A New Morning

It's too bright. Again, with the curtains. Taiyang Xiao Long. Damn this man. I couldn't stand it with Summer—what makes him think he's any different? I'm starting to miss the candlelight from the cabin I grew up in. However...

The gentle tug on my arm dreams for my affection, though the bare leg over my waist thinks it can simply take it. How does he sleep like this? I look down at my daughter and watch her drift back to sleep after being momentarily woken by Tai's incessant leg flopping. At least she can sleep through his morning yawns.

"How're my two angels today?" Tai says, now kneeling over both of us on the bed. I told him to stop calling me that, it's weird. I even suggested that he say that to Summer instead of me. Then he started calling both of us angels. Ah. I just remembered swearing to stab the next person to call me that—the team couldn't get enough of it yesterday. Today's a new day, and there are oaths to keep.

"Good job, idiot. You just woke Yang. Again." She stretches her little arms, shaking, clearly not liking the abrupt movement from the bed. She's a strong girl, though. She doesn't seem to cry much. She looks up at us with her lilac kissed eyes, aglow in the morning light. "She has your eyes, Tai."

"And she got your gorgeous hair," he says in a crescendo, lifting her into his arms. That's too fast, you idiot! She only just woke, and now she's crying. He brought Yang up to his dopey smiling face and she started flailing, hitting him a few times in the nose. And for the record, her hair is your blonde, not black, Tai. Not that I'm complaining.

"Looks like she's got your punch, too." I laugh. She doesn't cry for very long in Tai's arms, something he's clearly better at than I am. She promptly falls back to sleep, comfortable and at ease.

"What are you idiots doing to my neice?" I guess we didn't realize we left the door open. Oops. Qrow Branwen greets us from the doorway, seemingly unphased from the night before. I thought he said he didn't drink? Who knew my little brother could hold his liquor so well. Our little Summer Rose, on the other hand, is slowly teetering behind him through the hallway.

"Aww!" Summer's hangover seems to disappear when she sees Yang sleeping soundly in Tai's arms. I wonder what it looks like from her perspective with the sunlight illuminating him from behind.

I clear my throat. "Summer. Leave."

"Eep!" She only just now notices why. Frantically, she covers her eyes with her hood and leaves for the lounge. Does she have hoods on everything? Even her pajamas? The crashing noises remind me of her hangover. More bottles are knocked over before I assume she's finally able to sit down.

"And you," I call to Tai from across the room. "I'm glad you were in shorts, but at least put a shirt on." I throw him his cold clothes from the floor, but they land on Yang as he turns. And she's crying again. I sigh. I'm a terrible mother.

I'm even more reminded of this fact as I enter the living room. The bottles of alcohol Summer knocked over don't even begin to compare to how many line the tables, counters, and bookshelves. Maybe active Huntresses shouldn't have children.

I immediately shut that thought out of my mind, almost ashamed by the reminder that I'm not exactly a Huntress by definition myself. In Remnant, our wonderfully chaotic world, the Huntsmen are iconic figures of hope, sworn to protect the greater good. Me? The only thing I want to protect right now is something tragically taboo. I look down at my daughter for comfort, indulging myself in the privilege while I can.

"Raven, can I hold Yang? Please!" Summer says from the couch with outstretched arms. Our brilliant team leader can be such a child sometimes. How a woman this clumsy can kill with pinpoint precision is a mystery I may never solve.

"You can't even properly stand. Go help Qrow clean up and I'll let her wander about when she wakes." She just started walking last week. She's getting better at it, too. Her quick progress is a good sign of prowess. I'm going to be proud of her once she joins the tribe...

I end that thought, as well. I still need to figure out how to handle the situation. I glance at Tai, then at Qrow. I selfishly think to myself, why couldn't he be the older sibling?

Why do I have to be the successor?

I hold Yang close, feeling her soft breathing against my chest. Tai sees my gesture and smiles at me from the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

How am I supposed to look into those eyes and tell him that my father just died?