In Which Renata Is Given the Date

May 28, 1196

"Big enough to be kicking! God, what a relief." Renata beamed down at the bump of her growing great-grandchild, then met eyes with her granddaughter. She had to marvel at how calm Rina had managed to remain since she'd decided to keep the baby, even with the high risk of miscarriage, even with the increased danger to her own life.

That calm, Renata hoped, had aided in the sustenance of the child. If it had aided in the sustenance of the child, then--she prayed--it would aid in Rina's own survival when the time came.

Rina gave her stomach a rub, a soft smile on her lips. "They're a survivor, all right."

"They?"

"Oh. Arydath says she keeps getting conflicting boy vibes and girl vibes, and I'm not really comfortable using 'it'. So it's a singular 'they', for now."

Renata chuckled. Rina's mother had been a twin, and her husband was a twin. And in addition to Rina's aunt and mother, Renata had also birthed triplets. "Maybe they're a pair of boy and girl twins."

"Oh, God! Severin would hit the roof.

"But, he'd manage--if only for my sake. Plus, it's not likely there will be any more after, and I'm sure Arydath would chase after him with butcher's knife if this somehow happened again."

"Woe behold the husband who invokes the wrath of Arydath. Good thing a doctor would know how to prevent a pregnancy without having to deny the pleasure."

Rina laughed. God, how good it was to hear her laughing! "I should hope so!"

Hope. Hope was everything here. For Rina's baby, Rina's life, everything. "I'm so glad things have worked out for you so far, with the rotten start you had to your adulthood, and that horrible man you had to call your father. Just... let's all do everything we can to make sure you're around to see the good things to come, all right? You and me and Severin, Nanalie and Arydath, the whole team. Let's do everything we can for the next month or so, until the baby's born."

Rina nodded. "On the twenty-first of June."

Renata tilted her head to the side. "You don't have a guess about the sex, but you're sure of the date?"

"It's the only one the makes sense." Said with a smile that Renata hoped her daughter could see from heaven. "The first day of summer. The first day of something new."

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