Hideaway Strath i don't live in california, i'll inform you,

 

Things had changed before. The blip of sentience that would inevitably become Momotzli had blinked into existence as an invisible orb in the black expanse of her galaxy, a big bang of life bursting into being from within her mother's womb. She had floated here for as long as she had, learning what there was to be learned -- and things had changed when she learned. After a time, she could perceive the red hot glow of sunlight as it rained down on her dam or the movement of water as she bathed in the river. She could hear the rumbling murmurs of her mother's voice, her father's too. She even learned to differentiate who was touching Aerin's belly, gaining the capability of pressing back against the touch through her mother's skin.

But this change was jarring, disturbing. The walls around her were moving, starting first with tiny flutters and trembles that soon gave way to heaving and squeezing pressure. The child could not say for sure where the pressure was forcing her to go but she had no choice in the matter, despite how she squirmed in the Life-Giver's womb -- protesting, trying to remain nestled in the safety net of the Giver's body.

She was expelled all the same, torn from the cocoon of the sac that sheltered her delicate form and thrust into the cool air of a summer evening -- shocked cries screeching from her tiny pink maw, which was already stained with a birthmark of rosy wine, as the wet sensation of being groomed overwhelmed her senses. 

At last, she was wrapped in the warmth of her mother's body and offered the newfound comfort of milk, completely unaware of any tension surrounding her as she gulped down her first meal greedily.