Mom Ate a Baby!

"Max, there's a baby in my tummy!" Mom said with a big smile. Dad was smiling too. "Isn't that exciting, Maxy?" Max stared at Mom's tummy. Then at Mom. Then at her tummy again. Max grabbed Mr Bear and ran straight to his room. Mom... ATE a BABY! "This is bad, Mr Bear," he whispered. "This is VERY bad." At dinner, Mom dipped a pickle in ice cream. Then she put jam on her cheese. Then she ate THREE bowls of cereal. In a row. CRUNCH. SLURP. MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH. Max watched from across the table with his eyes wide. "I can't help it!" Mom laughed. "I'm eating for two!" Max slid under the table. "She ate a baby and she's STILL hungry, Mr Bear!" he whispered. Mr Bear said nothing. But he looked worried. The next day, Mom fell asleep on the couch. In the middle of the AFTERNOON. With a biscuit still in her hand. Her tummy was definitely getting bigger. Max tiptoed over. He leaned in close. "Hello?" he whispered to Mom's tummy. "Are you okay in there?" THUMP. Something moved. Something INSIDE HIS MOM moved. Max jumped back. "IT'S ALIVE!" Mom woke up. "Of course it is, silly!" she laughed. Max grabbed Mr Bear and stumbled out the back door. "We need to DO something, Mr Bear." Mr Bear agreed. The next day, Mom's friend came over with her new baby. "Oh she's SO beautiful!" said Mom. "Can I hold her?" She reached out her arms toward the baby. Max's eyes went wide. Oh no. Oh no no no no no. "NOOOOO!" Max shouted. He threw himself in front of the baby like a superhero. "YOU CAN'T EAT THIS ONE TOO!" The room went very quiet. Mom blinked. Dad blinked. Mom's friend held her baby a little tighter. "...What did he just say?" Mom knelt down and took Max's hands. "Sweetheart... I didn't EAT a baby." "Then WHY is it in your tummy?!" Dad knelt down too. "The baby is GROWING in Mom's tummy, buddy. Like a seed grows into a flower. Mom's tummy is keeping it safe and warm until it's ready to come out." "So... you DIDN'T eat it?" "I did NOT eat it." Max looked at Mom's tummy. Then at Mom. Then at Mr Bear. "Oops," he whispered. Mom laughed. Dad laughed. Even Mom's friend laughed. Max gave Mom's tummy a very gentle hug. "Sorry baby," he whispered. "I thought you were dinner." Everyone laughed again. Then Max looked up. "Okay... but where DO babies come from?" Mom and Dad stopped laughing. THE END.