“Mother, what is this? I can’t feel it.”
One true blue and one blind white eye stared at the little tank of water in which a spherical form floated. Kirra’s new pigtails bobbed as she bounced on her toes to get a closer look, a mystified edge to her lilting voice. But there was an unsureness too, a tiny teeny bit of fear. She had never in her young life encountered something null in the Force.
“It’s a ysalamiri egg, lunayi, replied her mother, reclined on the bed. Fela climbed on the backboard, impersonating a cat, and Ivoshar laid on the bed with her, licking the globe of her stretched stomach fondly, affectionate to the babe inside soon to be born. "They are a salamander species that can nullify the Force around them. Your father and I encountered them once before, but that is not yet a story for telling.”
“But I want to know!”
Atyiru smiled, her curls stuck to her face with sweat. “I know, little moon. You want to know everything.”
Downstairs, the front door to the apothecary creaked warmly open, as she had informed the hinges to do so, since they deserved to have their voices heard too. Only one pair of steps could be heard coming upstairs, but two bright shining lives entered.
“We got your snack, Mother,” Weyne said quietly, having spent several minutes organizing the bags at the grocer so that everything was symmetrical in weight. Behind him ghosted in his father, who bent to his his wife’s damp forehead.
“Thank you, my sweet baby. And how is it out there, my love? Is the world being very cranky?” This was addressed to her husband, and she beamed tiredly at Marick.
Marick’s brow furrowed faintly as he processed the question and paid more attention to Atyiru’s temperature. It seemed normal, which was good. Even if she was so intrinsically able to regulate her own body, she was still a living being and susceptible to things like bacteria, infections, and any other microscopic threats. She was always so busy watching out for others, someone had to watch out for her.
“The world turns as it always does,” Marick replied calmly. “Cranky as always.”
When he glanced over at Kirra, he saw the girl looking at him with practical stars in her eyes. He sighed. Atyiru had likely tipped her off to another story, and now she wanted to hear it.
“Which anecdote did she mention, little moon?” he asked his daughter.
Weyne, meanwhile, went about taking out the groceries and arranging them by size and shape order in their respective cabinets.
“About a ysa– why-sal…”
“Ysalamiri,” Atyiru provided, and then called to their son, “Weyne, sweetie, won’t you help mama run a bath? They are far too quick for me today. A cozy thirty seven degrees should do, no more or less.”
Weyne, given such an important task, was immediately to attendance, quietly affirming he could do it as he climbed down from the counter and onto the stool and then to the floor. Kirra, however, narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows.
“But Mother, you just took one earlier.”
“Yes, well, I rather feel like going for another swim!”
“If you want to swim, we can go to the pool!” The girl was rightly distracted, logicking her way through the problem. “We can go on the Voidbreaker. They even have the hot tub.”
“Remember, litlun, the Voidbreaker is still a warship, even if it has many, many lovely amenities and parties at their very nice pool. We can’t just call it up any time we please just for us.”
“Uncle Wyn says we can,” retorted Kirra, placing her hands on her hips. Atyiru laughed, breathily.
“And that is called nepotism, dear.”
“Your bath is running, Mother.” Weyne peeked back out from the refresher, having done exactly as asked while his big sister debated.
“Well then we had better go catch it. Kirra, do be my strong girl and bring that little tank too. The egg wants to swim with us. Marry, love, help me up?” Atyiru made grabby hands at her husband, smiling at him.
In his mind, she murmured, Oh, also. One detail, just a little one. My water broke earlier and my contractions are about two minutes apart so it shouldn’t be long now.
Marick just stared at Atyiru. And then stared some more. He knew she couldn’t see his eyes but she knew exactly what they were doing, and how they were fixated on her, and while his face would remain blank, his aura through the Force flared with worry, concern, and…an almost infinitesimal hint of panic?
“Weyne, please grab my medical bag from the closet,” Marick spoke gently to his son.
The boy with the dark hair like his used to be ringed with the light of his mother nodded seriously and padded off while Marick carefully lifted his wife up into a princess-carry and slowly walked her towards the bathroom.
I said I was sorry about working late. You did this intentionally, didn’t you.
Why my good sir, I would hardly, she replied in blithe thought, ears flicking and petite nose upturned.
TBC
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