#26

**DREX**

Thud!

A loud noise reverberated through Lia’s room, Distracting me from what I was doing on my phone and amidst the echoes, the baby began crying, I'd thought it should stop by now, assuming Lia was attending to her but the cries of the baby intensified.

Though I'd been somewhat nonchalant about the baby, preoccupied with school and thoughts of Jesse, the escalating cries drew my attention. Anticipating Lia to have attended to the baby's needs, the persistent screams suggested otherwise.

Worry gnawed at me, prompting me to rise from the couch and rush into Lia’s room. To my dismay, I discovered the baby lying on the floor, having fallen from the bed. Lia, engrossed in the shower, seemed oblivious to the incident. Without hesitation, I scooped up the distraught infant, attempting to soothe her distressed cries.

“There, there, baby girl. It’s okay, I got you,” I murmured, cradling her gently. As I wiped away her tears, she gazed at me with an odd intensity. A sudden warmth