“Mama”
“No munchkin, i’m auntie remember?”
“Mama”
“No cutie, it’s auntie”
“Mama”
“Auntie”
“Mama”
“Why are you arguing with a toddler Tobs?”
Christen was standing in the doorway looking at Tobin holding Sloane in her arms, while arguing with the toddler.
“Oh Chris, thank god, get her to stop calling me mama.”
Christen was trying not to laugh at the pair of them, both looking frustrated.
Tobin focused on the baby in her arms again, “okay I’m telling you one last time, it’s auntie, got it dude?”
Christen watched Tobin gaze intensely at the baby in her arms, looking into the big brown eyes staring up at her, “mama.”
Christen couldn’t keep herself from laughing this time, they were just so cute.
“Stop calling me mama, I’m auntie, okay?”
The little girl in her arms was quiet for a bit, distracted by one of her toys scattered around the room.
“Do you hear me? Who am i?” Tobin pointed to herself.
“Mama.”
Tobin groaned, letting herself fall onto the couch with Sloane settled on her chest.
“Chris do something, Ashlyn is going to kill me if she finds out her kid is calling me the M word.”
Christen decided to take pity on her and picked Sloane up from where she was laying on her chest.
“Hi baby,” she cooed, Sloane giggled at her like she always did with her.
“Who am I munchkin?” Sloane giggled again before yelling “Ciss.”
Christen kisses her chubby cheek, “good job sweetie, I’m auntie Chris.”
Tobin had crossed her arms, clearly not happy with what was going on.
“Who is that Sloane? Is that Auntie Tobin?”
“No”
“Mama”
Christen just laughed, she put Sloane down on top of Tobin again and started clearing up some of the toys.
“Chris this isn’t funny, what if she will be confused for life.”
Sloane was patting Tobin’s cheeks, “Oby.”
Tobin’s smile was back, “yes that’s right, I’m auntie Toby.”
Christen would be lying if she said the sight of Sloane all cuddled up, eyes fluttering and Tobin rocking her to sleep wasn’t getting to her. A couple more years she reminded herself, a couple more years until she retired, and they would have a little munchkin that truly called them mama.
A couple hours later Sloane was wide awake again and ready to torture Tobin some more.
“Do you want your mama to come kill auntie Tobin, is that what you want?”
Sloane grabbed onto her fingers to play with them, oblivious to what Tobin was telling her,
“Mama.”
Christen was watching from a distance again, pretending to answer e-mails on her laptop.
“Are you an evil genius like your mama, is that why you’re doing this?”
Sloane lifted her head up to give Tobin a cheeky smile, “I knew it! You’re an evil baby, aren’t you?”
Christen had grabbed her phone to record the interaction, Sloane meanwhile had focused her attention back on the ring on Tobin’s finger.
“Pwetty mama,” Tobin groaned again, “Chris make it stop please, she is killing me.”
Christen stopped recording and went over to the dynamic duo, she had pulled up a picture of Ashlyn and Ali on her phone to show Sloane.
“Who is this sweetie,” Sloane looked up to smile at the picture and clap her hands, “mama, mama, mama.”
Christen gave Tobin a knowing look, “see? She knows who her mama's are, don’t worry so much.”
Tobin let out a sigh of relief and put Sloane on the ground next to her toys.
“Mama noo,” Sloane’s bottom lip quivered, her hands reaching out for Tobin to pick her up again.
“I swear this kid is all Ash, aren’t you baby, you got your mama’s instinct for drama, don’t you?”
Tobin dipped down to pick her up and rub their noses together. Sloane let out a giggle before puckering her lips for a kiss, something she undoubtedly picked up from watching Pinoe do the same thing.
Tobin gave in and gave her a quick kiss; something Christen captured on camera and immediately sent to Ashlyn who was asking for an update. Christen had been texting Ashlyn all day and had informed her of Tobin’s worry which as she suspected only made Ashlyn laugh.
Chris: funny story, Sloane has been calling Tobs “mama” all day, now Tobin is worried you will kill her for stealing your baby.
Ash: omg that’s precious, I probably should have told you guys that she does that now 😂
When Christen looked up from her phone she could see Sloane sitting in Tobin’s lap, hands on her chest and her forehead against Tobin’s. She could hear Tobin softly whisper, “auntie” and Sloane whisper back “mama.” Christen shook her head knowing this standoff was likely going to last all day.
Christen turned out to be right, Sloane didn’t stray too far from Tobin’s side all day and she would yell out “mama” whenever she could. Tobin tried correcting her, after she gave up on that she turned to bribing, promising Sloane a cookie if she would call her the right name. Sloane soon realized that she could say the right name, get the cookie and go back to calling her “mama,” which resulted in Tobin simply trying again. It took Tobin surprisingly long to figure out she was being manipulated, which amused Christen to no end. When bribing didn’t work, Tobin would stop responding whenever Sloane called her “mama,” this however just led to tears and Tobin apologizing for ignoring her.
By the end of the day Tobin was exhausted, Ashlyn laughed at her when Tobin let her inside.
“How was my little angel?”
Tobin turned to look at her, “angel? That kid is all you, devil spawn, I tell you.”
Ashlyn gave her a hug, “I know Toby and yet you love us both.”
Tobin grumbled something unintelligible which was probably meant to be some kind of denial.
“MAMA,” Sloane ran towards her mom as soon as they walked into the living room where Christen had been entertaining the little girl.
“Hello, my sweet girl, did you have fun?”
Sloane nodded her head a couple times, “wiff Ciss and Oby.”
Tobin’s jaw dropped, “now she can say it?”
Ashlyn had perched the little girl on her hip, “oh yeah I meant to tell you before I left, she likes to call people mama, best not to give it attention or she will keep doing it.”
Tobin’s eyes narrowed, “have you been playing with me all day little missy?”
Sloane just smiled sweetly at her before saying, “mama.”
Tobin’s jaw dropped again, and she rushed forward to take the little girl from Ashlyn, “this is grounds for the tickle monster munchkin.”
Ashlyn and Christen let it happen, changing the subject to new Re-drop Christen was working on. They could hear the shrieking laughter coming from the other side of the couch along with the occasional “that will teach you,” from Tobin.
When the laughing and shrieking had died down Ashlyn and Christen looked over at the pair seeing them both fast asleep, completely worn out from their tickle activities.
Ashlyn ended up staying for dinner, not wanting to wake Sloane (or Tobin) so they could leave. Sloane only woke up to take a couple bites of food while sitting in Christens lap after which she promptly fell asleep again. Tobin carried her out to the car, getting one last cuddle and a sleepy “love Oby” from Sloane.
Back inside Tobin let herself fall back onto the couch and into Christens arms, she puckered her lips like Sloane liked to do. Christen laughed at her but gave her a kiss anyway, “I will have to remember that one, it really works.”
Christen gave her a slight shove, “if I were you, I would focus on not getting outsmarted by a toddler next time, Oby.”