Aurora, also known as Rory by everyone around her, lived a simple life.
In the morning, her Mommy fed her milkies before she went to work.
After that, her Daddy carried her around while he did work. And if he was busy, then Rory stayed with Big Sis Alphy, Betty, or Asako.
But today, someone new came to watch Aurora. Or at least, someone she usually didn't see.
"Huh."
A face that looked like her Daddy's but as pretty as her Mommy's appeared in her field of view, staring at Rory with clear blue eyes.
Rory stared back, her head tilted in confusion. "Baba?"
"Nope. I'm not your Daddy. I'm your Auntie, Jenny. But wow." Jenny picked Rory up and stared at her face. "...You look just like your Mommy, but you have your Daddy's hair and eyes. It's uncanny."
Rory blinked, not understanding what Jenny said. All she really understood was Auntie, and the fact that she felt like Daddy.
So Rory giggled and reached out with her hands to plop against Jenny's face. "Baba!"
Jenny rolled her eyes and then held Rory against her white blouse while walking around the house. "Your Daddy's taking the girls out on a field trip, and your Mommy's helping with your Auntie Amadeus, so it'll be just us for a while."
...Rory didn't understand, but she knew that her when Daddy and Mommy weren't around, it was something important.
So Rory just smiled and giggled like she usually did to make people happy.
And Jenny smiled right back at Rory, poking her cheek. "You've only gotten cuter, haven't you? How old are you now, four months? Five?" Jenny chuckled and then expertly swaddled Rory with a sling before walking outside. "Well, either way you're probably just inside all day, right? Let's go on an adventure with Auntie."
Rory still didn't understand since her Auntie was talking fast. But she got the sense that she was going to be taken outside, so Rory nodded and raised her fist, saying, "Ba!"
===
Out at the marketplace, old ladies and middle-aged women gathered around Jenny and Rory, fussing over them both.
"Well aren't you a cutie?"
"My! She looks just like you, Sweetheart!"
"Taking the child out for a walk, dearie? How sweet..."
Rory didn't understand, but she DID understand that she was making people happy. So she smiled and waved her hand.
"Oh, she's adorable!"
Jenny rolled her eyes and said, "She's my niece, not my child. But she is cute, isn't she?"
"You're a wonderful Aunt, taking care of your niece like that!"
Rory giggled and then hugged Jenny, letting her lead them around as she went grocery shopping.
As Jenny walked, she poked Rory's cheek and said, "You're going to be trouble when you get older, aren't you? Unlike your big sisters, you just love the attention."
"Ba!"
"...And you don't even understand what we're talking about, huh? You just fake it well enough."
"...Ba!"
Rory started to sweat.
She still didn't really understand what her Auntie was saying. But she had the feeling that her Auntie understood that Rory didn't really understand.
Not like her Daddy who just completely believed that Rory understood and just went along with it when Rory spoke up.
Jenny chuckled and then tickled Rory's chin. "You're going to make Onii-chan have gray hairs, and that is going to be hilarious."
"Ba!"
"Do you even know what you're agreeing to, my sweet niece?" Jenny chuckled again and said, "Well, it doesn't change anything really. Now come on, I kind of want some sushi."
===
After a bit of shopping, and since it was getting late in the afternoon, Jenny headed back to Myth Inc. HQ to get some work done in her office.
And of course, that meant that Rory went with her.
Rory narrowed her eyes in concentration, trying to focus on the surroundings.
It was hard though.
She was getting better at seeing things like faces and people. But other things were still confusing.
Like the big rectangles and the empty squares.
Why did people have empty squares anyway? And how did things not go through them?
"Ah, Jenny-san!"
A gruff male voice echoed.
Rory craned her head to look and saw a kind middle-aged man wearing blue clothes. He looked kind of familiar, and he felt familiar, so Rory waved and said, "Hai!"
Jenny waved too and said, "It's been a while, Takashi-san. Aren't you supposed to be at Hoshigawa Academy?"
Takashi smiled and said, "Claud and Seth are in charge today. And Chi-chan wanted to take me out for lunch since it's a half-day, so I'm meeting her."
Jenny giggled. "She's finally being a filial daughter again, huh?"
Takashi chuckled. "Well... I've heard that her fans are bullying her about me. It seems they made her see sense that I and the others never could, so it's working out."
"That's good."
"But enough about me." Takashi knelt down so he was eye-level with Rory. Then he said, "You've gotten quite big, Rory-chan. Your parents have been feeding you well, haven't they?"
"Ba!"
Rory didn't quite get it, but she got the sense it was something about her Mommy and Daddy loving her, so that was absolutely true!
Jenny poked Rory's chubby cheek and said, "Maybe a bit too well. She's pretty heavy, you know?"
Takashi smiled and said, "Babies should be a bit chubby. It means they're well loved."
"I don't know about that. But she's definitely well loved." Jenny gave Rory a soft smile and poked her cheek. "Aren't you?"
Rory giggled.
===
After chatting with Takashi, Jenny headed inside the building. But the moment she did, she saw Lore walking out of his office to get some fresh air.
And when he did, he glanced over at Jenny, then Rory before gasping. "JENNY HAS A DAUGHTER?!"
Jenny rolled her eyes. "No, you silly goober. This is Rory."
Rory perked up at hearing her name and waved. "Hai!"
Lore blinked. Then he composed himself and said, "Ah. That makes more sense." He adjusted his smartglasses and said, "I was confused, as she's usually attached to John or Mrs. Smith."
Jenny looked amused. "Mrs. Smith?"
"...I have a feeling life will be less troublesome for me if I adamantly use that title for John's wife and Aurora's mother."
Sensing the serious tone from Lore, Rory gave a solemn nod and said, "Ba."
Lore gave a serious nod back to Rory and said, "As you are then."
Jenny rolled her eyes as they walked past Lore before poking Rory's cheek. "You absolutely take after your dad, don't you? Just bluffing and pretending like you know what's going on. Well, he's better now, but I've heard he was completely improvising in his youth."
"...Ba?" Rory didn't understand, so she hesitantly responded.
Jenny laughed and poked Rory's cheek again. "Keep being you, Sweetie."
"Ba!"