Chapter 258: Diaper Change
When Lola returned to the penthouse, she stopped short at the sight of Atlas still seated in the same spot. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched the twins leaning on either side of the armchair and the quadruplets crawling all over him.
"Stop it," he muttered, gazing down at the four babies—one of whom was chewing on his trousers. "Did your parents teach you to eat everything in sight?"
Her face twitched. Those kids are... just a little over one year old, right?
"Go away." He tried to move his foot lightly, but two of the babies clung to it like it was an amusement park ride. The twins giggled, with Chacha leaning close to say,
"It’s fun, right?"
"Chacha," said baby number one, then baby number two, then three.
"Chacha."
"Thirty!" added the fourth proudly.
By now, Lola was far more familiar with Thirdy than the other three. That baby only ever called his name. Much to her dismay, Atlas’s gaze snapped to her, and as if reading her mind, he suddenly clarified:
"He’s not Thirdy. He’s Mauce—short for Maurice. Named after a mouse."
"What?" she deadpanned.
"Don’t fall for their tricks. They’re young, but they’d be better off in the wild. They’d fit right in." He paused and shifted his gaze to his children. "Like them."
"Hihihi." The twins giggled, pressing closer to their father. Second added, "Father Sir, can we sleep with them tonight with Mommy?"
Atlas’s already plain look grew even drier. "No."
"But our cousins..." Chacha trailed off, only for her father to cut in.
"No. With her." He pointed at Lola. "You lost the bet, so her bed designation is my room, not yours."
Lola pointed at herself. "You guys do know all the bedrooms here are mine, right?"
The twins and even the quadruplets looked at Atlas before smiling. One baby crawled off while they carried on. They just completely ignored the landlord.
"But our little cousins can sleep with us?" Second pressed, eyes on his father.
"Sure."
"Yey~!" The twins cheered and quickly turned to their cousins. "Did you hear that, Thirdy? Mauce? Tian? Enzo—"
They stopped mid-count, realizing one baby was missing. Slowly, they turned their heads only to see a little one crawling near Lola’s feet.
"Huh?" Lola looked down, staring at the child on his hands and knees.
"Ma... ma..." the baby called, making Lola cover her mouth.
Her eyes softened as she scooped him into her arms. "Do you miss your mama?"
"Ma... ma... roni."
"Huh?"
"Ma... ca... roni."
"..." Her smile instantly vanished. "Macaroni?"
"Hey~!" Slater’s jolly voice rang out as he waltzed into the living room again. "Macaroni’s ready~!"
Everyone turned toward him. Lola’s face twisted at the sight of him. He was wearing an apron and had tied a scarf around his head like a maid. He beamed as all the children’s eyes lit up.
"Yey~!" the twins cheered while the quadruplets bounced in excitement.
*****
Lola’s worry grew when she realized there weren’t any high chairs in the penthouse. The twins didn’t need them, after all. She thought each adult would have to hold a baby, but there were only three adults. For a second, she regretted kicking Silo out just because she feared he’d try to steal her lover.
Her worry only vanished when she arrived in the dining room.
"My sister is always prepared," Slater said as he strapped Mauce, the youngest quadruplet, into a high chair. "You’d be surprised what else these kids have in their bags."
Lola blinked at the sight before her: four high chairs lined up, plus Chacha and Second at the table. Atlas sat in his usual spot, while Slater slid into the seat between the babies so he could tend to them.
"Wow," she breathed, eyeing the quadruplets and then the twins. "Does your family just specialize in twins and quadruplets? I’ve never even seen quadruplets before in my life."
Both Slater and Atlas stared at her blankly.
"What?" she asked. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No... but now that you mention it," Slater rubbed his chin, glancing at his brother. "Did Zoren really just manifest four? No one in our family, on either side, has ever had more than one."
Yet Atlas had twins, and their sister had quadruplets.
"Probably the soup," Atlas said as he picked up his cutlery. "Grandma Pierson’s soup works wonders."
"Soup? What soup?" Lola blinked, earning matching looks from the brothers.
Slater chuckled. "It’s a cursed soup, sis. Take one sip, and you’ll be in heat for days. I still remember First Brother—" He nearly choked when Atlas shot him a glare.
"Heh..." Slater laughed nervously, shooting his brother a side-eye before turning back to Lola. "Just think of an aphrodisiac, but a hundred times stronger. A dangerous, merciless soup."
Lola tilted her head, her gaze drifting to Atlas.
So, he had that soup too? Don’t tell me the effect is still active?! Is that why he doesn’t go limp?!
Her lips pressed together, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she picked up her cutlery. She pushed the thought aside and enjoyed dinner. The twins and quadruplets ate with such enthusiasm it made her appetite grow, too.
"How cute."
*****
Atlas leaned against the doorjamb, watching Lola as she listened to Slater explain how to change the babies’ diapers.
"Sis, how could you—hah! You’re horrible!" Slater yelled. "It’s so easy! Why do you always mess it up? Look at Tian—he’s gonna catch a cold!"
Lola bit her lip. "I’m scared I might hurt them, alright?"
"Hurt? How?!"
"Goodness." She grumbled. "I’m trying here. Let’s do it again, okay?"
The twins and the quadruplets giggled, clearly entertained by her streak of failure.
"First, you lay the diaper under the bumbum..." Slater instructed, while Lola tried to focus.
How is he so good at this? He’s not even married or a father.
Shaking her head, she bent back to the task when Atlas’s face suddenly appeared at her side.
"You will not hurt them," he said, taking her hand to guide her. "Children, especially at this age, are flexible. Even if you toss them or hold them upside down, they’ll be fine."
Despite his words, his hand moved carefully.
"Focus," he added, snapping her back to attention. "Make sure it’s secure, but not too tight. Slip your finger to check."
When they finished, he looked at her. "Easy. But it’s easier if they’re using the slip-on kind."
Her eyes sparkled, lips parting in awe.
Wow. The great Atlas also knows how to change diapers. Is there anything this man doesn’t know?
"My first brother used to do this with Chacha and Second," Slater bragged, the twins nodding along. "He’s good, isn’t he? Wedding... when?"
Lola’s smile dropped instantly. "Just finish the other one."