Nine month me babbled as I reached for Red's finger, grabbing it and sticking it in my mouth, babbling happily.

Five year old Red laughed, gently taking his finger out. " No, sweetie." He said softly. " We don't eat fingers. Fingers are yucky." He made a disgusted face, and I giggled, rolling on the ground.

" Okay, Mimi. Let's try to stand."

I tilted my head innocently, and he burst out laughing.

" Standing. Like this. See?" He stood up and grinned at me.

I grinned back.

Even at a young age, me and Red had an amazing bond.

He read to me, bathed me, fed me, slept with me....

And now he was teaching me.

Yes, even at the tender age of five he was an amazing teacher.

He gently picked me up and sat on the couch. " Okay, Mimi. You try. Here, I'll help you."

He picked me up into the air and set my wobbly feet on his study legs, holding me by the waist. " See, Mia? Standing."

I sucked my thumb and tilted my head.

" Nono, baby. We don't do that." He said gently, taking my thumb out of my mouth.

I burst into tears.

Red's eyes widened in panic as my face scrunched up and a loud wail escaped my lips. He looked around frantically as if expecting someone—anyone—to swoop in and save him from the situation. But there was no one. It was just him and me, his baby sister, crying because he had taken my thumb out of my mouth.

"Ah—uh—Mimi, no, don't cry!" Red pleaded, his tiny five-year-old hands flapping uselessly in the air before he quickly grabbed me again, holding me close to his chest. "I—uh—I'm sorry! Here, look, you can have your thumb back!"

He gently guided my thumb back to my mouth, and I sniffled before happily sucking on it again, my cries turning into small hiccups.

Red let out a relieved sigh. "Okay. Crisis averted," he muttered under his breath, still rocking me gently.

Even at five years old, he took his big brother duties seriously.

After a few moments, he tried again. "Alright, Mimi. Let's try standing again, okay?" His voice was soft, patient—like he was trying not to spook a wild Pokémon.

I blinked up at him with big, curious eyes. Then I let out a happy babble, reaching up to grab his nose.

Red giggled. "No, silly, we don't stand on noses."

I just grinned, tiny fingers exploring his face before finally settling on grabbing his cheeks.

Red pouted dramatically. "Mimi, you're supposed to be learning, not smushing my face!"

I giggled, clapping my hands, absolutely delighted by his silly expressions.

He sighed in defeat but couldn't stop himself from smiling. "Okay, okay. We'll try again later. But first..." He hugged me close, pressing a soft kiss to my chubby cheek.

I let out another happy babble, snuggling into him.

Red might've only been five, but to me, he was my whole world. My big brother. My teacher. My protector.

And even then, I knew—Red would always be there for me.

Later that afternoon, Red decided to try again—but this time, he had backup. Five-year-old Blue and Leaf had come over to play, and as soon as they spotted me sitting on the floor with Red, they eagerly joined in.

"Okay, listen up," Red said seriously, kneeling in front of me. "We're gonna teach Mimi how to stand today."

Blue crossed his arms, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Pfft. She's just a baby, Red. Babies are all wobbly and stuff."

Leaf, however, was already sitting beside me, clapping her hands. "Come on, Mimi! You can do it!" she cheered.

I blinked at all of them, then let out a loud, happy babble, reaching for Blue's spiky hair.

"Whoa—hey!" Blue yelped, scooting back. "Red, control your baby!"

"She's not a Pokémon, Blue," Red sighed, rolling his eyes before gently picking me up again. "Okay, Mimi. Let's try this again."

He placed me on my tiny feet, his hands holding my waist as support. I wobbled slightly, my legs shaking like a newborn Deerling.

Blue watched, unimpressed. "She's gonna fall."

"No, she's not," Red shot back, determined. "She's got this."

Leaf clapped her hands again. "Go, Mimi, go!"

I let out another babble, grinning at all of them—then promptly plopped right onto my bottom with a soft thud.

Blue smirked. "Told ya."

Red groaned in frustration, rubbing his forehead, but Leaf just giggled. "She's trying, Red. That's what matters!"

I, meanwhile, was too busy giggling at Blue's funny face to care about standing.

Red sighed, but when he looked at me—really looked at me—he couldn't stay frustrated. He ruffled my tiny tufts of hair, smiling. "Okay, Mimi. We'll try again later. But no eating fingers, got it?"

I grinned up at him, eyes shining with pure adoration.

Even if I couldn't stand yet, one thing was certain—Red was always going to be my favorite person in the world.

Leaf sat cross-legged on the floor, her small hands gently holding onto my waist as she encouraged me to stand. "Come on, Mimi! You can do it!" she said cheerfully.

I wobbled slightly, gripping onto her arms for support. My little legs trembled as I tried to push myself up. But, after a few seconds, I plopped right back down with a soft thud.

Leaf pouted. "Hmm... why won't she stay up?"

Across the room, Red and Blue sat with their heads buried in a pile of medical books they had taken from the bookshelf.

"There has to be a reason she's not standing yet," Red muttered, flipping through the pages.

Blue was already scowling at the book in front of him. "Man, this stuff is complicated. Look at all these big words!" He jabbed at the page with his little finger. "What the heck is a 'muscular development process' supposed to mean?"

Leaf perked up from her spot on the floor. "It probably means something about muscles!"

Red furrowed his brows, scanning the page. "It says here that babies develop their leg strength before standing..." He looked over at me, deep in thought. "But Mimi's legs are tiny. Does that mean she's not ready yet?"

Blue frowned. "But she's trying. If she wasn't ready, wouldn't she just not try at all?"

"Maybe she's just bad at it," Leaf suggested.

Red immediately shook his head. "No way. Mimi's the best baby ever."

Blue smirked. "You're just saying that 'cause she's your baby."

"She's not my baby!" Red huffed, his face slightly red. "She's my little sister!"

Leaf giggled at their bickering while I sat on the floor, chewing on my fingers. The books in front of them didn't interest me at all. I just wanted to reach for Red's sleeve, which looked way more fun to grab.

Meanwhile, Red continued flipping through the book, his eyes growing wider with confusion. "What's 'neuromuscular coordination'?"

Blue snorted. "Sounds like something a Pokémon professor made up."

Leaf leaned over to peek at the book. "What about 'spinal motor circuits'? That sounds important!"

The three of them sat in silence, staring at the words as if they would magically start making sense.

Blue finally slammed his book shut. "Okay, I officially hate big words."

Leaf nodded. "Me too."

Red frowned. "But we still don't know why Mimi isn't standing!"

Just then, our mom walked into the room, carrying a small basket of laundry. She stopped at the sight of the three older kids looking completely baffled while I happily sat on the floor, babbling nonsense.

Red looked up, eyes determined. "Mom, why isn't Mimi standing yet?"

Blue crossed his arms. "Yeah, we checked the books, but nothing makes sense!"

Leaf added, "We even tried to help her, but she keeps falling!"

Mom blinked at them before a gentle smile crossed her lips. She set the basket down and ruffled Red's hair. "Oh, kids... she just started trying today! Of course, she's not going to get it right away."

The three of them froze.

Blue's mouth fell open. "Wait. WHAT?"

Leaf blinked. "You mean... she's not supposed to stand yet?"

Red's eyes widened. "So... we didn't need to read those books?"

Mom chuckled. "No, sweetheart. Babies take their time learning how to stand. It's only her first day trying!"

Blue groaned and flopped onto his back dramatically. "Man, I can't believe we wasted all that time on books!"

Leaf giggled. "Well, at least we learned some new words!"

Red let out a small sigh of relief and turned to me. I giggled up at him, reaching my tiny hands toward his face. He smiled, gently picking me up and holding me close.

"Don't worry, Mimi," he whispered. "We'll help you stand. No rush."

I grinned and babbled happily, grabbing his nose.

Even if I didn't know how to stand yet, I knew one thing—my big brother would always be there to help me.

The house was quiet that night. The only sound was the soft rustling of blankets as Red shifted in his sleep, curled up on the futon beside me. His gentle breathing filled the room, his small hand resting near mine, as if even in sleep, he was ready to protect me.

But I wasn't asleep.

I stared at the ceiling with wide, curious eyes, my tiny fingers gripping the blanket beneath me. My little mind was filled with a single thought: I want to stand like Red does.

Earlier that day, Red and the other kids had been trying to help me stand. They held my hands, supported my waist, and cheered me on. But every time I wobbled, I would fall into their waiting arms.

But now, no one was watching. No one was holding me.

I wanted to do it by myself.

Slowly, I rolled onto my belly and pushed up on my tiny hands. The dim moonlight from the window cast a soft glow on the wooden floor beneath me. Taking a deep breath—well, as much as a baby could—I planted my little feet on the ground and tried to lift myself up.

I wobbled.

I swayed.

But I was doing it!

For half a second, I balanced on my unsteady legs. My little heart swelled with pride. I was standing! Just like Red! Just like—

Thud!

The world tilted.

My arms flailed.

Then—

CRACK!

A sharp pain shot through my tiny head as I crashed onto the hard wooden floor.

For a moment, there was silence. Then—

"WAAAAAAAHHH!!"

My loud, piercing cries shattered the peaceful night. Hot tears spilled from my eyes as I clutched my aching head. The pain was overwhelming, too much for my little body to handle.

Red jolted awake instantly. His brown eyes flew open, and he sat up in alarm.

"Mimi?!"

His gaze snapped to the small, wailing bundle on the floor. His heart dropped.

Without hesitation, he scrambled over and scooped me up into his arms. My tiny fingers clutched desperately at his shirt as I sobbed against him.

His hands trembled as he gently ran his fingers through my soft hair, searching for bumps or bruises. His stomach twisted when he saw the red mark forming on my forehead.

"You hit your head..." he whispered, his voice unusually shaky for someone so young.

I only cried harder, my little face scrunching up in distress. My head hurt, and I was scared.

Red's panic deepened. He pulled me closer, his small arms wrapping protectively around me as he rocked me back and forth.

"Shhh... it's okay," he murmured, pressing his cheek against my tiny head. "I got you. I'm right here."

The door suddenly burst open, and mom rushed in, her face filled with worry. "What happened? Why is Mia crying?"

Red tightened his hold on me, looking up with wide, anxious eyes. "She fell."

Mom hurried over and knelt beside us, gently brushing my damp curls away from my forehead. She gasped at the red mark. "Oh, sweetheart," she cooed, pressing a cool hand against my burning skin. "You must have hit the floor really hard."

Red's grip on me tightened slightly. "She was trying to stand."

His mom glanced at him in surprise. "Oh, Red..." She softened. "She's just a baby. She's barely started learning. These things take time."

Red swallowed, his heart still racing. "I should've been watching her."

His mother smiled gently and placed a hand on his small shoulder. "Red, you're five. You can't watch her every second."

But he wanted to.

His arms curled around me a little tighter as I hiccupped against his chest. I was still sniffling, but I was calmer now, soothed by his warmth.

His mom sighed. "Here, let me take her—"

"No."

His voice was firm. Mom blinked in surprise.

"I got her," Red said quietly. His brown eyes were full of determination.

Mom hesitated, then smiled softly. "Alright. I'll get some ice. Stay with her, okay?"

Red barely acknowledged her as she left. He was too focused on me.

I sniffled and lifted my tiny head, my wet eyes gazing up at him. My forehead hurt, but in Red's arms, the pain wasn't as bad.

He sighed and gently wiped my tears away with his sleeve.

"You scared me, Mimi," he murmured. His voice was soft, full of something deep and warm.

I blinked up at him, my chubby fingers curling into his pajama shirt.

He hesitated, then leaned down and pressed a small, gentle kiss to my forehead, right where the red mark was.

"You don't have to rush," he whispered. "I'll help you. No more falling, okay?"

I let out a tiny hiccup and nuzzled against his chest, my tiny body relaxing completely in his arms.

Red smiled—just a little—and held me close. He didn't let go for the rest of the night.

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Red stirred awake, his brown eyes groggy with sleep, but his mind instantly snapped back to last night.

Mia fell.

His chest tightened at the memory of my tiny body hitting the floor, my loud wails echoing through the room. He had barely slept after that, keeping me close the entire night.

Now, as he looked down, he saw me curled up against his chest, sleeping peacefully. My tiny fingers clutched the fabric of his pajama shirt, as if even in sleep, I didn't want to let go.

But Red needed to check on me. He needed to make sure I was okay.

Carefully, he sat up, keeping one arm around me for support. I made a small noise but didn't wake up.

He gently brushed my curls away from my forehead and winced when he saw the faint red mark from last night. His small fingers traced over it lightly, checking for any swelling.

I stirred, my tiny face scrunching up at the touch.

Red hesitated. "Mimi?" he whispered.

I yawned, my little eyes fluttering open, still hazy from sleep. When I saw him, my lips curled into a sleepy, toothless smile.

Red exhaled softly. "Morning, baby," he murmured, his voice quieter than usual.

I babbled something unintelligible, reaching up with my chubby hands to grab his face. He let me, even as my little fingers squished his cheeks together.

But he wasn't done checking.

Still holding me, Red shifted so that he could inspect me properly. He gently ran his fingers over my arms, pressing lightly to check for any bruises. My soft baby skin was warm under his touch, but nothing seemed too bad.

He checked my legs next, carefully moving them to see if I winced. I only giggled and kicked at his hands, thinking it was a game.

Finally, he placed a hand on my back, rubbing small circles just like he did when I was upset. No reaction—no crying, no discomfort.

He let out a relieved sigh.

"You're okay," he mumbled, more to himself than me.

I only giggled again, reaching for his nose.

Red rolled his eyes playfully but let me grab it. Then, in an unexpected move, he leaned forward and gently booped my tiny nose instead.

I blinked in surprise before letting out a delighted squeal, kicking my little legs excitedly.

Red smirked. "You like that?"

I clapped my hands.

His smirk softened into something more affectionate. "Alright, fine. One more."

He booped my nose again, and I erupted into more giggles, completely forgetting about last night's fall.

Red, though, hadn't forgotten.

Even as he played with me, even as he smiled, a small part of him still felt guilty.

I should've stopped her from falling.

But another part of him—the part that had held me all night, the part that had whispered promises to keep me safe—knew better.

I was going to fall again. I was going to get hurt sometimes.

But as long as Red was around, he'd always be there to catch me.

No matter what.

The afternoon sun was high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the quiet town of Pallet. Red was outside, crouched in the grass with his hands steady on my waist, gently guiding me as I wobbled on my chubby legs.

"Okay, Mimi, you can do this," he murmured, his brown eyes filled with determination. "Just like before, alright? Just—"

Plop.

I fell straight onto my diapered bottom.

Red sighed. "Close enough."

Before he could lift me back up, the sound of hurried footsteps made him turn.

"Yo, Red!" Blue's voice rang out as he jogged over, Leaf right behind him.

Professor Oak and my mom were a little ways off, chatting about something science-y that none of the kids really cared about.

Blue rested his hands on his hips, eyes narrowing at Red. "Alright, spill it. Leaf said you looked all serious when she saw you earlier. Something wrong?"

Red hesitated, then exhaled. "She fell last night."

Blue and Leaf both froze.

"What?!" Leaf gasped, kneeling down beside me instantly. "Mimi, are you okay?!"

I looked up at her and clapped my hands happily. "Ba!"

Blue frowned, crossing his arms. "Fell how bad?"

Red's jaw tightened. "She hit her head."

Blue and Leaf's eyes widened.

"Dude!" Blue nearly yelled. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Because she's fine now," Red shot back, but there was an edge of guilt in his voice. "I checked her this morning. No bruises, no bumps, nothing."

Leaf looked unconvinced. "But what if there's something inside her head? Something we can't see?"

That made all three of them pause.

A heavy silence fell between them before Blue suddenly smirked.

"I got it."

Red blinked. "Got what?"

Blue jabbed a thumb at himself. "We're gonna be doctors."

Red stared. "...What?"

Leaf frowned. "Blue, that's not how this works—"

"No, no, listen! We just gotta learn how to check if she's okay. How hard can it be?"

Red groaned. "Very."

But Blue was already hyped. "You two, meet me at Grandpa's lab in ten minutes. We're gonna figure this out."

And with that, he took off.

Red sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "This is a bad idea."

Leaf rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, let's make sure he doesn't do something too stupid."

With that, the three of them—plus me—headed toward Professor Oak's lab.

The lab smelled like old books and Pokémon supplies. The three kids stood in front of a towering bookshelf while I sat on a desk, babbling happily to myself.

"Alright," Blue said, rubbing his hands together. "We need medical books."

Red and Leaf started scanning the titles.

"The Anatomy of a Gyarados... Nope."

"Pokémon Healing Properties... Useless."

"Evolutionary Changes and Leg Growth—what?"

Leaf frowned. "Why are there so many books about legs?"

Red let out a tired sigh, pulling another book from the shelf. "A Trainer's Guide to Battling— okay, this is just getting ridiculous."

Blue grabbed a random book and flipped it open. His eyes widened. "Whoa. What's 'cerebrospinal fluid'?"

Red and Leaf peeked over his shoulder.

Leaf frowned. "I dunno, but it sounds important."

Red's eyes narrowed. "It's got something to do with the brain."

Blue made a face. "Ew."

Leaf sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Okay, this is useless. We're not doctors, and none of these books help us."

Blue groaned. "But we need to know if Mimi's okay!"

At that moment, I let out a loud babbled shriek, startling all three of them.

Red was at my side in an instant. "What? What's wrong?"

I grinned and smacked his face with my tiny hands.

Leaf giggled. "She's fine, Red."

Blue crossed his arms. "See? She's totally—"

Thump.

All three turned their heads to see that I had managed to grab one of the thick books and had promptly smacked myself in the face with it.

A long silence followed.

Blue cringed. "...That's gotta hurt."

Red facepalmed. "We're done here."

Leaf sighed, rubbing her temples. "Let's just get her back before the adults notice we kidnapped her."

And so, their grand doctor plan ended in total failure.

At least, Red thought, as I giggled and clung to his sleeve, they didn't actually hurt me more.

That night, the moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow over Red's house. Inside, chaos was unfolding.

Leaf, Blue, and Red were huddled together on the floor, books stacked around them. I sat on the bed, kicking my chubby legs and occasionally smacking a pillow while babbling nonsense.

"We have to figure this out," Blue muttered, flipping through another thick book. "I mean, she fell on her head."

Red groaned, rubbing his temples. "I already told you guys, I checked her. She's fine."

Leaf, cross-legged with a book in her lap, frowned. "Yeah, but what if there's something we missed?"

She turned a page and squinted. "Okay, this book says babies develop their walking skills around—huh?"

Red and Blue looked over her shoulder.

"What?" Red asked.

Leaf pointed at the page. "It says something about 'mommy body features' and how babies react to their mothers."

Blue made a face. "Ugh, Leaf, why are you reading about moms?"

"It's important!" she shot back. "It says that babies—like Mimi—are more likely to try standing when they feel safe with someone they see as a caregiver. That's why some babies take longer than others."

Red frowned. "So... you're saying she's not standing because she doesn't feel safe?"

Leaf blinked. "...No, wait, that's not what I meant."

Blue snickered. "Well, you do carry her around like a mom, Red."

Red's face turned red. "I—what—?! No, I don't!"

Leaf smirked. "Yeah, you kinda do."

Meanwhile, I had somehow crawled over to one of the books, grabbed it, and was now trying to eat it.

Blue blinked. "Uh, guys—?"

Before he could finish, I chomped down on the book's cover.

Red immediately snatched it away. "Mimi, no! Books aren't food!"

I blinked up at him before my lip quivered.

Leaf and Blue froze.

"Uh-oh," Blue muttered.

The next second, I wailed at the top of my lungs.

Red sighed, bouncing me gently. "Okay, okay, shhh. You're okay."

Blue groaned, shoving a book over his head. "This doctor thing is way harder than I thought."

Leaf nodded. "Yeah. Maybe we should just leave it to actual adults."

Red snorted. "You think?"

And so, after hours of "studying," they admitted defeat. That night, with me safely curled up against Red's chest, the three of them finally went to sleep, exhausted from their grand—and completely failed—attempt to be doctors.

In the middle of the night, the house was quiet, except for the soft sounds of breathing from the sleeping kids. Red, Leaf, and Blue were sprawled out on the bed and floor, exhausted from their so-called "doctor research."

But I? I was wide awake.

My tiny eyes flickered open, and I babbled softly, stretching my chubby arms. Then, my gaze landed on something glowing faintly near Red's side.

His tablet.

Curiosity sparked in my little baby brain. With wobbly movements, I crawled closer, inching my way over Red's arm. He shifted slightly but didn't wake up.

I reached out, pressing a tiny, pudgy finger against the screen. The device lit up, and my eyes widened in delight.

"Oooo!" I babbled.

I didn't know what I was doing, but I did what I did best—I smashed my hands against the screen. A game popped up.

There was a cartoon doctor on it.

A doctor that looked a lot like Red.

My mouth dropped open in a tiny, amazed "ooh," and I clapped my hands together.

Then, with all the focus my nine-month-old brain could muster, I began playing. Well... mostly just tapping random buttons and giggling every time the game made a funny sound.

I was so absorbed in my little gaming adventure that I didn't notice Red stirring beside me.

His sleepy brown eyes cracked open, and he frowned, blinking blearily. He groggily lifted his head, trying to figure out where the light was coming from—

And then he saw me.

Sitting up. Holding his tablet. Playing his game.

Red blinked.

I, completely unaware, continued slapping the screen, giggling every time the Red-lookalike doctor made a face.

Red sighed. "Mimi... what are you doing?"

I turned my head, grinning widely. "Da!"

Red ran a hand down his face. "It's the middle of the night. How did you even—?" He glanced at his now-unlocked tablet. "Oh my Arceus, you hacked into my tablet."

I clapped. "Pbbbtt!"

Red just sighed again before scooting closer. "Okay, give me that—" He gently pried the tablet from my little hands, but I immediately whined in protest, grabbing at it.

He raised an eyebrow. "You really like this game, huh?"

I nodded rapidly.

Red glanced at the screen. The cartoon doctor blinked and gave a thumbs-up, and he frowned. "...Why does this look like me?"

I giggled, tapping the doctor's face. "Duh!"

Red shook his head. "Okay, that's it. Time for bed." He reached out, picking me up under my arms and settling me back onto his lap.

I immediately pouted.

Red rolled his eyes but softened. "You can play tomorrow, okay? But not at night." He shifted, pulling the blankets over both of us.

I still stared at the tablet.

Red groaned. "...Fine, five more minutes, but then you're really going to sleep."

I beamed, babbling happily as Red held me close, watching me tap at the screen with sleepy eyes.

That was how Leaf and Blue found us the next morning—me drooling on Red's chest, and his tablet still clutched in my tiny hands.

The morning started off in pure confusion.

Leaf yawned, stretching her arms as she stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Blue was already there, shoveling food into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in years. Red sat at the table, quiet as usual, his brown eyes scanning over a book.

But something was... off.

It was too quiet.

Leaf blinked and looked around. Then she frowned. "Hey, where's Mimi?"

Red's book lowered slightly, and his expression changed.

Blue paused mid-bite. "Oh. Huh. Good question."

The three of them looked at the empty high chair.

Then at each other.

Then at the kitchen doorway.

Then back at each other.

Silence.

Then pure chaos.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Blue nearly choked on his food, standing up so fast his chair screeched.

Leaf smacked her forehead. "Oh no. Oh no. What if she crawled outside? What if she fell again? What if she—"

Red was already up, scanning the area with sharp eyes. He didn't speak, but his face said it all.

Without a word, they split up, searching every corner of the house.

"Mimi?" Leaf called, checking under the table.

"Yo, baby, you in here?" Blue peeked into the cabinets.

Red checked the hallway, then the living room, his fingers twitching slightly.

But there was nothing.

Then—

Soft, wobbly footsteps.

The sound was faint, uneven, like something small was tapping against the floor.

The three of them turned sharply toward the doorway.

And there—standing in the middle of the hall, balancing on wobbly little legs—

Was me.

I stood there, my chubby arms out for balance, looking like I had just discovered the biggest secret of the universe.

The room fell silent.

Leaf and Blue froze, eyes wide.

Red's breath hitched.

Then, I took a step.

Then another.

And another.

I stumbled a little, but I kept going, moving straight toward Red.

Then, finally, with a triumphant babble, I reached him.

Red had already knelt down, his arms open, his brown eyes stunned but warm.

And I, without a moment of hesitation, walked straight into his arms.

The second I made it, Red wrapped me up in a firm, warm hug, his face buried in my tiny shoulder.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Leaf let out the loudest squeal.

"OH MY GOSH, SHE'S WALKING!!!"

Blue threw his hands in the air. "BRO. BRO, WHAT?! SHE JUST—??"

Red pulled back, cupping my little face with his hands. His usual stoic face was cracked with something soft, something proud.

"You did it, Mimi," he murmured.

I grinned up at him, babbling nonsense.

Leaf smacked Blue's arm. "This is HUGE! She literally took her first steps just now!"

Blue was still trying to process what just happened. "Dude, she—she was missing, and now she's walking?!" He threw his hands up again. "I CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THIS BABY, MAN!"

Red ignored them.

Instead, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, his voice unusually soft.

"I'm so proud of you."

And in my own baby way, I knew—

I had just done something amazing.