381 Bustling House

"So... she really will be alright with this all then? It feels..."

I chuckled as I rubbed Camara's shoulder, my eldest giving me a worried look that I could only imagine mirrored the looks I gave Rhefia 'way back then' when we had just become parents, or the look that Sari occasionally still gives me when she asks about Aka.

"Yes~! Melia will be more than alright with this, my dearest daughter~! If you must know, this is multitudes better than what you had as a baby, and you turned out fine, no? It's warm, snug, and in a few days - when she gets a little bigger and is a bit~ more experienced with everything - she'll take to the crib quite well. Until then, she'll be residing in her parents arms each night~! Just... understand that you do need to be firm with her on some things, and learning to be on her own at night is one such thing..."

She pursed her lips and looked at the crib, making me chuckle once more as I added "I know you're thinking that she'll just end up in a bed with someone anyways, but that might not be the case... Besides, being accustomed to having some alone time would do her some good. If she thinks of her bed as a place of safety and comfort for herself, it makes things easier when she gets older to expand that space from just her bed, to her room. If she's always right on your side..."

Nodding, Camara let out a sigh as she pouted at me, the swaddled baby in her arms sleeping soundly despite our chat, evidence of how her body was already beginning to grow and become accustomed to this thing called life.

"I... It just feels... I dunno. Part of me wants to be by her side for as long as I possibly can no matter what, but I know you're right. Having that alone time when I was a child was nice; being away from everything and enjoying the silence... Still, I..."

Leaning over, I kissed her cheek and looked down at the baby with a small smile, admiring her smooth pale brown skin and the splotches of white that dotted her neck, the girls face free from any markings; much like her Dama, who was rather uniform with her skin tone compared to Camara, who had a few, with the most prominent being the small upside down heart beneath her eye that was so distinctive.

"Yes, I know you want nothing more than to give her all the love you possibly can, but let me just say this... You'll begin to crave moments of peace as well, just like Melia eventually will. And if your worry is that she'll... 'lose' that warmth from her parents or lose it for you, then don't worry~! No one would stop loving you~!"

Pinching Camara's cheek, I gave her a smile and looked towards Aethisia, who was quietly watching from the bed, her own eyes filled with mild worry as she looked between her mate and I, likely thinking the same thing as Camara.

"Don't worry you two~! You'll make wonderful parents, I just know it!"

Aethisia nodded, letting out a sigh as she looked around her room and took in the changes, idly saying "Things have already changed so much, y'know? We all used to live in a house just a tad bigger than this room, and now..."

"Now we have a large plot of land, access to a calm river, and living just outside of civilization~! Things have changed a bit, but that just makes me excited~! So many new things to do, new people to see..."

Making my way to the door with a hum, I just smirked at Aethisia as she asked "Did you want to meet new people, or 'meet' new people, Mother?"

"Both~! Now, come upstairs and enjoy some of the fresh air! The days are only getting warmer now, and we should make every second of Spring before it gives way to Summer... which I hope isn't as dreadful as Rhefia made it out to be..?"

I tapped a finger to my lips and shrugged, that story of this worlds seasons still tugging at my heartstrings and reminding me just how brutal this world could be, to both mortals and to the Goddesses.

Leaving my two daughters behind to chat amongst themselves for a few minutes, I made my way upstairs and outside, taking a seat on the deck and accepting a cup from Kalia as she walked out with me.

"So we're not heading back into the city today, Mama?"

Hearing the mixed emotions in her voice, I smiled at my pink haired daughter and asked "Do you want to take a trip back into the city, Kalia? Or do you just want to wait until next week? We have a few days of rest before this 'cycle' that we created starts over again. There were a few projects that I wanted to get done, but... if you want to go, I'm more~ then happy to go with you, y'know?"

I rubbed the back of her hand and stared into her eyes for a few seconds more, the Dark Elf thinking for a moment before shaking her head, saying "I... not today. I still want to think on it some more, I guess..."

"That's fine. This is a rather important thing to think about, isn't it? Whether or not to continue seeing this woman outside of our family, wondering if you can trust her or not?"

Kalia nodded at that, reluctance in her eyes as she said "Yes... Not knowing if I can trust her is the worst feeling I've felt in a long time. It... hurts to doubt her, but at the same time... maybe I should? I don't really know her, after all."

I let out a hum of acknowledgement as I sipped on the tea she gave me, turning back to watch as Aka chased after Ipoala and Ehretia, the black furred kit baring her 'fangs' and hissing at them as she adamantly pursued them both, her crimson eyes narrowed as she focused on her prey.

Aethisia and Camara joined us a minute later, taking a seat at the table and enjoying the still cool air of Spring as we sat on the deck, the entire family relaxing after a strenuous night.