What a difference a year could make. Seren and Dorian had not exactly been without friends before Kit and Delilah decided to make their home here in Rhy'Din, but it had been a true delight to help them find a home right next door to their own, as well as watch them become teachers in the new Rosita De Luca School of Performing Arts. Not to mention having a front row seat for the birth of their first child. Though it came with a little heartache for the lupine couple, they were proud to be the trusted aunt and uncle of little Leo. And, of course, having a photographer for an aunt meant that the one year pictures were not only free, but done at home.
Seren laughed as Leo blew bubbles at her, rolling over onto his back just at the moment she pressed the button. "You, little lion, are just being deliberately obtuse now."
"He takes after his father," Delilah was quick to point out, perched nearby just in case she was needed, but out of view of the camera. Motherhood looked good on her, and though her figure was a little rounder than it had been before she'd had her son, she was aglow with happiness.
Seren grinned, lowering the camera to tweak Leo's nose as he rolled onto his front again. "I don't know, he's a lot like you, too," she pointed out, lifting the little boy back onto the warm fleece in the hope that he would stay there for a moment. "Full of mischief."
"He has my hair," Lilah admitted, reaching over to comb her fingers through her son's soft, dark hair. Kit's hair was lighter in color than Lilah's whose hair was nearly black. She laughed a little at her friend's remark. "And Kit isn't?" Full of mischief, she meant.
"Kit's less blatant about it," Seren said impishly, twisting just enough to catch the tender look on Delilah's face as she looked down at her son before snapping some more pictures of Leo. "You glory in your mischief. No wonder your students love you so much."
Lilah shrugged, as if there was nothing to apologize for. "If my students aren't having fun, they won't want to be there," she reasoned. She didn't understand why more teachers didn't try to engage their students and make learning enjoyable, instead of a chore.
"And are you having fun, being a teacher?" Seren asked, pulling a silly face as she spoke to get Leo to giggle. Seeing her friend so settled down was a joy, but she knew it was a big change from the life Lilah had lead before.
"You know, I wasn't sure I would, but I am," Delilah admitted after a moment's consideration. "I've been ready to settle down for a while. It was just convincing Kit really. Once Dorian settled here, it was only a matter of time before we did the same." She laughed. "We've been inseparable for so many years. It just wasn't the same without him."
"Well, at least I know that wasn't entirely my fault," Seren replied in amusement. "I share the blame for that with Neville." She opened her mouth in a wide smile for Leo ....and the baby boy toppled backwards from his sitting position to land on his back, kicking his feet and laughing uproariously. "Oh gods ....he is definitely your son."
Lilah laughed at both her son's antics and at her friend's reaction. "Well, I do distinctly remember carrying him around with me for nine months," she admitted with a grin. "And I don't blame Dorian. He needed to find his brother, and I needed a good excuse to get Kit to settle down."
"Worked out well for everyone then, didn't it?" Seren grinned, setting her camera aside as she reached over to tickle Leo. "You bored, bubba" It's okay, we're all done. More on another day."
"Very well," Delilah agreed. "But what about you, Seren?" she asked, her gaze drifting momentarily downward to the area of Seren's belly. She had been trying to help her friend get pregnant for some time with the aid of herbs and remedies common among her people.
Seren bit her lip, but she couldn't hide the hope in her eyes. "I, um ....well, my last heat was about a month ago, and ..." She met Lilah's eyes with a shy smile. "I think I might be pregnant."
The fact that Seren wasn't entirely human had complicated matters, but Delilah had been confident it was only a matter of time. "Might be?" Lilah echoed, brows arching upwards. "Have you taken a pregnancy test yet?"
"Not yet," Seren admitted. "I'm almost afraid to, in case I'm wrong. But, um ....I have been getting sick at random times, and my tits are so sore."
Delilah smiled. As sympathetic as she was, those were good signs. "That's good news!" she said, reaching over to scoop little Leo up into her arms. "Come along then. It's time to pee on a stick!" she insisted, though this wouldn't be the woman's first pee of the morning.
Seren snorted, pulling herself up onto her feet to set her camera and equipment safely to one side. "I don't think your boy there can aim too well right now," she teased, a little guilty she hadn't mentioned this to Dorian yet but glad Delilah was in this with her all the way.
Lilah giggled. "He's not the one that might be pregnant," she remarked regarding Leo's pee. With Leo balanced in one arm, she snagged Seren's hand to tug her toward the bathroom, knowing her way around her friend's house like it was her own. "You bought a test, yes?"
"Yes, I did buy a test." Seren let herself be tugged around her own house, smiling at Delilah's insistence on finding out right now whether it was a done deal or not. "You realize that if I am pregnant, it's your remedies that did it, right?"
"Nonsense. You and Dorian did it. I just helped," Lilah insisted. She knew she should make her friend wait until morning, but she had to know now, and she had a few tricks up her sleeve.
"It's nerve-wracking," Seren admitted, removing the plastic from the test box. "What if I'm wrong again? I've been wrong so many times before, Lilah."
"Then you try again," Delilah replied, not allowing her friend to give up hope just yet. "And you keep trying," she said, though she realized her friend couldn't keep trying forever without any results. "And if that doesn't work, there are other solutions."
"I know," Seren said softly. "I would very much like a pup, though. I don't even want to push my luck and hope for a litter. Just one would be enough."
"Feeling sick is a good sign," Delilah assured her hopefully. Or it could be the flu, but did lycanthropes even get sick like humans did? "Pee," she instructed her friend, sounding just a little bit bossy. "I'll be right outside," she added, stepping just outside the bathroom and pulling the door closed. She wasn't going to stand over the woman while she did her business, after all.
"Yes, mama bear." Flipping her friend a nervous smile, Seren slipped into the bathroom to do her business. In Delilah's arms, Leo garbled something incomprehensible, grabbed her face, and planted a very wet kiss on her chin.
Seren laughed as Leo blew bubbles at her, rolling over onto his back just at the moment she pressed the button. "You, little lion, are just being deliberately obtuse now."
"He takes after his father," Delilah was quick to point out, perched nearby just in case she was needed, but out of view of the camera. Motherhood looked good on her, and though her figure was a little rounder than it had been before she'd had her son, she was aglow with happiness.
Seren grinned, lowering the camera to tweak Leo's nose as he rolled onto his front again. "I don't know, he's a lot like you, too," she pointed out, lifting the little boy back onto the warm fleece in the hope that he would stay there for a moment. "Full of mischief."
"He has my hair," Lilah admitted, reaching over to comb her fingers through her son's soft, dark hair. Kit's hair was lighter in color than Lilah's whose hair was nearly black. She laughed a little at her friend's remark. "And Kit isn't?" Full of mischief, she meant.
"Kit's less blatant about it," Seren said impishly, twisting just enough to catch the tender look on Delilah's face as she looked down at her son before snapping some more pictures of Leo. "You glory in your mischief. No wonder your students love you so much."
Lilah shrugged, as if there was nothing to apologize for. "If my students aren't having fun, they won't want to be there," she reasoned. She didn't understand why more teachers didn't try to engage their students and make learning enjoyable, instead of a chore.
"And are you having fun, being a teacher?" Seren asked, pulling a silly face as she spoke to get Leo to giggle. Seeing her friend so settled down was a joy, but she knew it was a big change from the life Lilah had lead before.
"You know, I wasn't sure I would, but I am," Delilah admitted after a moment's consideration. "I've been ready to settle down for a while. It was just convincing Kit really. Once Dorian settled here, it was only a matter of time before we did the same." She laughed. "We've been inseparable for so many years. It just wasn't the same without him."
"Well, at least I know that wasn't entirely my fault," Seren replied in amusement. "I share the blame for that with Neville." She opened her mouth in a wide smile for Leo ....and the baby boy toppled backwards from his sitting position to land on his back, kicking his feet and laughing uproariously. "Oh gods ....he is definitely your son."
Lilah laughed at both her son's antics and at her friend's reaction. "Well, I do distinctly remember carrying him around with me for nine months," she admitted with a grin. "And I don't blame Dorian. He needed to find his brother, and I needed a good excuse to get Kit to settle down."
"Worked out well for everyone then, didn't it?" Seren grinned, setting her camera aside as she reached over to tickle Leo. "You bored, bubba" It's okay, we're all done. More on another day."
"Very well," Delilah agreed. "But what about you, Seren?" she asked, her gaze drifting momentarily downward to the area of Seren's belly. She had been trying to help her friend get pregnant for some time with the aid of herbs and remedies common among her people.
Seren bit her lip, but she couldn't hide the hope in her eyes. "I, um ....well, my last heat was about a month ago, and ..." She met Lilah's eyes with a shy smile. "I think I might be pregnant."
The fact that Seren wasn't entirely human had complicated matters, but Delilah had been confident it was only a matter of time. "Might be?" Lilah echoed, brows arching upwards. "Have you taken a pregnancy test yet?"
"Not yet," Seren admitted. "I'm almost afraid to, in case I'm wrong. But, um ....I have been getting sick at random times, and my tits are so sore."
Delilah smiled. As sympathetic as she was, those were good signs. "That's good news!" she said, reaching over to scoop little Leo up into her arms. "Come along then. It's time to pee on a stick!" she insisted, though this wouldn't be the woman's first pee of the morning.
Seren snorted, pulling herself up onto her feet to set her camera and equipment safely to one side. "I don't think your boy there can aim too well right now," she teased, a little guilty she hadn't mentioned this to Dorian yet but glad Delilah was in this with her all the way.
Lilah giggled. "He's not the one that might be pregnant," she remarked regarding Leo's pee. With Leo balanced in one arm, she snagged Seren's hand to tug her toward the bathroom, knowing her way around her friend's house like it was her own. "You bought a test, yes?"
"Yes, I did buy a test." Seren let herself be tugged around her own house, smiling at Delilah's insistence on finding out right now whether it was a done deal or not. "You realize that if I am pregnant, it's your remedies that did it, right?"
"Nonsense. You and Dorian did it. I just helped," Lilah insisted. She knew she should make her friend wait until morning, but she had to know now, and she had a few tricks up her sleeve.
"It's nerve-wracking," Seren admitted, removing the plastic from the test box. "What if I'm wrong again? I've been wrong so many times before, Lilah."
"Then you try again," Delilah replied, not allowing her friend to give up hope just yet. "And you keep trying," she said, though she realized her friend couldn't keep trying forever without any results. "And if that doesn't work, there are other solutions."
"I know," Seren said softly. "I would very much like a pup, though. I don't even want to push my luck and hope for a litter. Just one would be enough."
"Feeling sick is a good sign," Delilah assured her hopefully. Or it could be the flu, but did lycanthropes even get sick like humans did? "Pee," she instructed her friend, sounding just a little bit bossy. "I'll be right outside," she added, stepping just outside the bathroom and pulling the door closed. She wasn't going to stand over the woman while she did her business, after all.
"Yes, mama bear." Flipping her friend a nervous smile, Seren slipped into the bathroom to do her business. In Delilah's arms, Leo garbled something incomprehensible, grabbed her face, and planted a very wet kiss on her chin.