Page 67 of Devin
“Can you imagine the birthday parties we’re gonna have?” Meadow exclaimed as she stared lovingly into the green tinted face in her arms.
“They are going to be the best of friends, brothers,” Jane said. “As long as we convince Goru to change his son’s name.”
Meadow blanched. “I’ve told him a dozen times that I am not naming my son, Gishveel. It sounds like some weird seafood dish. You’re not a seafood dish, are you my sweet boy?” She said making faces at her new son.
“I’ve got an idea,” Humility said. “They love to name things after heroes or people they value. Or after traits that they admire. Why not combine the two? Why not Valor? I mean, without Val, your baby would have been dropped on his head.”
“Wait,” Val said. “You don’t have to name your kid after me for that. I mean, that’s what anyone would have done.”
“No. You were a real help today. I think she should call the kid Valor and make you the godmother,” Jane said.
“But you’re supposed to be the godmother,” Meadow whined.
“I’m the aunt. She can have godmother. What do you think, Scrubs? You think Valor is a good name?”
“It is indeed, but,” Scrubs said, running a scanner over Val, she does not need to be an honorary mother. She will be a mother in a few months.”
“What?” Val said.
“Mazel Tov!” Meadow and Jane shouted and then started laughing loudly. Then a baby started crying and then two. It was a cacophony of Mahdfel baby roars.
Pregnant? But how could he know after such a short time. She hadn’t even missed a period. Val checked herself. There was no doubting Mahdfel medicine and if Scrubs said she was pregnant, then there was no reason to think that he was wrong.
“Val, go run along now. I think we’re settled here,” Jane said.
“Yes. You should go tell Devin the good news,” Meadow said. “We’ll be fine now.”
Val left the med bay in a daze, but didn’t get too far before Devin intercepted her, almost as if he’d been waiting for her.
“What is wrong? Scrubs said everything was fine,” Devin asked.
“Everything’s fine.”
“Everything is not fine. You do not look well. You need rest. You have overworked yourself,” Devin said as he scooped her up and strode towards the city.
“I’m just fine. I can walk,” Val protested, even though she was feeling a bit tired from the ordeal, but she wasn’t to the point of not being able to walk, or even run if she had to. It did give her time to think. Should she try to be clever in how she broke the news to Devin? Or should she just come right out and say it. The women on the vids always had some special way of hinting before making their husbands guess, and then they were all uproariously happy and in love. But Devin had made it clear that his career came first and that dragging around a mate and a passel of children was not his first choice. Would he react positively?
They reached the elevator but when it opened, it was not empty. Bright and Grena poured out.
“I was just giving Bright a tour and she let it slip,” Grena said. “Apparently she has a nose for these things. Now, we’re going to need-”
“Mother. My mate is tired. She has just assisted with births of three strong Mahdfel.”
“So she’ll have first hand experience. Wonderful! When I was pregnant with you I was terrified, surrounded by gigantic warriors wondering how I was going to squeeze one out of me,” Grena said.
“We are going up to rest. You should check on the new mothers,” Devin said, knowing full well that was probably the last thing Jane, Meadow and Humility probably wanted. He just didn’t want his mother following them up and chatting his ear off on the way.
To be fair, they’d just spent a good amount of time together in the close confines of the ship, and that was enough of Grena to last for a good long while.
“I suppose the nursery plans can wait,” Grena said.
The two women linked arms and headed off toward the med bay while Devin stepped into the elevator. It started off with a whir.
“Nursery?” he said suddenly. “My mother thinks you are pregnant.”
“Yes, I think she does,” Val said, trying to sound noncommittal.
“You are pregnant,” Devin stated. It wasn’t a question.
