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“Mama!” Lina prompted as she sat on the floor while Lucia cruised on the living room furniture. “Say ‘Mama!’”
The door opened and Gourry walked in. Lucia squealed with delight as she flung herself from the coffee table and actually took a few steps unaided before toppling down and crawling towards him. Gourry picked her up and spun her around before tossing her in the air a few times as she giggled joyfully.
Lina got off the floor and gave him a peck on the cheek. “How was your day?” she asked.
He held Lucia close to him, “Good. Are we going to your folks tonight for dinner?”
“Of course. You ready?”
He held out his free arm and she linked hers with it. Together they exited the house and got on the road that led to her parents’ home. “She’s getting so big. Soon she’ll be walking!”
“And then we’ll never get any rest.” Lina added. “I also think she’s going to be talking soon. She’s getting close to saying a real word. I can feel it!”
“And I know what it’s going to be.” Gourry said proudly.
“Oh? And what’s that?”
“’Papa.’” Gourry said, matter-of-factly.
Lina shook her head, “I hate to break it to you, but her first word is going to be ‘mama.’”
“What makes you so sure of that?”
“Well, I’m the one who carried her and spent 40 hours giving birth to her. I figure she owes it to me to let her first words be ‘mama.’”
“But she likes me more.” Gourry countered.
“She does not!”
“Oh? You sound pretty confident there. Do you want to make a bet on it?”
“You’re on!” Lina said. “When she says ‘mama’ you’re going to give me the Blast Sword and let me run that experiment I’ve been wanting to do!”
“Deal. Because it’s not going to happen.” He said confidently, “When she says ‘papa’ you’re going to stop sneaking out of the house once a month to go bandit hunting, or at least take me with you.”
“No worries!” Lina said casually as her parents’ house came into view. “Oh, I can’t wait to get my hand on that sword!”
They teased each other back and forth as they climbed the patio steps and walked into the house. The enticing smell of pot roast greeted them. “Hey, we’re here!” Lina called as they walked into the dining room where the food was laid out delectably on the table.
Lucia’s dark blue eyes widened at the sight of the feast set before her. “Food!” she cried with reverence.
Lina and Gourry turned to stare at her. “Did she just…?” Lina said.
Gourry nodded, his expression grim. “She did.”
“Oh!” Lina said as her hands clenched into a fist, “Leave it to her to love food more than she loves us!”