"Yes, but Mama's wearing heels," Zahan whispered in awe. Given that Lis was more likely to be barefoot or in sneakers on any day you could care to name, just the heels was enough of a shock, even without the form-fitting dress that went with them.

Catching that awed whisper as she came out of the kitchen, Lis smiled at the pair of them. "Just think, mija, I showered, too," she teased, moving to set the tray she carried down on the coffee table so they could get comfortable.

"I knew there was something different about you," Edward teased as Lis added her two cents. He tugged Zahan by the hand to lead her into the living room where milk and cookies awaited. Such a simple treat, but one that she never seemed to take for granted. "You both looked beautiful tonight," he said, touching a kiss to Lis' cheek before claiming a spot on the couch.

"You are so charming, Eduardo," Lis laughed, easing down onto the couch. One hand reached out to tug Zahan down between them, passing a cup and a couple of cookies into the girl's hands. "I am very proud of our little ballerina," she agreed with Edward fondly, kissing Zahan's hair affectionately as their daughter beamed, curling up in between her parents to munch quietly on her cookies.

She was growing up far too quickly for Edward's liking, but in many ways, she was still the same little girl he'd met all those years ago in Africa. "I'm a very lucky man to have two such lovely women in my life," he told them both, and that wasn't even counting his sister or niece. He wasn't just laying it on thick though; he really did feel he was the luckiest man in Rhy'Din.

"Are you asking Mama to get laid?" Zahan asked suddenly.

Lis choked on her mouthful of tea, sitting forward as she coughed and spluttered. "What makes you say that?" she asked the girl.

Zahan shrugged innocently. "Lila said that her Mama said that when a boy says you're beautiful or lovely or something like that, he wants to get laid," she explained tiredly. "What's getting laid?"

Thankfully, Edward was not sipping tea at the time or he probably would have choked on it, too. As it was, his mouth dropped open, momentarily too stunned to speak. "I will have to speak to my sister," he murmured to himself, clearing his throat before attempting an explanation. "That, young lady, is something you will learn about when you get older."

Zahan pulled a face. "You say that a lot," she informed Ed. "I'll ask Aunt Brynne."

Lis bit her lip, trying not to laugh. The difference between their parenting style and Brynne's was becoming clearer every day.

"No, you will not ask Aunt Brynne," Edward countered with a sigh. "And Lila shouldn't be repeating such things, but since she has, getting laid is a crude term for making love," he explained, though it was hardly likely she knew what that meant either. And why was he explaining this" Wasn't this something mothers should be explaining to daughters"

"What's making love?" was the inevitable question that followed.

Lis smiled, taking pity on Edward. "Making love is what adults do together when they are in love," she explained gently. "In private, where other people can't see. It is another way of saying that they have sex, but making love is considered to be an expression of emotion as much as a physical thing. And your father is right; Lila shouldn't be repeating things like that."

"It's something you do with someone you love, which can sometimes lead to making a baby," Edward explained further, but that was about as far as he wanted to do with an explanation, unwilling to explain all the complicated nuances of his statement. "It's not something you have to worry about right now, love," he assured her. "You'll learn more about it when you're a little older."

"Don't you and Mama make love, Papa?" Zahan asked curiously, hugging her empty cup to her chest as she looked up at her father. "Only you don't have a baby. Maybe you're doing it wrong."

"I said sometimes," he informed their daughter. "Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't." He glanced at Lis a moment before looking back at Zahan. "Would you like to have a baby brother or sister someday?" he asked, curiously, though he and Lis had not really discussed the possibility lately.

She seemed to consider this for a long time, absently twirling a strand of her carefully relaxed hair about her finger. It had taken a lot of pleading to let her have her natural hair relaxed, and she would probably want to go back to natural at some point, but for now, she was enjoying having hair that was more like Lila's when it was straight. "Would you still want me if you had a baby?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Oh, goodness. Of course, we would, sweetheart," Edward assured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her into a hug. "We will always love you, whether we have a baby or not," he told her, touching a kiss to her brow. Maybe she didn't know how desperate he'd been to adopt her and how crushed he'd been when he'd been denied, and she'd gone to live with someone else.

Easing close to Zahan's other side, Lis completed the circle of their arms about their daughter, smiling as the girl giggled a little at being smothered in their affection. "You are our girl, mija," she said softly. "Our first girl, and no one will ever be able to take that away from you. I think you should kiss your Papa before he starts crying." She offered Zahan a comical wink, taking the cup from the girl's hands as Zahan twisted about to hug Ed tightly about the neck, kissing his cheek.

"S'okay, Papa," she promised. "I love you, even if you never ever get laid again."

Maybe Lis knew him a little too well, but Zahan's timing couldn't be better, her remark getting a chuckle out of him that helped ease his worries. "I don't think you have to worry too much about that," he told her, with an almost embarrassed smile in Lis' direction. "Go on, say goodnight to your Mama, and get ready for bed. I'll be up to tuck you in in a few minutes."

"Okay." Pleased with herself for making Ed laugh, Zahan twisted to hug Lis tightly in her own turn, kissing her cheek in goodnight before dragging herself to her feet and heading up the stairs to change for bed.

Smiling, Lis leaned back against the couch cushions. "I think you need to talk to Brynne again," she chuckled softly. "Those girls share everything."

"It won't help. Brynne is Brynne. She isn't going to change," Edward replied with a sigh, once he was left momentarily alone with Lis. He glanced at the stairs where Zahan had disappeared and frowned. "She's growing up too fast, Lis."

"Querido, you knew she was not going to stay small forever," she said gently, stroking her knuckles against his cheek. "You shared those years with her, as much as you could. But it is you she turns to, you she considers her father. You are the constant male presence in her life, from her earliest years. No matter how old she grows, you will always be special to her."

"We don't want you to stop. We just want you to have time to enjoy your childhood, too." He gave her hand a squeeze, his expression turning serious. "I know you're in a hurry to grow up, and I know you haven't had the best childhood, but I want you to enjoy life, Zay." Childhood was fleeting, and she was already in her pre-teens. It would only be a few years before she was a teenager, and then the innocence of childhood would be gone.

She frowned in concern as she looked up at him. "Why don't you want me to grow up, Papa?" she asked him, with a child's uncanny ability to ignore everything that had actually been said and instead cut straight to what they thought was the point of the conversation.

He didn't bother trying to make excuses or deny the fact that he was in no hurry for her to grow up. She knew him too well to lie to her or even stretch the truth. "It's not that I don't want you to grow up. I know it's going to happen sooner or later, and I know I'm going to be just as proud of the young lady you become as I am of you now, but I'm just in no hurry for it to happen." He sighed, unsure how much to tell her, but not wanting to lie either. "I've missed so much with you, Zay. I just want to enjoy every moment, you know?"

"I can't make it happen any faster or any slower," she pointed out to him. "It takes years and years to grow up. And just because I grow up doesn't mean I won't still be around here to have fun with you and Mama. You and Aunt Brynne still have fun with Grampa and Gramma, and you're old."

"Yes, thank you for reminding me," he replied with a smirk, regarding his age, though he didn't think he was all that old yet. How could he make her understand that watching a child grow up was a bittersweet thing - knowing they were going to leave the nest someday, but proud of them for doing it. "It's all right," he said, patting her hand before tucking the covers around her again. "You just be yourself and enjoy every minute. That's all I ask." He leaned in to touch a kiss to her forehead, loving and protective.

"I will, Papa." Smiling, Zahan kissed his cheek before settling down against the pillow once again, letting out a soft sigh as her eyes fell closed. It had been a long day, and tomorrow promised to be just as tiring, but that weariness was worth it.

He lingered a moment to watch her settle down to sleep before turning the light off and tip-toeing toward the door. He glanced back at her one last time with a whispered, "Love you, sweetheart," before he stepped out and closed the door. In some ways, he felt as though he would have liked to have stayed and watched her sleep all night, but he knew he needed to let go a little - to let her find her own way, to let her learn to grow up, with him and Lis right there to love and guide her.

Speaking of Lis, she was leaning against the rail at the bottom of the stairs as he came back into view, inspecting the sole of her foot curiously, her heels hanging from her hand. She glanced up as he came down toward her. "How quickly did she fall asleep?" she asked with an indulgent smile.

"As soon as I stopped talking, I think," he replied as he met her at the bottom of the stairs. "She's worn herself out." He leaned in to brush his lips against hers in a show of affection. "What about you? Should I tuck you in, too?"

Leaning into him, Lis let her shoes drop to the floor as she curled her arms about his waist, trading kisses back and forth for a long moment. "I will only let you put me to bed so long as you promise not to expect me to fall asleep until I have finished with you," she murmured to him impishly. She might not have been the boldest, or most risque, of women, but with Edward, in private, she had finally learned to just express herself.

"Aren't you the one who told me I have to be up early in the morning?" he asked with a smile, taking a break between kisses and gently sweeping a strand of dark hair form her forehead.

"Well, I could hit you on the head with a hammer, but then you would have a headache when you wake up," she pointed out with a tease to her smile. "Come to bed, querido. I will need help getting out of this ridiculous dress, anyway."

"I'd also have a concussion," he pointed out with a chuckle. "Ridiculous or not, you look gorgeous," he added, touching a kiss to the side of her neck. Whether he had to get up early or not, he hadn't forgotten her offer to help him relax.

She let her body lean into his, stroking her hands over his back as his lips brushed her neck, answering that kiss with her own whispering against his ear. "I could hardly let my family down by appearing in jeans on such an important occasion, could I?" she murmured, closing her eyes as she lingered in his embrace. "Come, to bed. You will not sleep until you have exhausted yourself."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" he asked with a hint of a smirk, since they both already knew the answer to that question. Having a daughter hadn't really done much to dampen their sex life, but then Zahan wasn't a baby.

No one could do innocent quite like Lis. The wide eyes, the look of angelic confusion, the batting lashes ....she was a master at it. And now she was pointing that expression right at Edward. "By loving you, of course."

He smiled in amusement at the look of innocence on her face. She might have been innocent once, but no more. "Of course, and I shall likewise love you," he promised, with a teasing waggle of eyebrows, as he took her hand to lead her toward the master bedroom.

Laughing softly, she followed along quite happily, pausing only once to look in through Zahan's door to make sure their daughter was sleeping peacefully. Thus satisfied, she ushered Ed into their own room, and proceeded to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only was she no longer innocent, but that it was entirely his doing, too.

He hadn't exactly taught her the ways of lovemaking, so much as they'd taught each other - exploring and learning a little more about each other everyday. Just when it seemed they knew each other completely, one would surprise the other with something new or different, until it almost seemed like there was no end to the possibilities.

But the best part was always afterward, when they were sated, lying together in each other's arms, lazy and languid with love. It was then that a very special smile would touch Lis' lips, setting her eyes a-glow with a look that was only for him as she whispered loving words in the Spanish that would always come more easily to her than the common tongue spoken here on Rhy'Din.

It was then he would truly relax after a long day, content in her arms, her sweet words and voice making him smile and lulling him to sleep. Even when they didn't make love, lying together in each other's arms was always the best part of his day. No matter how stressful or hectic his day, no matter how many worries or troubles he had on his mind, he took comfort in knowing she loved him.

It was strange to reflect that they had not even known one another two years before, but Christmas was coming, and it was a special time. It had been at Christmas that they had met, and this would be Zahan's first Christmas with them. They had gone from being separately alone, to being a family, in such a short time; it was no wonder they felt blessed. Between the love they shared, and the sheer delight that was their little ballerina, home really felt like home this year, and would do, for many years to come.