Hushed Willows My faith is shaken, but I still believe.

Soon after her eldest had asked for her attention, did Reif request the same thing. This was usually how it went with them — one would start, and then another would follow, and eventually the third would get on board. If one woke up and stirred, it was only a matter of time before all the others followed suit. It only ever took about 5 minutes; but it was a blessing, because as much as she loved spending time with her boys individually, she loved being with all of them at once.

Atwood was the one who slept soundly — for now. At the behest of little Reif, the mother turned and lifted an arm towards her belly, hooking her elbow around the little boy and pulling him towards where Sundance lay, between her forearms. She noticed his eyes, unsealed and a vibrant oceanic blue, and smiled; but a single book from Sundance was her undoing.

The druid pulled her small family close, burying her face against their small bodies and inhaling their puppy scent, and loving how warm their bellies felt pressed against her third eye. At time she didn’t believe they were real, and that they were so lovely, and that they were already growing and opening their eyes and becoming real, functioning creatures of the wild.

Almost as if Sundance and Reif were puppets, Olive propped them up with her paws and turned their nascent forms to gaze upon each other. “Look, that’s your brother!” she exclaimed, but forced herself to take a deep breath to quell the excitement she felt in her belly. “And i’m your mom,” she mentioned adoringly, resisting the urge to smoosh she face in them once more. “— well, one of them.” Then, Olive laughed, very aware she was essentially talking to herself.