Otter's eyes opened on her fifteenth morning of life. It was still early morning, the sun had yet to rise, and the early-morning light had yet to creep into the den. She could sense that something had changed, and as she swung her head around, she realized that there were blurry shapes materializing as she looked around. It was startling and overwhelming; she gave a low whine and rubbed her eyes, feeling the area on her face that'd previously been shut.
Meerkat sat in the doorway of The Taigh, enjoying some fresh air. A bird trilled in a nearby tree and it sounded to her like it was yelling, “Drink your tea!”
No, you,
she quipped under her breath.
Her one good ear caught a shuffling noise inside the den. She turned her head, then her body, a smile blooming on her face when she saw that Otter had woken. If she wasn’t mistaken, it looked like her eyes were partially open too.
Well, hello there,
Meerkat said softly, stepping back into the den. Good morning to you!
Otter turned towards Meerkat and cooed happily. She studied the blurred outline of her mother's figure, taking in the sight of her mother with a grin that nearly swallowed her face whole.
Eeeeee!!!
Otter squealed happily as she began to wriggle towards Meerkat, curious to get a better look at her.
She ducked her head down to nuzzle Otter’s cheek, then eased into a sphinx pose to make herself more accessible to her daughter. She caught a glimpse of sapphire blue and her heart thrummed. Was there anything more wonderful than watching one’s children hit such milestones?
Oh, sweetheart, it’s so nice to see you,
she murmured.
Of course, she’d looked at her little girl a thousand times by now. But it was different, once they could look back. Meerkat didn’t have to put any effort into smiling, to be sure that was the first expression Otter would ever see on her face.
Seeing Meerkat talk entranced Otter. She watched her mother's mouth move with great interest and eventually began to move her lips to mimic her. No sound came out at first—as babbling was still new to her!—but when it did, a string of syllables and nonsense filled the air.
Ahhbahbahbahbuhbuhbuh!
she replied.
The little girl gazed at her, seemingly hypnotized. Meerkat’s cheeks actually ached, she was smiling so hard. She stared right back, taking a mental snapshot that she would store in a drawer beside her heart for the rest of her life.
When Otter began to babble, her eyes lit up and she could only reply, My thoughts exactly!
She turned her head reluctantly, searching for something she could use to stimulate her daughter’s newfound sense. The closest thing at hand was a strip of fur. Meerkat snatched it between two toes, then held it up and waved it near the baby’s face.
Otter watched Meerkat grab an unidentified item, then focused as it dangled in front of her face. She nearly went cross-eyed as she tried to concentrate, and for the life of her, she couldn't make out what was being held. She watched until her eyes grew tired, and she shut and began to rub them abruptly.
She saw the way Otter’s eyes crossed and moved her paw a little further away, in the hope it would help her focus. Perhaps it was still a bit much for her, as she closed her eyes and began rubbing at them a moment later.
Meerkat set down the little strip of fur and nosed gently at her daughter’s forehead. She smoothed her tongue over those closed eyelids, soft as velvet. She moved on to the rest of the child’s face, her ministrations borne of affection, though she would happily give Otter a proper bath.
For the first time in her life, she found herself wondering: did it hurt when their eyes first opened? If not painful, was it at least overstimulating? Meerkat frowned and pressed a tender kiss to the baby’s temple.
Wanna wrap this one up? :)
Meerkat was quick to comfort Otter, and the tension in her face slowly began to melt away as she felt more and more relaxed. Her frown turned upside down; the world was more simple and manageable with her eyes closed.
Pacified and feeling suddenly very sleepy, Otter turned towards her mother and buried her face in her chest. Within three deep inhales, she was out like a light and would take a long nap.
Sure thing!
Otter kept her eyes shut. She didn’t seem to mind the bathing, so Meerkat continued, forelegs coming around to support the
bairn as she gradually relaxed. Soon she was asleep in the lady of the copse’s arms, so there was nothing left to do but gently rest her own head atop her child’s and close her own eyes.