[ P ] Lullaby

T

he days were flying by since the pups were born, even though they could not yet see. He was endlessly fascinated with the babies, and left their side only when necessity called. Cian did not want to miss a single moment. As the days passed, they grew so quickly. It was amazing how similar the two appeared; save for their genders, the pups looked nearly identical, like twins. Summit had already drifted off to sleep.

Some families were less lucky than theirs. He had learned that not all pups will make it through their first month of life. In fact, a great many never made it through those earliest weeks, before they could even see. But the pups he shared with Clover were healthy, energetic – in his eyes, both were perfect in every way. He could not bring himself to imagine what life would be like if the worst did happen.

It had been such a long time that most of the lyrics had faded from his memory. It was an old, traditional Highlander lullaby. He hummed the tune, which he was surprised to remember, as if he were still a little boy. He was perhaps not the most talented singer, but he was not thinking of that. He cared only to sooth his daughter, his little ray of sunshine. So he offered the one line of the song that he could recall: ”Saol fada agus breac-shláinte chugat.” It meant, if he recalled the phrase correctly, something along the lines of long-life and good health to you, in his mother’s native tongue. It was his greatest wish for his children.

Heavy eyelids drifted shut, but he resisted sleep. He savored every second with his sunny girl. He murmured dreamily, ”You’re going to see the world, little one.”

When his eyes opened again, he found something unexpected: another pair of eyes looking straight into his. Cian blinked, uncertain if what he saw was real. One of the pup’s eyes was a vibrant green hue – just like his mother’s eyes, he would know them anywhere. They were the eyes that had gazed upon him lovingly in his youth. Except Journey didn’t exactly have those eyes, for only one of them was green. The other was a pink color, with a hint of orange mixed in, a beautiful mixture of her parents’ sights.

He tried not to yell, but called out as much as he could without disturbing the pups, ”Clover! Clove, you have to see this!”



@Clover

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

T

he sound of a deep baritone lulled her somewhere in between sleep and wakefulness. Clover had slipped into a pattern of resting that was synced up with the on-and-off naps of the new additions to their life. She'd certainly underestimated how much recovery she was going to need, but she was in a vicious battle with lethargy as she healed with time. Cian's song enticed drowsy humming in harmony with the tune, her folded ear flicking as she stretched out long before curling up again She tucked her nose into one of the soft bellies of her newborns, by the scent she could tell it was her son and she smiled to know he was there while her mate was no doubt cuddled up to their daughter.

The sound of her name woke her instantly, her eyes blinking one at a time slowly, her vision adjusting as she lifted her head. "Hm? Wha...?" Clover's maw opened wide in a yawn and she shook her head, sniffling as she looked over at Cian. "What happened? What did I miss?" She asked, a bit more lively now as her gaze settled on Cian and Journey together staring at each other. Wait...staring at each other?! Clover's jaw dropped as she gasped, trying hard not to squirm excitedly and wake Summit still napping against her. "Oh, Cian! Oh! Oh, my goodness! Look, her eyes are just like mine and yours mixed and-"

At the sound of her voice, Journey turned her head to get a good look at her mother and Clover gasped even louder than before, earning her a grunt of protest from the other pup. "Oh, oh! I'm so sorry sweet boy..." She whispered, giving Summit a few gentle grooming licks as she lowered her voice. "Her eyes, Cian...that green eye!" And then she suddenly realized her daughter was taking her in and she brightened, beaming at her little girl. "Hi, Journey Fae! It's me, your mommy!" She lowered her head so she could admire her daughter at eye-level. "I'm sure you already knew that though..." She whispered, adding a wink only to be surprised that Journey attempted to copy the movement.

Clover giggled, earning a bright smile that rivaled her own from her own daughter, who now blinked back and forth between her mother and father. When she finally lay eyes on Cian once more, her heart felt fuller than it had before, if that was even possible. "They're perfect, Cian..." She sighed, leaning up as she could to touch noses with her mate and give him a few well-deserved kisses to express her gratitude for the way he loved all of them, their family that continued to be full of wonderful surprises.

@Cian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck