Chapter Thirty-four

 

Fiala blinked slowly— the ceiling was wrong, and there was warmth nestled in the crook of her arm. Turning her head carefully, she saw Suzanna, her darling baby girl. She then smiled brightly, seeing Doc and Rosa smiling at her from beside the bed.

 

“Now I really understand the ‘Creepy Weed’ comments,” Fiala whispered. “Help me move her to my chest, please?”

 

Doc reached out carefully as he helped lift his daughter to her mother’s chest. “Good morning, dear.”

 

Fiala cradled the still-sleeping infant, then smiled as Suzanna started to try nursing. Helping guide the precious one to her breast, Fiala hummed happily. “It is a good morning. Thank you, husband, for coming home for this.”

 

“I have to leave in a week; I spoke with Luck last night. My choices are slim if I want to keep family and friends as safe as possible. A week here, a day in Deep Gulch, and then onward to drag the church farther away.”

 

Fiala’s lip trembled. She wanted to deny it, wanted to beg for him to stay or to plead for them to flee to the remote regions where no one was. But in the end, she didn’t— she just held their daughter to her breast to nurse.

 

“I know…” Doc whispered, leaning over to kiss her head. “You probably had the same thoughts I did. If I do it the way I plan, then in a few years, there’ll be enough faith for the gods to make a stand.”

 

Fiala sniffled, her eyes wet as she looked at him leaning over her. “I’ll accept it as long as you promise to come home in time.”

 

“As long as I still live, I will always try to come home to my family,” Doc said. “That’s the best I can promise.”

 

Fiala nodded jerkily, and Doc leaned in to kiss her.

 

When the kiss broke, Rosa got to her feet. “Doc, I will send the message to David through Rema. This way, he knows you sent him more faith.”

 

“Thank you, Rosa,” Doc said, pulling a stool over to sit beside Fiala. “Please have breakfast for the two of us brought up when it’s ready.”

 

“Yes, Voice.”

 

“You sent David faith?” Fiala asked.

 

“Let me tell you about my conversation with Lilly. It should answer a couple of questions for you.”

 

~*~*~

 

Olka brought breakfast up to them and helped Doc set it up so he could feed Fiala while she held Suzanna. Doc’s heart was full of love as he fed his wife; it was something he’d never have thought he’d do before coming to this world.

 

As they were finishing breakfast, the others arrived. Settling in around the bed, they each took turns holding Suzanna. Doc told the rest of them about his talk with Luck, so everyone knew what he was told.

 

“A week? It never felt so short before…” Ayla sighed, handing Suzanna to Sophia.

 

“We’ll make the most of it,” Sophia said.

 

“Excuse me… since you have her, I need to use the bathroom,” Fiala said.

 

Doc helped her up, wrapping the sheet around her to preserve her modesty. “We’ll be back. I’ll make sure Fiala gets cleaned up and dressed before we come back.”

 

Rosa’s eyes glowed brightly, getting everyone’s attention. Laughter followed, because they all knew why her eyes glowed. Fiala took Doc’s arm, wearing a crooked smile as she led him from the room.

 

“Rosa, what was he thinking?” Sonya asked.

 

“Mostly cuddles, but she was thinking of much more,” Rosa giggled. “It’ll be an hour before they come back.”

 

“If not for his healing, I would have to stop them,” Lia said. “A new mother needs time to heal before sex, but we all know he made her good as new afterward.”

 

“Oh! Umm…” Sophia said. “I think Suzanna just… uh…”

 

“The first is always the worst one,” Lia said. “Ayla, tell Mizzi that we need some warm water and cloths. This is going to be black and tarry; it always is the first time.”

 

“Right away,” Ayla said, rushing for the door.

 

“Let me show you how to change a newborn,” Lia said softly. “It’s been years, but I helped Daf with Posy, and other children before that.”

 

~*~*~

 

When Doc and Fiala finally returned to the nursery, they found the others all smiling. “Did we miss something?” Fiala asked.

 

“The first changing,” Lia said.

 

“It was… different,” Sophia said.

 

“I know what to expect now,” Sonya added.

 

“Oh… I didn’t know,” Fiala said, her lip twitching down.

 

“We’ll have a lot of changes in the future,” Sonya said, taking Fiala’s hand as she came closer.

 

“I know, but missing the first one just feels like I failed…” Fiala murmured.

 

“Your hormones are in flux. You’ll have moments like this,” Lia said. “You know what you just said isn’t true.”

 

Doc touched Fiala’s hand, his eyebrows going up when he felt the imbalance with his healing; he nudged her body back to normal. “It’s okay, love.”

 

Fiala took a deep, slow breath as she felt her emotions stabilize. “Goodness… Thank you, Doc. Is it going to keep doing that?”

 

“No,” Doc said. “I think I got it right. You shouldn’t have that kind of swing for a while, at least.”

 

“If only it were always that easy,” Lia smiled.

 

The sound of running feet got them all to look toward the door just as Posy came bounding in. “We’re here!”

 

Suzanna screamed and Posy’s eyes went wide, her hands going to her mouth in horror.

 

Fiala swooped over to take Suzanna from Lia. “I got her. Shhh, little one… shhhh…” Walking slowly, she soothed her child.

 

“That’s why we don’t talk loudly around her,” Lia said, looking at Posy. “Softly is better for babies, Posy.”

 

“I’m sorry!” Posy sniffled. “I…!”

 

Doc touched her head. “It’s okay. We live and learn. Just don’t yell again, okay?”

 

“Yes, Doc…”

 

“Posy, I told you to wait for us,” Daf said, coming down the hall. Seeing her daughter’s upset expression, she slowed her pace. “What did you do?”

 

Doc stepped out of the room, guiding Posy with him and letting the door shut behind them. “She was just a little exuberant in saying hello. She knows better than to do that again.”

 

“I’m really sorry…” Posy sniffled.

 

“It’ll be fine,” Doc said, “but if your mother said wait, you should’ve waited.”

 

“I just wanted to see Suzanna again…” Posy murmured, looking at the floor.

 

“Good morning,” Greta said as she and Otto came into view.

 

“Good morning, Mom and Dad. Did you already eat?”

 

“No. We’re a little late, but we came hungry.”

 

“Let’s take you to the dining room, then,” Doc said, holding Posy’s hand. “Come on, little flower.”

 

Posy’s lips trembled. “Can I still be a flower if I’ve been bad?”

 

“Always. You might make mistakes, but we’ll always love you,” Daf said.

 

“She’s right,” Doc agreed.

 

“I’ll do better,” Posy said.

 

“I’m sure you will.”

 

~*~*~

 

The day slipped away. Everyone spent time with Fiala, but also gave her room with Suzanna. Doc was with her for most of it, soaking in the memories of the three of them.

 

Later that day, he helped Fiala change Suzanna’s cloth diaper. He held his daughter on and off all day, mostly trading her with Fiala. When it came time for bed, Fiala opted to stay in the nursery again for at least another night. She wanted to make sure she wouldn’t endanger Suzanna in the big bed.

 

Rosa didn’t stay with Fiala, as Petal wasn’t rooted in the yard this evening. Petal would stay with her, instead, helping monitor both mother and child. That had Rosa joining the family in bed. With everyone knowing that Suzanna and Fiala were healthy and safe, they felt good enough to engage in intimate desires. Sonya was the one who got the most out of the evening, as they all knew she’d be staying. They wanted her to have as much love as she could before they had to leave.

 

When everyone finally drifted off, Doc purged the sleep from himself. He motioned for Rosa to stay with them as he left the room. Rosa bowed her head to him, doing as he wished.

 

Petal blinked when he walked into the nursery. Seeing his thoughts, she didn’t speak, just smiling at him. When he took a seat, she came over to sit in his lap, earning a silent laugh from him.

 

“Petal, what’re you doing?” Doc asked softly with humor.

 

“What my sister did last night, Voice. I can take her place as a lap warmer for you. I know you aren’t going to do more with me, especially not here, but in the back of your mind was me doing this, and I wished to.”

 

He put his arms around her sundress-covered body, holding her the way he had Rosa, though without thumbing her breasts. “Fine. How’s she been?”

 

Petal had been told by Rosa that he would ask and to only ever tell Doc the truth, even if Fiala didn’t want it. He was the Voice— his wishes superseded Fiala’s unless she’d made it an order. If she had, the collar would’ve stopped her from answering. However, Fiala had only given her the most general order when collaring her, giving Petal as much freedom as Rosa had.

 

“Before you came back, she was good, but sad. She thought of all of you often. She was resigned to having Suzanna with none of you here. Her joy when you arrived was like the sun rising, bright and full of life. Suzanna is the brightest spot of her life, barely surpassing her marriage to you. Today, she has been happy and sad. The fact that you’ll leave clutches her heart, but she knows why and is accepting of it.”

 

Doc exhaled, resting his chin on Petal’s shoulder to watch his wife and daughter. “Thank you for being here for her. You’ll help Sonya, too?”

 

“Of course, Doc. We all know that you would be hurt if they were injured. Every single dryad in the world would rather die than see you hurt in such a way. I’ll do my very best for them, Suzanna, and the child that is even now growing in Sonya.”

 

Doc squeezed her gently. “Thank you, Petal. I am grateful to you every day.”

 

“It warms me to know that, Voice. Can I…?” She trailed off when Doc squeezed her again.

 

“Tomorrow. I’ll have time with Fiala again then, and I’ll have you join us. She won’t begrudge you that. None of them would.”

 

“Thank you. I hesitate to ask, as you have Rosa already. We all know you view her as the best of us. We would be jealous if not for the fact that you truly love her. None of us want to come between her and you because of that.”

 

Doc kissed Petal’s cheek. “Is your hope that I would give you more time the reason you haven’t done anything with the Driver brothers?”

 

Petal squirmed before she nodded. “We’ve all shared the thoughts from Rosa— your stance on other men is very clear. It is why we were all eager to be with you at least once before we went with others.”

 

Doc sat there for a few minutes, processing what she’d said and how he felt about it. “What about David and the new Voice that’s coming?”

 

“We wouldn’t turn them away, but you are why Mother gained life again. We are grateful to our cores for you coming and giving us this light.”

 

“We’ll talk with Fiala tomorrow. If she agrees, then I’ll let you join every time before we have to leave. Rosa will be there, too, though, because I can’t not let her be.”

 

Petal giggled softly. “She will beam to know you feel that way, Doc. As much as you love your wives, including her, she loves you.”

 

Doc held Petal, thinking of Rosa, while watching his wife and newborn. His life was decidedly odd and unique, but he loved everything about his family.