The rest of our trip went well, even though I got anxious now and then. I begged multiple people for updates on Mom.

Turns out she's okay, and so is the baby, though they need a NICU stay.

Yeah, they refuse to tell me the gender. I 'need to come see for myself' which only made me more impatient.

Luckily, we're on our way to the hospital right now, ten minutes after we got back home from the airport.

"I can't wait," Sage peeps for the millionth time, and I say 'me, too' every single time.

When we arrive, we practically run inside, ask for the correct room, and then proceed jogging. Once arrived, we freeze in front of the door.

"You should go first," Sage whispers. "Have a moment with your parents and the baby."

"You can come with."

She shakes her head, smiling softly. "Just go."

I get given a slight push towards the door. Dazzled by everything at once, I knock before I walk inside.

"Thomas!" Mom immediately cries out. I don't hesitate to go to the bed, embracing her in a tight hug. She smells the same as always. Her hair tickles against my neck. She squeezes me so tight that I nearly tear up. "Did you have fun?" She whispers.

I pull away with a nod. My eyes trail over her body. She's wearing her own clothes and she looks great. Not unwell. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, honey. It's been a few days. All we need to wait for is reassurance that your sister will be okay at home."

My heart makes a jump. "Sister?"

She nods, eyes big. "Go look. There, with your father."

Slow-paced, I walk over to them, a bit shaky. Dad is holding a tiny little body, dressed in a white bodysuit, a pink hat, and thick socks. I peek at the face.

Well, it really is a baby; I feel like every baby I've seen looks like this.

Except this one is really, really tiny. Tiniest human I've ever seen.

"What's her name?" I murmur, unsure about what to do. My voice is barely audible.

"Jade," Dad replies quietly.

A small smile breaks the tension on my lips. The name I liked the most. Great minds think alike, I guess.

Sage and Jade.

Dad walks over to the bed and sits down. I sit down next to him.

"You can hold her," Mom says.

"I'm not sure if—" But Dad's already holding her in front of me. Hesitantly, I reach out, and press the body against mine, my arm below it, and the other one holding the head.

It's weird. A human so lightweight in my arms.

Then she starts crying.

Loud and screeching.

With wide eyes, I hand her back to Dad. "Sorry," I swallow.

Dad refuses to take her back and Mom chuckles. "It's not your fault, honey. Try to calm her down."

"But— I— how?" I stammer. "You can take her."

She also refuses, just like Dad. "Come on, try it. Don't feel guilty."

My eyebrows scrunch as I hold her against my body again. She keeps crying. I rock back and forth, but that doesn't do anything either.

Helpless, I look at Mom. Then back at Jade. I reach out to her face to caress her cheek as lightly as I can. When I do, her mouth opens wide.

I take my hand back. Her eyes—which are barely open and don't seem to have much color—follow my fingers. I move them back to her face. The mouth opens wider. I lower my pinky to it.

Three seconds later, she's sucking on it like it's a pacifier.

I guess that helped.

"See?" Mom rests her head on my shoulder. "There you go."

I'm back to smiling and rock her back and forth again as she sucks on my pinky, eyes wide at me.

"I'm sure she likes you," Dad adds. "Look at that." He wraps an arm around Mom.

We spend another ten minutes together before I decide to bring Sage in. Dad gets up her to call her inside, and then she's jumping up and down in front of us.

"Careful," Mom warns. "She's fragile."

Sage presses her lips together. Nodding, she sits down next to me, and takes Jade in her arms. Again, the baby begins crying.

"Put your finger back in her mouth, Thomas," Dad says.

When I do it, she stops crying.

"Will my pinky forever be gone now?" I ask.

"We have pacifiers, too. Though she refuses to take those..." Mom murmurs. "Yes, I think your pinky's forever tied to her mouth." 

"She's so cute," Sage squeals. "I want a baby, too."

Dad and I fall completely silent at that, but Mom and Sage continue caressing Jade as if Sage didn't just say.. what she said.

I frown at Dad.

He shrugs. Means, 'probably some girl thing'.

I raise an eyebrow, 'so does I mean we should get a—'

He begins shaking his head heavily.

Taken aback, I nod, 'just asking'.

"Okay, I'll go feed her now," Mom announces. She takes Jade from Sage, who keeps following the baby with her eyes.

Then she looks at me. "I want a baby," she repeats.

"...I don't think we're at the right age for that."

"No, of course not. I mean in a few years," she says, as if that was so obvious.

Dad leans in to tell her, "You'll need to be pregnant for nine months and have to go through a likely painful birth."

Her face pales at the thought. "Never mind. I don't want a baby."

Satisfied, Dad moves away.

I give him an offended glare, 'you scared her'.

He shrugs, which now means, 'you two are not allowed to think about these things yet'.

I scowl, 'let her dream'.

Then he focuses on Mom. I force my attention on Sage and Jade— which is not really hard. The sight is adorable.

Sage's hair is almost touching Jade's face, so I move it away. She smiles softly at my sister, and also sways from left to right, somehow in an even better way than I did. 

Looking at them, I realize my pinky is out of Jade's mouth again. I can't recall the moment that happened. Probably when I was communicating silently with Dad?

But she's not crying about it. She's staring at Sage's face, eyes—once again—big with... admiration? Can a baby feel that?

Either way, she's not crying. Her tiny hand moves to touch Sage, though she isn't able to reach her. Sage takes the hand. In a second, the five mini fingers have wrapped around her finger.

If possible, Jade softens even more in her arms.

I don't think Sage is just my Nepenthe.