“It’s not my heart that’s the problem mate. My organs are healthy as always because of my bear’s hibernation genes. It’s my muscles that get tired.”
“Well, that thing poking me is a muscle,” I teased.
“Well, it’s not tired.”
“Is it hungry?”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t have a mouth,” he smirked and kissed me again.
I stood firm ready to take on his weight if he got tired or something gave out. Vallis was strong but even the strongest muscles suffered from being buried alive.
“Sooner or later, you have to stop worrying about me,” he said, stepping back.
“Not on our first full day home. Heck, I’m worried enough that we can stay home from Mori’s going away party if you want to,” I said, pulling out a chair and pointing for him to sit down and eat his food.
He sat down and pushed my chair out from under the table with his foot. I joined him, wishing I could have a second cup of coffee, but I was conscious of caffeine’s effect on the baby and already drank one steaming, hot mug while I cooked. I had orange juice instead.
“We should go to Mori’s party. Say what you want to about him, but as soon as you asked for his help, he was all over it,” Vallis said, picking up a piece of crispy bacon.
“I know. I--- I don’t want you to overdo it.”
“I won’t and if I do, I’ll be surrounded by doctors. Barry’s a doctor and your parents will be there. Well, maybe ---”
“Yes, the baby was born,” I said, guilt kicking me in the tail because I forgot to tell him. “Two days after Dad went home.That’s why he didn’t come back as planned. A little girl. They named her Ursla.”
“A bear cub,” Vallis grinned.
“Yep. They’re soooo original.”
“Ah, leave ‘em alone. Wait until we have to think of baby names.”
“Well, I hope we’re more creative than that. We’re on our first,” I laughed.
“For now,” he said, his scent shifting slightly.
“What? You think you’re going to scare me off with thoughts of a big family? Have you met my family?” I laughed.
“Part of them and they’re mostly doctors.”
“Don’t worry. There’ll be plenty of work for you when you’re up for it. Something’s always needing built or repaired ‘round here.”
“Glad to help out.”
“When you’re better.”
“They let me come home, didn’t they?” Vallis asked.
“Yeah, but Doctor Bee said you still needed to do physical therapy. I’ve seen my grandpa fall over after using too much magic and he wasn’t even attacked. So…. Just be careful, okay? I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Vallis said.
After breakfast, we washed up, got dressed, and I took my mate for a walk around the village. A few decades ago, there wouldn’t have been much to show, but now there were a few little ‘restaurants’. Mostly, they were bears who cooked food and let others eat it at little tables in their yards or driveways. Our movie theater was operated by the group as a whole and shied away from new releases. Movies were voted upon each month for what to play the next. The largest buildings were the library and the clinic. We had a few inpatient rooms and Grandpa Barry could do more than he let on, but had strict ethical things against operating on family unless it was a dire emergency and he was the only one around.
The village square was already dressed up in silver and blue for Mori’s departure.
“He’s sailing across the ocean with an egg?” Vallis asked me.
“And what’s left of a dragon. So Nic will have her scales,” I nodded.
