Alexandra Grant kissed her husband, Keanu Reeves, goodbye at the crack of dawn, her suitcase already by the door. “You got this, right?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with a mix of trust and amusement. She was off to New York for a two-day art gallery event, leaving Keanu in charge of their one-year-old daughter, Lily. Keanu, in his faded black tee and messy morning hair, gave a confident nod. “Piece of cake,” he said, cradling Lily, who was blissfully unaware of the storm about to hit. Alexandra smirked, knowing full well that Keanu’s experience with babies was mostly theoretical. “Call if you need me,” she said, and with that, she was gone.

The first hour was serene. Lily babbled happily in her high chair, smearing oatmeal on her face while Keanu sipped coffee, feeling like a pro. He even snapped a selfie with her, captioning it “Dad Mode: Activated” and sent it to Alexandra. But then, as if Lily sensed the absence of her mom, the chaos began.

It started with the diaper. Keanu noticed a faint whiff and realized it was time for a change. He laid Lily on the changing table, armed with wipes, a fresh diaper, and sheer determination. “Okay, kiddo, let’s do this,” he muttered, channeling his John Wick focus. But Lily had other plans. She squirmed, kicked, and let out a giggle that turned into a wail. Keanu fumbled with the diaper tabs, only to discover he’d put it on backward. Then came the explosion—a diaper blowout of epic proportions. Poop was everywhere: on Lily, on the table, on Keanu’s shirt. He froze, staring at the mess like it was a bomb he had to defuse. “Whoa,” he whispered, his Matrix instincts useless here.

Panicking, Keanu grabbed his phone and FaceTimed the first person he could think of: Sandra Bullock. They’d been friends since Speed, and Sandra was a mom—she’d know what to do. The call connected, and Sandra’s face appeared, her hair in a messy bun, clearly in the middle of her own morning chaos. “Keanu? What’s wrong?” she asked, squinting at the screen. Keanu angled the phone to show the disaster zone. “Sandra, it’s a code red. Diaper apocalypse. Help.”

Sandra burst out laughing, nearly dropping her coffee. “Oh, Keanu, you’re in the trenches now! Okay, calm down. Grab the wipes—more wipes than you think you need. Clean her bottom first, then the legs. Don’t skimp on the diaper cream.” Keanu followed her instructions like a soldier, muttering “Wipes, cream, got it,” while Lily continued her protest. Sandra stayed on the line, coaching him through the cleanup. “You’re doing great, Reeves. This is your Oscar-worthy performance.” By the time Lily was clean and in a fresh diaper, Keanu was sweating but victorious. “Thanks, Sandy. I owe you one,” he said. Sandra winked. “Just don’t name your next kid after me.”

The diaper crisis was just the beginning. Next came feeding time. Keanu figured he’d heat up some pureed sweet potatoes—how hard could it be? He popped the jar in the microwave, but in his distraction (Lily was banging a spoon like a tiny drummer), he overheated it. When he tested the puree, it burned his finger. “Nope, not happening,” he said, tossing it and rummaging through the fridge for something else. He found a jar of peas, which Lily promptly rejected by spitting them across the kitchen. A glob landed on Keanu’s forehead, and Lily clapped, delighted. Keanu couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re tough, kid,” he said, wiping his face.

Desperate, he called Sandra again. “She won’t eat the peas. What do I do?” Sandra, now in her car, chuckled. “Try mixing in some applesauce. Kids love sweet stuff. And distract her with a toy.” Keanu followed the advice, dangling a rattling giraffe while sneaking spoonfuls of the pea-applesauce mix into Lily’s mouth. It worked—mostly. Half the food ended up on her bib, but Keanu called it a win.

By noon, Keanu was exhausted, and Lily was nowhere near naptime. He tried rocking her, singing a lullaby (a shaky rendition of a Johnny Mnemonic-inspired tune), and even reading from a script he had lying around, hoping his voice would soothe her. Nothing worked. Lily was wide awake, crawling around the living room, pulling books off shelves and scattering toys like a tiny tornado. Keanu trailed behind, picking up the mess, wondering how Alexandra made this look so easy.

In a moment of desperation, he strapped Lily into her stroller and took her for a walk around their quiet Los Angeles neighborhood. The fresh air helped—Lily calmed down, fascinated by a passing squirrel, and Keanu felt a flicker of hope. But then, disaster struck again. A bird swooped low, startling Lily, who dropped her favorite pacifier into a muddy puddle. Her wails echoed down the street, and Keanu, without thinking, dove to retrieve it, only to slip and land on his back in the grass. Neighbors peeked out their windows, probably wondering why Neo was sprawled on the ground with a screaming baby.

Back home, Keanu was ready to wave the white flag. He texted Alexandra: Day 1, and I’m losing. How do you do this? She replied with a heart emoji and: You’re doing better than you think. Call Sandra if you’re stuck. Keanu groaned—Sandra was probably sick of him by now. But he dialed her again, this time for moral support. “Sandy, I’m not cut out for this. Lily’s winning, and I’m a mess,” he admitted. Sandra’s voice was warm. “Keanu, every parent feels like that sometimes. You’re showing up for her. That’s what matters. Now, put on some music and dance with her. She’ll love it.”

Keanu took the advice, queuing up a mellow playlist and scooping Lily into his arms. He swayed around the living room, humming along, and Lily’s cries turned to giggles. For the first time all day, Keanu felt like he was getting the hang of it. They danced until Lily’s eyelids drooped, and he gently laid her in her crib for a nap. He collapsed on the couch, staring at the ceiling, marveling at how one tiny human could turn his world upside down.

The rest of the day wasn’t smooth sailing—there was a spilled juice incident and a brief scare when Lily tried to eat a crayon—but Keanu survived. By evening, he’d managed to bathe her (with only minor flooding) and get her into pajamas. As he read her a bedtime story, Lily snuggled against him, and Keanu felt a warmth he couldn’t quite describe. Maybe he wasn’t a natural, but he was her dad, and that was enough.

When Alexandra called to check in, Keanu recounted the day’s chaos, from the diaper disaster to the pacifier puddle dive. She laughed so hard she had to put the phone down. “You’re my hero,” she said, and Keanu could hear the love in her voice. “Lily’s lucky to have you.” Keanu smiled, glancing at the sleeping baby monitor. “I’m the lucky one.”

As he hung up, Keanu realized something: parenting was messier, harder, and wilder than any movie role he’d ever played. But it was also the most rewarding. He texted Sandra one last time: Survived Day 1. Thanks for the backup. She replied with a thumbs-up and: Told you you’d nail it.

When Alexandra returned the next day, she found Keanu and Lily on the living room floor, surrounded by toys, both covered in mashed banana. Keanu looked up, grinning. “We had an adventure,” he said. Alexandra kissed his forehead, then Lily’s. “Looks like you both survived.”

And in that moment, Keanu knew he’d take on a thousand diaper apocalypses for his little girl—and maybe call Sandra a few more times along the way.