?” he asked.

Oh Kiani, all of 5 years but rolled her eyes, like her Appa was the dumbest person on planet.

“Appa” she giggled, “Baba looks different from everyone.” She declared a little later.

Still not fully getting his daughter, Sehun replied, “Well because Baba is Baba. That’s why he is like him and no one else. Like I am me and not like Baba or Uncle Kris or Uncle Chanyeol”. Sehun hoped this time he would be able to satisfy his 5 year old with his answer.

Kiani looked at him for a while but then said “Duh! Of course Baba is Baba and you are you and I am me” and Sehun tried not to think where his little girl learnt ‘duh’ from. Jongin it better not be from you!

His daughter came closer and said, “But Baba look different Appa, from everyone! Why?”

“Honey you have to be a little more specific, I already told you…” but Sehun’s explanations were cut off when his daughter said, “Before Baba’s tummy was like this” saying she showed Sehun her doll’s stomach, “but now Baba’s tummy is like…ummm…..that” and she pointed to the melon on the breakfast table.

Sehun almost laughed out loud at his daughter’s example of Luhan’s belly. His husband was eight months pregnant with their first child. Kiani was their adopted child, when they had happened to visit an orphanage and were instantly captivated by the child’s innocence. Within a few weeks they had made Kiani their legally adopted daughter. But don’t remind that to Luhan. He never liked it when people kept saying Kiani was adopted and frankly neither did Sehun. They both knew that Kiani was as much their own kid as the one growing inside Luhan’s belly.

Smiling, he pulled his little girl on his lap and explained, “Honey we told you that Baba was having a baby. That’s your brother inside Baba’s tummy.”

Kiani nodded. She was thrilled at the idea of having a little brother. But then again, she was equally thrilled at firing questions.

“Yes, brother is inside Baba but why does his tummy get so big?” came the next question.

Sehun cleared his throat. He wished Luhan was there instead of sleeping upstairs. Luhan was so much better with kids and their questions than Sehun. But now it had to be done and probably without Luhan.

“Well, brother needs to grow inside Baba’s tummy and he needs more space.” He replied.

Kiani nodded.

“But why he needs more space?”

Sehun mentally slapped his palm on his forehead.

“Honey do you remember your crib? You used to sleep there as a baby.” At his girl’s nod, he continued, “Now you have grown up right? Now can u sleep there?” Kiani shook her head ‘no’. “Well that’s why you need your bed and that’s why brother needs more space. He is growing up every day and so Baba’s tummy gets bigger to make room for brother.”

Kiani thought for a while and was quiet. Sehun almost got back to reading his book when his daughter dropped another bomb.

“Appa? How did brother get inside Baba’s tummy?”

Sehun was only thinking about what to say as an appropriate reply without triggering any further question from his daughter, when Luhan saved him.

“Well munchkin you remember what you wished for last Christmas?” Luhan asked as he waddled slowly into the room and sat down on the couch beside Sehun and Kiani.

The little girl threw her arms around her Baba’s neck in an instant with a squeal of ‘BABA!’. She moved from Sehun’s lap to Luhan’s knee and squirmed to get comfortable with the big belly in between.

“I ‘member I wanted Santa to gimme Barbie sets an’ a pretty dress an’ brother or sister like my friends” she replied happily.

Luhan nodded, “Right. Now you got your Barbie sets and you got more than three dresses. Now you wanted a brother or sister like your friends. So, Santa granted your wish and made a brother for you.”

“But he is not here yet. He is in your tummy” Kiani replied.

“Yes. You see, once Santa made the baby, he saw that your brother was too tiny. That’s why he put your brother in my tummy where he can grow bigger and where he could be safe. You see, nothing can hurt your brother when he is here.” Saying Luhan took Kiani’s hand and rubbed on his baby belly.

The little girl smiled as she rubbed her Baba’s belly and bent down to place several kisses on it.

“Is brother still sleeping in a crib or is he big for a bed?” Kiani asked innocently.

Luhan smiled, “Honey your brother has definitely put his crib days behind. He can barely fit in a bed now.”

“You have a bed in your tummy Baba?” the little Oh asked.

“It’s not like your bed baby girl. It’s a bed which is suitable for your brother when he is still inside” Luhan replied ruffling her hair.

“Hmm hmmm” she hummed but then gasped, “But – but Baba you said brother barely fits his bed now. Is he growing bigger? Do you have a bigger bed for him?”

The baby decided the moment to deliver a solid kick on Luhan’s abdomen making the man wince.

“I really don’t think your Baba has much bigger bed to fit your brother honey” Sehun replied, seeing Luhan wincing.

Kiani’s big round brown eyes filled with tears and her lower lip trembled.

“But then – then Appa, then brother will fall down. Baba you get a bigger bed please? Don’t want brother to fall down” she cried holding Luhan’s hand.

“Awww baby girl….don’t cry baby. I promise you sweetie that you brother will not fall down from his bed.” Luhan explained.

“But but--” Kiani started but Luhan shushed her.

“But nothing baby girl.  You see, by the time your brother will outgrow his bed, he will already be born” he told her, drying her tears with his thumb.

That seemed to make her stop crying.

“He will be born? He will be with us? Really?” she asked wide eyes.

“Yes. Really” smiling Luhan kissed her fingers.

“You promise Baba?”

“Promise sweetheart”

“Promise Appa?”

“Promise munchkin”

“Okkies”

With that Oh Kiani kissed both her parents and went to play with her dolls in the next room.

“Thanks for saving me from question bank” Sehun smiled kissing Luhan’s lips.

“Hmm you are welcome, although you can thank me later in our bedroom after the munchkin is down at 8. May be even join me in the hot tub. God knows that big tub would fit an entire clan of Oh babies.” Luhan nibbled at Sehun’s lips and nuzzled his neck.

“Did I tell you how hot you sound when you say Oh babies? And your name definitely sounds hotter as Oh Luhan” Sehun let the book in his hands fall, as he s his fingers inside his husband’s stretched hoodie and sweatpants. His next words were swallowed when the voice of their daughter came again.

“Baba? Why did Santa put brother inside your tummy? Why not Appa’s?”

THE END :)

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