Chapter Text
Child: Felis
Age: 2.7
Situation: Setting the table
Felis stands on the stool, watching her papi cook.
"What's next?" he asks.
"Queso!" she exclaims, clapping her hands.
"That's right, queso." Cassian grabs a handful to sprinkle over the chilaquiles.
"I want to do it!"
With a sigh, Cassian lets Felis put her hand into the bag and sprinkle it all over the counter.
"Ok," Cassian continues, wiping down Felis' hand and the counter. "Go tell your mami that breakfast is ready." Cassian grabs three plates from the cabinet.
"I want to do it!"
"Ok, here's one. Be careful with it." The plates were made of metal, but that just meant a spectacular crash when they were dropped that Cassian didn't think the downstairs neighbors appreciated. He picked up the pan of chilaquiles and balanced the two remaining plates in his other hand, turning to find Felis making faces at herself in the reflection of the plate she was holding.
"Felis, you need to move. You're blocking the way."
Felis started walking forward slowly, still looking at her reflection in the plate. When she got bored of that she started spinning in circles, singing to herself.
"Felis! Hurry up! I can't get by!"
"O-KAAY!" Felis answered, her feet pattering away to find her mother.
Cassian set the table and then sat down to wait. Jyn appeared, being towed by Felis, who was now singing and playing with her skirt.
Jyn sat down, pulling her plate toward herself.
"Felis said, 'Papi said to "Hurry up!"'" Jyn teased with a smirk. She was usually the impatient parent.
"She was just blocking my way, twirling and whatnot."
"How cute."
"Not when you're holding a heavy pan of hot food."
"Children have a capacity for finding joy in the mundane, unfettered by thoughts of the future and oblivious to the discomfort of others. The egotistical age, while not as all-encompassing as originally thought, lasts from approximately--"
"Yes, K. That's enough."
"Speaking of oblivous to the discomfort of others," Jyn muttered. "You should have never asked him to download those developmental psychology files."
"Children have a papacity," Felis interjects.
"Capacity. Ca-pa-ci-ty. I know it's difficult for an untrained tongue to say two differed fricative syllables in short succession, but with practice you'll eventually obtain mastery. We can only hope."
"Right, K," Cassian said, reaching over to touch the top of Felis' head as she munched on a piece of tortilla.