It had been a relief, having Rourke next door in those early days once she had moved to Cambric Creek. The big minotaur was self-pitying and dramatic, too proud for his own good, generous and funny, and one of her best friends. She loved him so much that, she had considered more than once, she married someone exactly like him: alike in nearly every way, not that they would ever admit that to themselves, let alone each other.
She was glad their friendship hadn’t changed along with everything else in their lives that had changed so much since they first became neighbors.
Gently laying the baby in the buggy she thought looked vaguely like a pet stroller, she pushed him through the house as he slept, through the kitchen, and carefully out the back door. Rourke was already standing on the flagstones of the terrace.
“Wow. You really just came outside looking like that, huh. I don’t know if I should be concerned or flattered.”
She remembered belatedly that she had literally just rolled out of bed, her hair was still likely a straw-like bird's nest, she was in her pajamas, tit barely tucked back in, her feet stuffed into slippers, with a giant puddle of spit up on her shoulder. Lurielle grinned.Finally, she thought, she could share the secret of her success with someone who wouldn’t judge.
“You know what? I did. Because I’mcrushingthis. You knowhowI am crushing this? Because I don’t give a shit if everything I own has a little bit of puke on it. I don’t care if the dishes are put away. I haven’t run the vacuum in two months. Khash hired a cleaner to come for a few hours every Saturday, but that’s forhispeace of mind, not mine. Flattered. You should be flattered. Because I’m doing great.”
Rourke was laughing before she even finished. “Howareyou doing, really? Settling into a routine? Ready to leave him on Jack Hemming’s front steps? I’ll bet you could; they’ll just think it’s another pup they had. How’shedoing, I guess I should ask? Youknow, I still can’t believe you named your baby after the worst-tasting salad.”
They had gone in circles for months over the name. Lurielle wasn’t attached to any Elvish name, didn’t have any family she wanted the baby named after, and didn’t have a specific letter she was set on. Elvish naming traditions, it turned out, weren’t that different from Orcish. They didn’t use the same name from relative to relative. Respect was signaled through the first letter or syllable, which was why everyone inhisfamily had a name that began withKra’.
Her own family had never followed suit, not having an elder anyone wanted to honor that much, evidently.
As the weeks had stretched on and her body had changed, stomach swelling, Khash was right there for every minute of it. Swallowing his ego to learn how to make Tate’s breakfast. Preparing her lunch and healthy snacks every single morning once she was confined to her bed, ensuring that she had books, a charged laptop, and a television moved into the bedroom. He rubbed her feet, massaged her shoulders, and would have carried her if she had let him. He helped her dress, pulled up her underwear, strapped her into the giant support band she was meant to be wearing to help with the weight of her swollen body. He had done everything right, from the beginning.
She had told him, before the wedding, that she wouldn’t be continuing the Kra’ name dynasty, but as her due date grew closer, Lurielle couldn’t come up with a good enough reason why they shouldn’t. He’d loved his grandfather more than anyone in the world, and if honoring granddaddy with that Kra’ would make Khash happy, she didn’t see any reason why she couldn’t do so.
She’d found the other part of the name on a multi-species baby name website, decided she liked the crispness of it, and that, like his father, that second name was what he’d go by in his daily life.The vowels almost looked Elvish, she told herself, a nod to both of their cultures.
He’d shocked her with a burst of choked tears the night she’d told him she’d picked their son’s name, and that he was simply going to have to learn to be happy with Kra’Kael if he didn’t like it.
“Lurielle, I love you more than anything in this world. My ancestors are crowin’ that I found someone as perfect as you, darlin’.”
She glared at Rourke now, unable to completely swallow her grin, dragging her finger through the mess at her shoulder and flicking at him, gratified when he jumped back, hooves clicking on the concrete.
“He’s not named after the lettuce, you stupid cow,” she laughed. “And you know it! Wait, why are you crawling through my bushes? What’s up?”
Rourke shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure you don’t need rescuing. I told Violet last night I felt like I needed to check on you, make sure you weren’t crying in the corner while Mr. Perfect works on his hair. If you need to go to the store or just want to get out of the house, go to the coffee shop, whatever. I’m here. I’mnotoffering to babysit. Like,ever. But I’ll get you out of the house, if you need to get out. I just wanted you to know. And now that you’re standing here covered in vomit, I feel like I should have done this two weeks ago.”
Her eyes filled with tears. She had gotten lucky,solucky that day she’d toured this house, a house that was too big for her, built for larger species, like the big minotaur next door.
“I don’t. I’m not leaving the house yet, because of germs. Plus he needs to eat like every thirty minutes, and I leak everywhere. Even if that wasn’t an issue, I’m still bleeding like a stuck pig. Also, just so you know, Mr. Perfect has beenliterallyperfect, about everything. Maybe in a few weeks? Then I will definitelytake you up on getting out of here. I don’t care if it’s only to the corner. You’re like, the only one outside my house who remembers I’m still here, I think. I appreciate you so much.”
Rourke looked horrified. “Lurielle, I didn’t want to hearanyof that. I don’t want to know that! That’s not for me to know! That’s not foranyone to know! Fucking disgusting! In case you forgot, I don’t even like kids!”
“I know! And that’s why I’m so grateful to have you as a friend!”
She reached out for a hug, stopping short when he yelped, jumping back again.
“Euch, what are youdoing?! Don’t touch me! You’re covered in vomit, you psycho! You have it in your hair! If the kid is sleeping, why don’t you go take a shower because you smell like a dirty—”
“Crushingit. I’m fucking crushing it.” Lurielle flashed in the beaming smile as she turned back into the house, carefully pushing the buggy over the lip of the door. Kael slept on. “Motherhood is easy, I’m the greatest, and I love you. Rain checking the coffee!”
He was right, she allowed, once the door was closed behind her. Maybe sheshouldgo take a shower while she had the chance.
Lurielle picked up her phone as she crossed through the bedroom, pushing Kael into the bathroom with her. She wasn’t sure if she had just gotten lucky or if orc babies were made differently but so far, eating and sleeping were his favorite things to do.Crushing it.
She paused before the Zerumbetus, narrowing her eyes.
The plant had been ordered from the plant shop in town midway through her pregnancy, an intriguing specimen she’d found online. One that fed on sperm. She had been practically slack-jawed reading the accompanying article once she’d tappedon the clickbait headline that announcedNymphomaniac Plant Will Revolutionize Your Greenhouse!The accompanying photo featured a flycatcher-like specimen with a large conical head.
When she passed byViol, Violet & Vinejust a few days later, trying to take advantage of as much downtown time as she could before she was confined to her bed, her feet took her through the cathedral-like door, breathing in the scent of chlorophyll and potting soil.
Two of the three beetle-like sisters who owned the shop were working that day, exchanging knowing, loaded smirks when she asked after the strange plant she’d read about.
