was pregnant was the second.
The blue-green bridesmaid gowns would have made her look sickly if she had her original skin, but now, she glowed with ethereal power, and her sister Lily was a little ticked.
Gera had to do her own hair to hide her new ears, so it was slightly different from that of the other bridesmaids. Not a whisper of hairspray was necessary.
This was Gera’s sixth time being a bridesmaid, and she was standing next to her other—some pregnant—sisters. It was a Williams’ joke that the wedding party had been built in.
Gera watched her sister solemnize her vows, and she smiled happily. Now, for the photos and then the reception. Only a few hours until she was back to Riox and explaining that they were expecting.
The photos were awkward, but they were out in the sun and her marks were harder to see.
Riox remained nearby, and he kept his focus on her the entire time she was holding her sister’s train and standing with the other sisters in a faked spontaneous moment.
The female guests were fawning over him, but he wasn’t paying attention. It was nice to look toward him and know that she was enough for his needs.
He said the same thing to her on several occasions.
The reception went by with only the regulation amount of hitches. When dinner was done and the dancing began, Riox dismissed the groomsman that she was supposed to be partnered with, and he took her into his arms.
“So, when were you going to tell me?” He whispered it as he leaned toward her.
“Tell you what?”
“You are pregnant.”
She wrinkled her nose and looked around to see if anyone had heard. “How do you know?”
“My beast knows. You were right. The chemical signatures are undeniable.”
Gera sighed. “I wanted to wait until my sister’s wedding was over. Today is her day.”
“Of course. Well, I am waiting for you to tell me immediately after the reception.” He smiled, and they moved gracefully around the dance floor.
“I will. I promise. Is the declaration clothing optional?”
He laughed. “Of course.”
“Do you think this might improve your mother’s opinion of me?”
“There is nowhere to go but up. My father is fine with you.” He was smiling down at her.
“I know. Ah, well. Our child will have one set of fanatically loving grandparents and plenty of cousins. Your mom can blow me.”
He snorted through his nose. “That is a startling mental image. I am sure that things will be fine. If you had shown her the fascinator markings, she would have reacted better, but she sees you as someone trying to steal the immortality of her son and corrupting the other.”
“I know. I am sure that things will get better eventually.”
Riox laughed. “That is the optimist I know and love.”
She fought the urge to stomp on his very nimble feet.
Little baby Rylin was adorable and had her father’s eyes. The fascinator markings wouldn’t develop until puberty, if at all, so she was just a wee baby elf.
Gera sat up in bed and held her little one, talking to her softly. The door downstairs opened and closed, so Gera grinned. “Grandma and Grandpa are here.”
Being at home, Gera let her markings glow bright. Her parents had seen them before.
The grandparents that walked in were not the ones that Gera had been expecting.
Gera tensed, and Rylin started fussing. “Hello, Dreama. Hello, Torix.”
Dreama stepped forward and paused, taking in the glowing glyphs on Gera’s skin. “Is it a girl?”
“She is. Her name is Rylin.”
Torix came forward, and he asked, “May we hold her?”
“Of course.” Gera handed her daughter over and smiled as she was handled with expert care.
Dreama looked at the marks. “When did those emerge?”
“On the day of the balance ceremony. If I am out in public, I keep them dampened.”
“So, you had them the last time we met?”
Gera looked at Riox, watching from the doorway. “Yes, I did.”
Dreama cleared her throat. “I apologize.”
“Accepted.
The blue-green bridesmaid gowns would have made her look sickly if she had her original skin, but now, she glowed with ethereal power, and her sister Lily was a little ticked.
Gera had to do her own hair to hide her new ears, so it was slightly different from that of the other bridesmaids. Not a whisper of hairspray was necessary.
This was Gera’s sixth time being a bridesmaid, and she was standing next to her other—some pregnant—sisters. It was a Williams’ joke that the wedding party had been built in.
Gera watched her sister solemnize her vows, and she smiled happily. Now, for the photos and then the reception. Only a few hours until she was back to Riox and explaining that they were expecting.
The photos were awkward, but they were out in the sun and her marks were harder to see.
Riox remained nearby, and he kept his focus on her the entire time she was holding her sister’s train and standing with the other sisters in a faked spontaneous moment.
The female guests were fawning over him, but he wasn’t paying attention. It was nice to look toward him and know that she was enough for his needs.
He said the same thing to her on several occasions.
The reception went by with only the regulation amount of hitches. When dinner was done and the dancing began, Riox dismissed the groomsman that she was supposed to be partnered with, and he took her into his arms.
“So, when were you going to tell me?” He whispered it as he leaned toward her.
“Tell you what?”
“You are pregnant.”
She wrinkled her nose and looked around to see if anyone had heard. “How do you know?”
“My beast knows. You were right. The chemical signatures are undeniable.”
Gera sighed. “I wanted to wait until my sister’s wedding was over. Today is her day.”
“Of course. Well, I am waiting for you to tell me immediately after the reception.” He smiled, and they moved gracefully around the dance floor.
“I will. I promise. Is the declaration clothing optional?”
He laughed. “Of course.”
“Do you think this might improve your mother’s opinion of me?”
“There is nowhere to go but up. My father is fine with you.” He was smiling down at her.
“I know. Ah, well. Our child will have one set of fanatically loving grandparents and plenty of cousins. Your mom can blow me.”
He snorted through his nose. “That is a startling mental image. I am sure that things will be fine. If you had shown her the fascinator markings, she would have reacted better, but she sees you as someone trying to steal the immortality of her son and corrupting the other.”
“I know. I am sure that things will get better eventually.”
Riox laughed. “That is the optimist I know and love.”
She fought the urge to stomp on his very nimble feet.
Little baby Rylin was adorable and had her father’s eyes. The fascinator markings wouldn’t develop until puberty, if at all, so she was just a wee baby elf.
Gera sat up in bed and held her little one, talking to her softly. The door downstairs opened and closed, so Gera grinned. “Grandma and Grandpa are here.”
Being at home, Gera let her markings glow bright. Her parents had seen them before.
The grandparents that walked in were not the ones that Gera had been expecting.
Gera tensed, and Rylin started fussing. “Hello, Dreama. Hello, Torix.”
Dreama stepped forward and paused, taking in the glowing glyphs on Gera’s skin. “Is it a girl?”
“She is. Her name is Rylin.”
Torix came forward, and he asked, “May we hold her?”
“Of course.” Gera handed her daughter over and smiled as she was handled with expert care.
Dreama looked at the marks. “When did those emerge?”
“On the day of the balance ceremony. If I am out in public, I keep them dampened.”
“So, you had them the last time we met?”
Gera looked at Riox, watching from the doorway. “Yes, I did.”
Dreama cleared her throat. “I apologize.”
“Accepted.
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