Torin
A child. Our child. First offspring of a bonded Sky/Water pair. Unprecedented. Impossible. Perfect.
“Are you—” I stop. Start again. “How do you feel?”
“Terrified,” she admits. “Excited. Completely overwhelmed. We don’t know what this means. Whether the child will be more Deep Runner or Storm Eagle. Whether they’ll have both magics or something entirely new. Whether—”
I kiss her. Stop the spiral of worry with affection. When I pull back, I’m smiling so wide my face hurts.
“We’ll figure it out,” I tell her. “Just like we figured out everything else. One day at a time. One challenge at a time. One act of love at a time.”
“You’re really okay with this?” Her voice is small. Vulnerable in ways she rarely lets herself be.
“Okay with it?” I pull her close. “Zara, this is—this is everything. A child who embodies both our peoples. Who proves that integration creates life, not death. Who’ll grow up in a world we’re building to be better than the one we inherited. How could I not be thrilled?”