46 | ☕ Baby Shower Olympics ☕ #2
Atlas immediately went into action. His fingers were quick and deft, working with the efficiency of a trained surgeon.
He slid the doll's old diaper off without hesitation, carefully disposed of it, and in one smooth motion, placed the new diaper on with military precision.
His focus was absolute—every corner was tucked, every strap aligned, and the doll looked like it was ready for a 5-star day-care.
Meanwhile, Anya was struggling, already bent over with laughter. She stood over her doll, staring at its tiny limbs and giggling so hard that she could barely see straight.
"I swear, this thing has more limbs than I remember!"
she said, trying to shove the doll's tiny arms through the sleeve of its onesie, which seemed to be made of the most stubborn fabric known to mankind.
She tugged, twisted, and at one point even tried to force the leg through the armhole, all while chuckling like she was about to burst into hysterics.
Her efforts only seemed to make things worse.
She fumbled with the diaper, trying to get it on in a way that made sense—but the doll's legs were going in the wrong places, and the diaper kept slipping off in her frantic attempts.
At one point, she somehow managed to flip the diaper inside out and didn't even notice, too focused on finishing before the timer ran out.
"Ten seconds left!" Kaia shouted, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
Anya let out an exaggerated, desperate gasp and pushed herself harder, trying to finish, but her hands seemed to have betrayed her.
The doll's legs were all over the place, and the onesie was twisted in such a way that it looked like it belonged on a circus clown.
The diaper, which was now inside out and barely on, seemed to be held together with sheer willpower.
Finally, the buzzer sounded, and Anya slammed the doll down on the table, letting out a dramatic sigh of relief.
Kaia casually strolled over, her arms crossed, inspecting the results. She raised an eyebrow, first looking at Atlas's perfect diaper job, then turning to Anya's... masterpiece.
Atlas's doll looked like it had just been changed by a professional. The diaper was snug, the corners sharp, and the little tabs were pulled just right. It was like a baby fashion show had just taken place on his side of the table.
Anya's doll, on the other hand, had a diaper that was completely inside out, one leg sticking through a hole in the back, and the onesie looked like it had been put on by a windstorm. It looked like the doll had gone on a wild adventure rather than been dressed for the day.
Kaia smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Point to Atlas!" she said with an air of finality, clearly savouring every second.
Anya grumbled, collapsing on the table and flinging her hands up. "In my defence, actual infants move!" she screamed, clearly beaten.
Atlas leaned forward, his demeanour mocking but with a playful gleam in his eyes. He moved a strand of hair off Anya's face, his fingertips caressing her cheek, and signed, "You'll never defeat me in a competition."
Anya, looking up at him with mock annoyance, rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the grin that tugged at her lips. "Oh, we'll see about that," she said, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms in mock defiance.
She poked him in the ribs teasingly, her laughter bubbling up once again. "Watch me."
Atlas raised an eyebrow, his cheeky smirk remaining. "This is war, Anya."
Anya's eyes twinkled with mischief. She could feel the heat of competitiveness burning within her. "Come on, Atlas. The next challenge? You will not know what struck you."
The rivalry was back on, and Kaia couldn't help but chuckle at the banter between them, loving every second of the chaos she'd stirred up. She was absolutely going to enjoy the next round.
***
Kaia's grin grew wider as she clapped her hands, signalling the start of the next challenge. She was thoroughly enjoying this.
"Alright, you two," she announced, her voice practically vibrating with mischief. "Next up is the one-handed bottle assembly challenge. You each have to put together a baby bottle with one hand—just one hand—while holding your baby doll with the other."
Anya blinked, looking skeptical. "That... sounds impossible."
Atlas, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed at all. His gaze was already locked on the bottle components laid out in front of him, his mind clearly calculating the task like a seasoned pro. He adjusted the doll in his other arm, as if preparing for a fight.
Kaia handed them each a baby doll, and then placed the scattered components of a bottle—nipple, cap, ring, and bottle—on the table in front of them. The pieces looked like they were waiting for a show.
"Ready, set, GO!" Kaia shouted.
Atlas wasted no time. His left hand moved with practiced ease, grabbing the bottle first, sliding the nipple in, twisting the cap on, and double-checking the seal—all while his right arm cradled the baby doll against his chest like it was second nature.
His movements were fluid, like he'd done this a thousand times, as if holding a baby and assembling a bottle with one hand was just a casual Tuesday.
Anya, on the other hand, appeared perplexed. She held the doll awkwardly in her left arm, her right hand holding the bottle's pieces with confusion and resolve. She struggled with the cap and dropped it with a gentle clink. Her eyes widened, and she picked it up again only to drop the ring.
She chuckled nervously, her concentration plastered all over her face. "I think this doll is mocking me," she muttered under her breath, her eyes glued to the pieces that refused to come together.
Atlas glanced over at her, the corner of his mouth twitching upward as he watched her struggle to twist the nipple into the bottle with one hand.
Her face flushed with frustration, but he couldn't help but find it endearing in its own chaotic way.
He finished his bottle in less than ten seconds, looking over just in time to catch the sight of Anya dropping the nipple for the third time.
"Ten seconds left!" Kaia's voice rang out, playful but with a challenge in her tone.
Anya's eyes widened at the timer, panic setting in. With a breathless huff, she jammed the nipple into the bottle and twisted the cap on as fast as she could with her free hand, her fingers slipping as she fought to get it on straight.
The buzzer rang just as she gave up on being neat and just tried to get it done.
Kaia immediately moved in to inspect the bottles.
Atlas's bottle was a masterpiece—everything in place, sealed tight, and looking like it had just come off a baby supply store shelf. The nipple was perfectly aligned, the cap was tight, and the bottle was ready for use.
Anya's bottle? Well... the nipple was crooked, the cap was slightly off, and the bottle was more of a puzzle than a practical item at this point. She hadn't even managed to get it fully sealed. It was an abstract art piece at best.
Kaia raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. "Point to Atlas, again."
Anya threw her hands up in dramatic defeat, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "This is rigged! The baby doesn't even help!"
Atlas chuckled, carefully placing his bottle down and raising his hands in mock surrender. "It's all about technique, babe." He shot her a teasing grin, one eyebrow arched as if to say, "You should have known better."
Anya sighed again, but this time it was playful rather than frustrated. "Well, I guess I'll just have to keep working on my one-handed baby bottle talents." She looked down at the doll in her arms, who was "giggling" at her failed attempt, and winked. "You have my back, right?"
The doll didn't respond, but it did appear unimpressed with her efforts, which made Anya snicker.
Atlas laughed and rubbed her shoulder gently in faux compassion. "Don't worry; I'm confident you'll catch up. "You are only warming up."
Kaia clapped her fists, clearly excited to advance to the next round. "Alright, the next challenge is up next!" she exclaimed, her voice already filled with eagerness for the havoc that would follow.
Anya sighed in good-natured submission while giving Atlas a wink. "We'll see who's laughing when I win the next one," she mumbled, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she looked over to the table where Kaia was preparing the next challenge.
Atlas raised his brow, amused. "We shall see, Anya. "We'll see."
***
Kaia clapped her hands, her eyes bright with mischief. "Okay, people, time for the next challenge: 'How Fast Can You Calm A Screaming Baby?'"
Atlas raised an eyebrow, his look calm and composed.
While he couldn't speak, his confidence was evident in his keen, focused eyes.
He'd watched enough parenting vlogs, read a few too many articles on baby care, and had even practiced on some of his younger cousins.
He was ready for this—at least, he thought so.
Anya, on the other hand, was barely holding in her laughter. "This is gonna be a disaster," she muttered to herself, eyeing the high-pitched toys Kaia had brought out for the challenge. "I'm so doomed."
Kaia, as if on cue, switched on two toy babies, each emitting shrill, high-pitched wails that could shatter glass. She handed one to Atlas and the other to Anya, before stepping back to watch the chaos unfold.
The second the babies started crying, Atlas was already in motion.
His body language exuded calm, and though he couldn't speak, his hands were sure and steady as he cradled the doll in his arms.
His fingers swiftly set to work, wrapping the baby in a swaddling blanket with fluid and precise movements.
After fastening the infant, he began gently rocking it, his gaze softening as he hummed a peaceful tune—one he remembered from childhood, a melody that also soothed him.
However, Anya was in full panic mode. Her baby wailed even more, and she fumbled with the swaddle blanket as if it were her first experience with fabric.