Ba-dump, Ba-dump, Ba-dump….
“Can you hear it? His heart, it’s beating faster… Haha,” the woman murmured, her voice soft and melodic as she pressed her ear gently against her child’s chest. Her smile was pure and filled with unfiltered joy as she listened to the rhythmic thump of the infant’s heartbeat.
The handsome man beside her couldn’t help but smile as well. He wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace, his gaze tender as he asked, “What should we name our child?”
The woman looked down at her baby, her thoughtful expression melting into one of radiant love as she observed the tiny, smiling face that had already captured her heart, “What about… Aether?” she suggested, her fingers gently caressing the baby’s cheek.
“Aether?” The man raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the choice.
“Yes… It’s like ever since he was born, he’s always had this bright, unwavering smile,” she explained, playfully pinching the child’s lips. The baby trembled at her touch before bursting into soft giggles, his laughter a sound so sweet it filled the room with light.
“See… Haha…” The woman chuckled, her eyes sparkling with joy as she continued, “His smile is like our brightness, our little light… And I’m sure he’ll reach the heights we could never imagine, even as actors.”
The man’s face softened, pride swelling in his chest as he nodded in agreement, “Yes, our son will reach the sky, touching heights no one has ever dreamed of.”
“Aether,” the man echoed warmly, his voice filled with affection. “My dear child, Aether… Your father loves you more than your mother!” he added, puffing out his chest with a playful grin.
“Hah! I love him more, you bastard!” the woman shot back, her expression turning mock-serious. The man’s smile wavered, replaced by a comically pitiful look as he feigned hurt.
“So you don’t love me anymore?” he asked, his eyes pleading as if she’d wounded him deeply.
The woman’s lips twitched, struggling to maintain her composure against his exaggerated display, “Don’t think your acting will work on me,” she said, shaking her head.
“Really?” He turned the act up a notch, his face growing even more pitiful.
She sighed, knowing he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted. “Fine, fine… I love you both!” she finally relented, laughing as she wrapped her arms around both her husband and her child.
“He..heh…” The baby’s soft giggles only added to the warmth of the moment, causing the couple to laugh along with him.
Until….
….
“I’m sorry to say this, but your son… he most likely has Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA),” the doctor said gently, her eyes heavy with the weight of the news she was delivering.
The man’s smile faltered, a frown creasing his brow. “W-What do you mean?” he asked, his voice tinged with fear and confusion.
The doctor sighed softly, carefully choosing her words, “Pseudobulbar Affect, or PBA, is a condition often associated with brain injuries, strokes, or neurological diseases.
It causes sudden, uncontrollable episodes of crying or laughing that don’t necessarily reflect the person’s actual feelings.”
To demonstrate, she pinched the baby’s cheeks—harder than usual. Instead of crying out in pain like any other child, the baby started laughing, even as tears streamed down his face.
“See…” the doctor said, her voice gentle as she tried to calm the child. The baby continued to laugh… both parent’s eyes widened in shock.
The man’s gaze flickered between his wife, his child, and the doctor, his heart sinking with every passing second. “But… he was just laughing… it was so sweet, and we don’t have any history of this in our family,” he murmured, struggling to comprehend the gravity of the situation.
The doctor offered a sympathetic smile. “I understand how confusing this must be. PBA is extremely rare, especially in newborns…. It’s not hereditary, but a random occurrence. It’s like one in a billion that a child would even be born with a neurological issue like this.”
Hearing those words, both parents felt a heavy weight pressing down on them. The man’s voice trembled with hope and fear as he asked, “I-Is it treatable?”
The doctor nodded, “Yes, it is treatable, but since he was born with PBA… we’ll need to run some trials to determine the best course of action.”
Both parents bit their lips, their hearts heavy as they looked at their smiling child, who seemed blissfully unaware of the challenges ahead.
The doctor continued softly, “It can be difficult to distinguish between genuine emotions and those triggered by the condition. But it’s important to remember that this doesn’t change who your son is. He’ll still need your love, your understanding, and your support.” Discover stories with empire
The woman nodded slowly, tears welling up in her eyes. But she forced a smile for her child, who looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes, completely unaware of the burden that had just been placed on his tiny shoulders, “We’ll do whatever it takes,” she whispered, her voice trembling with determination. “We’ll learn, we’ll help him… we’ll be there for him.”
The man reached out, placing a comforting hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Yes,” he agreed, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his heart, “We’ll face this together. As a family.”
…
….
“Ma..ma…” A small voice, barely more than a whisper, came from a black-haired child, no older than one year, as he crawled determinedly toward two figures standing a little distance away.
“Yes, yes… Come, dear! Come to Mama!!” The woman beamed with joy, clapping her hands excitedly as she watched her child inching closer to her, his tiny arms and legs working tirelessly.
“No, no, my dear son! Come to me… Come to your Papa!” the man called out, his voice laced with playful desperation as he felt his wife’s victory nearing. He clapped his hands a little louder, trying to lure his son away. “Come to Papa~ I’ll buy you everything~”
The child paused, his wide eyes darting between his mother and father….. After a moment of contemplation, he resumed his crawl—towards his mother!
“Yay!!!” The mother exclaimed in triumph, scooping up her son and holding him close as she struck a victorious pose, “Told you~ My son loves me more than you!!” she teased, her smirk filled with playful satisfaction.
The father’s face contorted in mock irritation as he glared at his son, “I won’t buy you anything! HMPH!” he huffed, crossing his arms and turning away with exaggerated indignation.
“Hahaha…” The woman laughed, amused by her husband’s childish behaviour. But then, a tiny voice interrupted their banter.
“Dada…”
The father’s head snapped back around, his eyes widening in surprise. The child was wriggling out of his mother’s embrace, trying to reach his father. With a triumphant smirk, the father quickly swept his son up into his arms, “Told you~ My son loves me more than you~” he declared, his tone dripping with pride.
The mother’s lips twitched as she tried to suppress her amusement, but the joy on her face was undeniable. She watched her husband and son, her heart swelling with happiness at the sight of their little family.
“Hiss…” Suddenly, the child let out a hissing sound as his eyes locked onto his favourite toy lying on the ground—a plush snake.
The father chuckled, shaking his head, “Looks like he’s started to call his snake toy ‘Hiss’… the sound of Snake.. ahah..” he mused, amused by the child’s behaviour. He gently placed the boy back on the ground, watching as the little one eagerly crawled toward the snake, all the while making hissing noises.
“Hahah…” Both parents burst into laughter, unable to contain their joy as they watched their son’s antics. The mother leaned into her husband’s embrace, her eyes never leaving their child.
“I hope the treatment will cure him soon,” she murmured, her voice tinged with both hope and concern.
The father’s expression turned serious, his grip on her tightening protectively. “Don’t worry. I’ll do everything in my power to cure our son,” he promised, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “It’s not like we’re struggling with money… We’re the top actors in the entertainment industry, so we won’t lose anything here.”
The mother nodded, her heart warming at his reassurance. “Yes, as long as we cure our son… That’s all that matters,” she agreed, her gaze meeting his before she leaned in to kiss him softly.
The father grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What? Already planning for another child?” he teased, winking at her.
The mother blushed slightly, but before she could respond, a strange, unsettling sound reached their ears.
“Hehe…Hehehe…Maa..Hehehe..Mama…Hehehe”
The eerie laughter shattered the tender moment, and both parents snapped their attention back to their son. The boy had hit his nose on the ground while crawling, causing it to bleed.
He was crying (laughing) uncontrollably, even as tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Get the doctor immediately!” the mother shouted, her voice filled with panic as she rushed to her son, cradling him gently while she wiped the blood from his nose, tilting his head to prevent the blood from clotting.
“I’ve contacted him. He’ll be here in a few minutes,” the father said, his voice tense as he tried to comfort his son, who continued to cry (Laugh) through his pain.
“I contacted him, he will be in a few minutes” The Father as he held trying to calm his crying(Laughing).
Though the sight of their child laughing, while injured, felt profoundly wrong, the parents held fast to their resolve.
This was their son, and they would see him through this, no matter how strange or difficult it became.
…
….
Yet,
“Ewww… Why are you always laughing? That’s creepy and disgusting!!”