The truth was, for all my preparation, I felt woefully inadequate. Books and research couldn’t prepare me for the reality of these vulnerable beings who now belonged to us. I, who had spent years learning to destroy, was now tasked with something infinitely more difficult: Nurturing life.
But as Seri smiled up at me from her nest of pillows, I felt something settle in my chest. We would figure this out together.
#
Seri
Zane carried me back to our bedroom, and a burst of love flooded my chest as I saw Casimir standing there, clean and bare-chested with our newborn twins cradled against his skin, his expression a blend of terror and adoration that would have made me laugh if I’d had the energy.
“The patient has been properly dried and attired in a comfy post-delivery garment.” Zane gently deposited me on our bed.
Casimir began rambling about our son’s displeasure, the words tumbling out in a rush very unlike him, and I blinked.
“Simmy?”
“Koa has cleaned up and is now retrieving your requested snacks and Brummy. I’ve adjusted the room temperature to 71.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which pediatric journals indicate is the best environment for newborn thermoregulation. Maybe our son is objecting to the thirty-degree angle at which I’m holding him, although that’s the recommended position for reducing potential reflux and—”
“Simmy,” I interrupted, my heart squeezing almost painfully. “Take a breath.”
His mouth snapped shut, but his eyes remained wide and uncertain. I could practically see the manual he was mentally composing—Operational Guidelines for Infant Management: Volume I. Male Specimen with Superior Vocal Projection Capabilities—complete with diagrams and footnotes.
“Zoodle,” I turned to where he fidgeted nearby, “take your son and hold him. You haven’t had a chance yet.”
“Sorry, sugar booger. My dad superpower hasn’t activated yet.” He cast a glance at the squalling baby. “The download is still at,like, twelve percent. Seems to be lagging. I’ll wait til I get the full update.”
“What?” I was too tired to actuallythinkright now.
“You know, dad superpower. The thing that magically makes you know how to hold a tiny human without breaking it and stuff.” He made vague gestures with his hands. “Cas obviously got the early release version.”
“Zane.” I patted the bed beside me. “Take the baby, sit next to me, and sing to him.”
“No, he’s right, beloved. We should wait.” Casimir clutched our son tighter. “The male infant is displaying signs of distress, and a transfer of caregivers might exacerbate his discomfort. I believe I’ve nearly achieved perfect positioning—”
Our son’s screams contradicted him.
“Surrender ‘the male infant’ immediately, Simmy Cimmerian.” I infused my voice with as much authority as I could while feeling like a wrung-out dishrag. “You need one-on-one time with our daughter.”
The look he gave me was one I’d seen many times before. He was weighing the odds, debating his chances. Whatever he saw in my face, however, made him relent, and he passed our son to Zane.
“Support his head. No, like this. Maintain thisexactangle.”
Zane settled beside me, terror in his eyes as he looked down at our angry son.
“If he explodes, I’m blaming you,” he whispered.
“Stop stalling and sing,” I ordered and laid my head against his shoulder.
#
Zane
I stared at the red-faced, squalling bundle that Seri insisted I take and felt my joints lock up. This wasn’t like disarming a bomb or facing down a feral werewolf. Those things I knew how to handle. But this? I had no witty one-liner or chaos grenade that would diffusethis.
His face scrunched tighter, a cry building that would probably shatter glass, and panic fluttered in my chest as I moved to sit beside Seri on the bed, hoping proximity to her might buy me some credibility with this itty bitty critic.
“Stop stalling and sing,” Seri said in that ‘I will win, so stop fighting’ tone, leaning her head against my shoulder.
Closing my eyes, I began to hum, letting the notes form naturally. The sound emerged from somewhere deep in my chest, morea resonance than a melody. Swan song flowed through me like liquid silver, sweet and pure and soothing.
