43. Rowan
Rowan
Three months later.
My heart was pounding, even though I knew Rory was ready for this.
We weren’t very far from the docks, just far enough we could be sure no one was watching us.
Milo was already in the water, half shifted and reaching his arms up for Rory.
Miki and Sila were in seal form, swimming around them while Panak remained in the boat with me.
I had my selkie coat over my shoulder, ready to dive in if I needed to as well, but I also wanted to stay here beside Rory’s dry blankets in case he decided he didn’t like swimming or he got too cold and I could easily scoop him up and wrap him up safe and warm.
“He’s ready, Rowan. Trust me,” Milo told me, smiling brightly.
I nodded. I did trust him. I always would.
Slowly, I lowered our son into the water.
His light orange coat darkened, and he spluttered water out of his tiny nostrils as his head submerged.
I wanted to pull him back up right away, but Milo’s hands took him from me as his tail kicked and he extended out on his back so that Rory wouldn’t sink far before resting on his stomach.
Rory splashed frantically, panicking, but only for a moment. We’d practiced in the bath with him. This water was much colder, but his instincts kicked in and he started to swim. I exhaled in relief.
Milo smiled, then pulled his coat up the rest of the way, until his seal took over and he swam close beside our baby, keeping him safe.
Rory didn’t want to swim for long, doing a short circle before he made his way back to the boat, swimming faster as my hands dipped into the water to catch him.
I pulled him up, reached for his blanket, and wrapped him up warm and safe as his little face emerged from his coat. His nose and the tips of his pointed ears were pink from the cold.
“Did you have fun, tiny hurricane?”
He shrieked at me in response. Rory liked to shout at us. Incoherent babbles that always managed to sound angry paired with a very grumpy looking expression. He was very loud and demanding, just like Milo.
He was probably going to be an absolute menace when he got older, but for now, it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
I kept him warm while Milo got in his first proper swim in months, enjoying the cold water and the full extent of his seal in the ocean he’d been missing. Then he, Miki, and Sila came back up, content and happy, and Panak started us back toward home.
Sila cried in Miki’s arms, and Milo smiled as he scooped up Rory to take him over to him.
Milo was very set on them being friends.
Sila had taken a liking to Rory already, and quieted down as Milo approached with him, though Rory was unimpressed with Sila and wasn’t pleased every time Milo forced them to interact.
He made grunting, bark-like sounds, and Sila cackled, clearly not reading his tone.
Milo took Rory to the sofa, getting comfortable as he fed him, and I went to the kitchen to prepare some food to feed Milo.
He smiled sleepily up at me as I approached and took a seat beside him. “Are you feeling alright?”
He nodded. “Tired.”
“Want to take a nap after eating?”
He nodded again. “Will you nap with me?”
“Of course,” I booped his nose. “Sleepy hurricane.”
I fed Milo and myself, making sure he had enough to eat, considering he was also responsible for feeding Rory. Then I cleared the plates and came back to snuggle in beside my perfect little family.
I lay on the sofa, and Milo lay between my legs, leaning his back to my chest, his selkie coat draped over his legs and Rory curled up sound asleep on his chest, his tiny hand clinging to the aurora stone on Milo’s necklace.
Milo held his hand out, and I took it in mine, bringing it to my mouth to place soft kisses over his knuckles.
“I love you so much,” he mumbled, sounding so sleepy.
I laced our fingers together. “I love you so much. And Rory. You’re both everything to me.”
Milo rested his head on my chest, and his fingers soon relaxed in my hold, his chest rising and falling slowly in sleep, and with it, Rory’s tiny body would rise and fall too as he slept soundly.
I had more purpose here on this sofa than I ever could have dreamed of finding.
I’d gone into that storm over a year ago with a void inside me. Cold and empty. Then I’d found Milo, and with him a warm feeling that gradually expanded. Swallowing me. Filling me with so much love and light, taking up more space than I thought I contained.
Before, I’d woken up to silence every morning, and went days without speaking a word. Now I woke up to so much noise, to so much warmth. There was no more silence, not even in my mind, because I had a mate who could reach me even there.
I had two people to care for who relied on me. Two people I’d devote my entire life to, and I hoped it would be a long life, so I could love and care for them as much as possible.
I was so happy, and thankful I’d made it this far. Milo had proved to me that no night lasted forever, because there would always be a dawn. Every dark sea contained a lighthouse to guide the lost back home. And there was always sunshine beyond the storm.
THE END.