The Black Box was no longer the silent, sterile fortress of a few months ago. It had been transformed into a high-security obstacle course. The expensive Persian rugs in the grand hall had been covered with custom-ordered, non-slip foam mats, and every sharp corner of the Italian marble furniture was now padded with thick, unsightly rubber—much to Keifer's aesthetic annoyance and Jay's maternal satisfaction.
At six months old, Astraea Solene had become the undisputed commander of the household. She didn't talk yet, and she barely made a sound other than an occasional, sharp "Gah!" when she was displeased, but her eyes—those "Savage" Mariano eyes—were always calculating.
The Great Living Room Stakeout
The entire "Chaotic Crew" was gathered, sitting in a wide circle on the floor. Keifer had cleared his entire afternoon of board meetings, and Section E was on "Observation Duty."
"She's been rocking on her hands and knees for three days," Ci n whispered, adjusting his glasses. As her doctor, he was treating this like a major medical breakthrough. "The muscle tone is there. The coordination is peaking. Today is the day."
"I've set up the high-speed cameras," Erdix murmured, tapping his tablet. Rory stood behind him, holding a tiny finish-line ribbon made of silk.
Jay sat at the center of the circle, leaning back on her elbows. She looked radiant, her strength fully returned. "Alright, everyone, shut up. You're over-stimulating her. Aries, move that giant crystal; the glare is hitting her eyes."
"It's an 'Ambition' stone, Jay!" Aries (Horoscope) protested, but he quickly moved the rock under Percy's (Blue Eyes) seat.
POV: Keifer (Mark Keifer Watson)
I was crouching about five feet away from my daughter. I felt more adrenaline in my system right now than I did during a high-stakes hostile takeover.
"Come on, Princess," I coaxed, holding up a plush black panther—the "Watson Guardian." "Move for Daddy."
Alexander was lying flat on his stomach next to me, whispering encouragement. "Astra, it's easy! Just move your knees like a ninja! Like this!" He demonstrated a crawl that looked more like a military low-crawl.
Astraea sat on her haunches, her brow furrowed. She looked at the panther. She looked at Alexander. Then, her gaze shifted to the side. She wasn't interested in the toy.
The Chaos of the First Move
Astraea shifted. Her tiny, chubby hands planted firmly on the mat. Her right knee tucked under. Then the left. She rocked back and forth, her little face turning pink with the effort.
"Oohh!" the entire room gasped in a synchronized wave of suspense. Keigan and Keiran clutched each other's shoulders, holding their breath.
"Steady, Astra," Kuya Angelo said from his armchair, leaning so far forward he was nearly out of it.
Astraea let out a sharp, frustrated huff. She didn't look at me. She didn't look at the panther. Suddenly, she lunged forward
Slap. Slap. Slap. Her tiny palms hit the foam mat with a rhythmic, determined sound. She wasn't just wobbling; she was moving with intent.
"SHE'S CRAWLING!" Keiran yelled, unable to contain himself.
"SHH! YOU'LL MAKE HER STOP!" Ma (Jeena) hissed, swatting at his arm while Pa Pa (Jasper) beamed with pride.
Astraea bypassed me entirely. She crawled straight past the panther. She ignored Percy's distracting blue eyes and Aries' crystal. She was heading for the edge of the mat where Jay's medical bag was sitting.
The "Savage" Victory
She didn't stop until she reached the bag. She grabbed the metal stethoscope dangling from the side, pulled it toward her, and immediately tried to shove the chest piece into her mouth with a triumphant, bubbly "Gah!"
The room erupted into absolute chaos.
"A SURGEON!" Jay screamed, throwing her hands up and laughing. "I told you, Keifer! She didn't want your panther! She wanted the medical gear! That's my girl!"
"She covered five feet in record time," Erdix announced, checking his stopwatch. "High-velocity mobility confirmed."
"I'm so proud!" Keiran sobbed, wiping his eyes. "Our little ninja is a medic!"
Alexander cheered, doing a victory lap around the room. "Now we can go on missions! I'll get hurt, and Astra will fix me!"
Ci n was snapping photos like a madman. "Look at that grip! That's the grip of a woman who can handle a scalpel! Keifer, face it, the empire is going to have to find a new CEO, because this one is heading for the OR."
POV: Jay (Jasper Jean Mariano)
I crawled over and scooped my daughter up, stethoscope and all. I looked at Keifer, who was still sitting on the floor, looking slightly stunned that he had been ignored for a piece of medical equipment.
"Better luck next time, hubby," I teased, kissing Astraea's soft cheek. "Looks like she takes after her Mumma more than she lets on."
Keifer stood up, a proud, arrogant smirk finally spreading across his face. He wrapped his arms around both of us, pulling us into his chest. "As long as she's as stubborn and fierce as you, wifey, she can be whatever she wants. But I'm still buying her a miniature hospital... and a fleet of security helicopters to get her there."
"You're impossible," I laughed.
The evening ended with Mayo and Kit bringing out a "First Crawl" ice cream cake, and the family arguing over who would be the first to "race" her across the floor tomorrow. As the sun set on the Black Box, the house felt lighter than it ever had. The war of the 9th month was a ghost of the past; the future was crawling right toward us.
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