[Azure Sky World - Redwood City - Chen Family Home]
[Six Months After Birth]
"Mama."
Lin Mei froze, the wooden spoon slipping from her fingers and clattering onto the kitchen floor.
She turned slowly, staring at the baby sitting in his basket by the window. Her son. Six months old. Looking up at her with bright, curious eyes.
"Did you just—" she started, hardly daring to believe it.
"Mama," the baby repeated, reaching chubby arms toward her.
Lin Mei's hands flew to her mouth. "CHEN WEI! CHEN WEI, GET IN HERE!"
Her husband came running from the back room, nearly tripping over himself. "What? What's wrong? Is the baby—"
"He talked!" Lin Mei grabbed her husband's arm, shaking him. "Our son just said 'mama'!"
Chen Wei blinked. "He... babies don't talk at six months."
"Mama!" the baby said again, as if to prove the point.
Chen Wei stumbled backward into a chair. "That's... that's not normal."
