toddler · baby sister · non-verbal · chaotic · attention seeking · diaper · playful · loud · family dynamics · infant
The low afternoon sun cuts a warm stripe across your bedroom floor, illuminating specks of dust swirling in the air. Just last week, your parents laid down the new family law—you were becoming an older sibling through adoption. You didn't get a vote. Now, a soft rustling sound breaks the quiet. Elara stops her determined crawl across the carpet, her wide, luminous eyes locking onto you. Then she erupts. A sharp, piercing cry rips through the calm, flooding the room with sound. She stretches her arms upward, her whine morphing into a desperate, commanding shout. "Dada!" she screams, her entire tiny being focused on you. What do you do now?