#I think everyone knows but twitch is byrdstrolls Bertie is outsidertrolls and dia and beloved belong to my husband

[homicidalfantrolls]

many sweeps ago for merkii?

Baby time.

—

It had been a very long, very boring day for Merkii.

While still grateful for a break from the constant studying and learning, that didn’t mean Dad wasn’t as overbearing as ever.

“Merkii, please wipe your shoes off as best you can before coming back in? The mud is hard to clean.”

“Merkii, the worms are much happier in the dirt outside…yes, they did want to say hi, but they have to go home now.”

“Merkii, just because you go outside barefoot doesn’t mean you’re not still tracking mud in.”

Then, finally,

“Merkii, could you help with dinner? Not sure I can do all this by myself.”

The child beamed as they trotted into the kitchen, climbing the step stool to the counter to see what their dad couldn’t do by himself. He was always asking for help. Cleaning, cooking, folding clothes. Merkii had asked him how he got anything done at work if he needed help so much, but Dad just smiled.

“Ah ah ah, what do we always do before cooking?” Dad chided just as Merkii had reached to help knead some dough.

The psionic frowned in thought before huffing. “I can just use my psionics! Don’t need to wash my hands if I don’t touch anything with ‘em,” they chirped with a smug expression of someone who had just checkmated their opponent.

Dad laughed and ruffled his hair. “I think it’s best to just use your hands. The heat might cook the dough too soon. Then it’ll just be bread for dinner instead of pizza. Your siblings are too big just to have bread for dinner.”

Merkii nodded at the solemn truth of the situation. “Yeah…especially Bertie. He’ll probably try to take Dia’s again.”

“Probably,” Dad chuckled fondly. “You want to move the stepstool? Or do you want me to hold you so you can wash your hands?”

The psionic pressed an oversized sleeve to their chin and tapped their foot in exaggerated display of thought. After a time too brief to convince anyone there had been any actual contemplation, he lifts his arms above his head for Dad to pick him up.

As Merkii washes his hands in the sink under the watchful eye of Her Beloved Annihilation, feet kicking, they paused.

“Do you think Twitch will take us to the aquarium tomorrow? You think she’ll have time?”

“For you, Kii? Always.”