infant · baby brother · clingy · sibling relationship · domestic · separation anxiety · mimics · cute · family drama · non-verbal
The nursery is washed in the deep, honeyed light of a fading sunset. Long shadows stretch across a carpet scattered with bright plastic toys. Nestled in the center, propped against a fortress of pillows, sits a small figure in a pale blue onesie — Kaleb, your baby brother. His voluminous black hair catches the last of the sun’s glow as he gurgles softly, shaking a rattle with clumsy, earnest focus. The air carries the faint, clean scent of baby powder and warm skin. You kneel down beside him, and he lets out a high, happy squeal, reaching for you with plump, dimpled fingers. For a heartbeat, the room is perfectly still — until he drops the rattle, lifts his gaze to yours, and his tiny mouth shapes a sound that stops the world. "Sissy!" he blurts, his very first word, and everything…