[Statistics] [Hydee] [Mossyth] [Discoveries] [Relative Love] [Of Babies] [Full Circle]

Kat sat spraddle-legged in the middle of Hydee and C’stian’s large, soft bed, one little boy perched happily before her. A small toy - a brown canine - was gripped tightly between both hands, and an ecstatic giggle - about nothing in particular - came from the general vicinity of his mouth.

Katanna, newly reunited with her son, couldn’t have expressed how relieved she was that he remembered her - or at least, recognised her as a mother figure; how happy she was that they were together - and would stay that way for the rest of their lives. She smiled and let out her breath slowly. It was like a dream.

Hydee entered the room and sat gently on the edge of the bed so as not to disturb the child in his ministrations. “He’s beautiful,” she said for the millionth time.

Kat grinned. “He is, isn’t he. You’re gonna be a handsome boy, aren’t you honey?” she asked him, poking him playfully in the fat-rolls.

Hydee laughed, and turned her head as C’stian entered the room, smiling at the picture before him. He sat next to Hydee, silent for a moment. Looking at Kat, he asked her, “Have you found a place to stay yet, Sis?”

The smile on her face faltered and she breathed in deeply. “Not yet. I’m gonna go down to the Headwoman this afternoon - which reminds me, could you watch him while I’m gone?”

“Of course!” Hydee said quickly. “We’d love to, wouldn’t we honey? Yes we would, we love you .. yes we do ...” she continued, making funny faces to the delight of the baby.

C’stian grinned at her, picturing what it would be like with a baby of their own on the way. “I don’t think I can wait nine months,” he said jokingly.

Hydee glanced up at him and smiled, her hand going unconsciously to her stomach. “I know.”

Kat had gone to find the Headwoman, leaving Coren with his Uncle and Auntie. It was late, and he was tired. It had been a big day for him.

“Come on, hun,” Hydee said, groaning slightly as she lifted him into the makeshift crib in their room. “You be a good boy, go to sleep, hey?”

Coren made some baby-going-to-sleep noises and Hydee smiled. She couldn’t wait for theirs to come, he - or she - would be perfect, she could imagine it now. Looking down at her stomach she stroked it softly. She wouldn’t show for a few more months, but she knew with a mother’s intuition that the little baby was already in there, growing, learning.

“Hello there little ... hey, we’d better give you a name,” she said to herself with a smile.

“A name?” C’stian’s face popped around the corner and looked a little surprised, but curious. A small smile spread across his face. “We don’t even know if it’ll be a boy or a girl, how can we name it?”

“Well,” Hydee said, crossing over to him. “For a start we can’t keep calling our _baby_ ‘it’ now can we? No, she has to have a name.”

“She?”

Hydee stopped and blinked. “Yeah, she,” she said with a smile dawning on her face. “I think it’s a girl, love.”

C’stian chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “You can’t know that yet. No one knows what sex it is - can dolphins do that? See the sex I mean.”

“I’m not sure. But what I do know is that I think it’s a girl,” she said firmly, trying to ignore her lover’s repressed grin.

“OK, love. A girl, then. Did she tell you her name too?”

Hydee pushed back from him and glared. “This isn’t a joke! I’m carrying our child, C’stian, I’m serious.” She crossed her arms sulkily and turned away from him.

The brownrider apologised - sincerely - and moved up behind her, wrapping his arms about her stomach. “I’m sorry, love. I really am.”

Hydee paused, then leaned her head back on his chest, relaxing. “What shall we call her?” she asked quietly.

“Erm ... how about Hystia?” he asked, making the obvious combination of their names.

Hydee made a choking sound. “Hystia?! It sounds like a cough!” She demonstrated. “What about Cedee?”

“Cedee? No, now she sounds like a tree.”

“Fine then.” Hydee moved out of his embrace and sat down on the sofa, curling her legs up underneath her. She patted the place beside her enticingly, and C’stian obediently sat.

Citiana? No.
Anista? Nuh-uh.
Dienna? Not bad ... no.
Ditana? Nope.
Cianne? Nah.
Cytia? No!

Hydee rubbed her face and stared at C’stian. “Well she has to have a name, what else?”

The rider closed his eyes, picturing the child in his mind’s eye. She would be beautiful, but not too much so; smart, but no genius; honourable, happy, kind, sweet, perfect. She would be theirs. “What about Tiahnee?” he asked, his eyes still closed.

“Tiahnee,” Hydee said, rolling the word around her mouth. She smiled softly. “Tiahnee.”