The baby had finally settled into Rodrick’s arms, her little eyes half-shut as she drifted toward sleep. Rodrick rocked her gently, humming something soft and off-key, desperate not to break the fragile peace.

But peace never lasted long in the Heffley house.

“Rodrick!” Manny marched into the living room, clutching a toy truck. “Play with me now!”

Rodrick sighed, keeping his voice calm. “Not right now, dude. She just fell asleep.”

Manny stomped his foot. “No. I want you now.”

Rodrick tightened his hold on the baby, speaking through his teeth. “Manny, she’s finally quiet. If you wake her up, we’re all doomed. Go play with Greg.”

Greg, sprawled on the couch with a video game controller, held up his hands. “No way. He’s your problem.”

That set Manny off. He started banging his truck on the floor. Clang. Clang. Clang.

The baby stirred, her tiny face scrunching. Rodrick froze. “Manny—stop.”

But Manny only hit the floor harder, louder. “I want Rodrick! I want Rodrick!”

The baby let out a sharp cry. Rodrick’s jaw clenched. He bounced her quickly, whispering, “Shhh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” trying to soothe her, but her wails grew louder.

And then something in him snapped.

“MANNY!” Rodrick barked, his voice booming louder than he meant it to. “KNOCK IT OFF!”

The toy truck dropped to the floor with a thud. Manny froze, wide-eyed, staring at his older brother. Greg sat up too, eyebrows raised—he’d never seen Rodrick yell like that, not with that much edge in his voice.

The baby cried harder against his chest, and Rodrick shut his eyes for a moment, guilt flashing across his face. He shifted her in his arms, rocking her fast, his voice dropping to a desperate whisper. “Shhh, baby girl, Daddy’s sorry. You’re okay.”

Manny’s lip trembled. “Y-you yelled at me.”

Rodrick looked over at him, exhausted and frustrated. “Because you don’t get it, Manny! She’s not like you—she can’t just wait. She needs me right now. I’m tired, I’m doing my best, and you’re making it harder!”

The words hung heavy in the air. Manny’s eyes welled up, and for a second Rodrick thought he was about to cry. Greg shifted uncomfortably, mumbling, “Yikes…”

Rodrick took a shaky breath, lowering his voice. He walked toward Manny, still rocking the baby, who was starting to calm down again. “Look… I didn’t mean to scare you, alright? But you gotta understand. She’s just a baby. She needs me every second. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. But you can wait—she can’t.”

Manny sniffled, wiping his face with his sleeve. “…Promise you’ll play with me later?”

Rodrick’s shoulders slumped. He nodded. “Yeah, dude. I promise. Just… help me out, okay? Be quiet when she’s sleeping.”

Manny nodded, finally picking up his truck and shuffling away.

Greg watched the whole thing, wide-eyed. “Man… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you actually… care that much.”

Rodrick sank onto the couch, holding the baby close to his chest as her cries finally softened into hiccups. He glared at Greg, but his voice was tired, not sharp. “Yeah, well… you’d understand if you were holding your whole world in your arms.”

Greg blinked at that, caught off guard by the weight in Rodrick’s words. He didn’t even have a comeback.