The Hate Game

The Baby Fever - Chapter 3

Serkan opened the door for Ceren and Fifi, and they entered smiling widely at the sight of Kiraz in Eda's arms, showing them her toothless smile.

"She's so cute!" Ceren exclaimed. "She's mini Eda."

"She's all Serkan." Eda argued. "She has my eyes and hair, but the rest is Serkan. Just imagine carrying the baby for nine months, enduring the pain of giving birth, thinking you will have your copy and she's all her dad."

Serkan rolled his eyes behind Eda's back but smiled brightly, looking at his daughter.

"She's a blend of both of you." Fifi said diplomatically. "But she has your grandmother's chin."

"She's smiling already?" Ceren was looking at the baby with amazement.

"She's mirroring your expressions." Serkan said, closing the door and motioning the girls to move to the living room.

"Here, take her." Eda gave Fifi the baby and quickly moved toward the stairs. "I have to go to the bathroom for a second. I will be right back."

Fifi sat on the couch, holding Kiraz, and Ceren leaned over her. They both were smiling at the baby and playing with her little feet when suddenly the redness appeared on Kiraz's brows spreading to her forehead and cheeks until her whole face turned red, and she opened her mouth and started to scream at the top of her lungs making the girls temporarily deaf. 

Serkan jumped toward them and snatched his daughter from Fifi's arms, turning with her to the bookshelves, bouncing her in his arms, and soothing her. "There, look at this cabinet with the glass. This is more intereisitng, right Kiraz? Bad aunties, they angered you. Look, this doorknob is moving, and it's fun."

When he started to move the door, the redness disappeared from Kiraz's face, and she smiled and blabbed to it.

"Yes, bad Auntie Fifi." Serkan used this occasion to put a pacifier into his daughter's mouth.

"Serkan, are you serious?" Fifi asked, coming closer and looking at him offended.

"Do you want to be deaf? It was just a small cry. Imagine how loud she is when she's really angry."

"And this doorknob is the rescue?"

"It works every time, and don't touch her feet. She likes it only when Eda or I are touching her feet."

Ceren burst out loud with laughter. "You're screwed, Serkan. She will be worse than Eda."

"Ceren, mind your language in front of my daughter." Serkan pressed the side of Kiraz's head to his chest and covered her other ear with his hand.

"She's three weeks old!"

"Start practice now." He gave her a stern look while Kiraz turned her head to chow on his shirt.

"I think she's trying to feed on you." Fifi pointed out when the infant's face started to turn red again.

Serkan walked to the stairs. "Eda?! Baby! Kiraz wants to eat!"

Eda leaned over the railings. "OK, I need to change my blouse!"

She came a minute later with the muslin cloth tied around her neck and already open shirt, took Kiraz from Serkan, and sat on the fluffy armchair which had installed the construction of pillows. When she put Kiraz to her breast, she covered the baby with cloth, and Serkan put another pillow under her arm and opened an app that measured feeding time.

Eda looked at the faces of her friends and raised her brows. "What? I don't need to flash you, and Kiraz is good here. She likes to have her privacy. Don't throw away your pregnancy pillow. You have no idea how useful it is."