(Untitled)

[isaysimplewords]

Cal had set his son's autobiography aside for a while, but after recent events and regaining memories better left lost, he's been reading it again. It's comforting, knowing that at least one of the people he loved back home ended up happy, even if he couldn't be there to see it

Comments

[a1enzo]

Bother bother bother...

"Cal!"

[isaysimplewords]

Cal looks up and gives Enzo a grin.

"Enzo!"

[a1enzo]

"Dude, how's it going?"

[isaysimplewords]

"It's okay," Cal says, a little on the evasive side. Enzo looks like he's in a good mood, and Cal doesn't want to wreck that with stories of suddenly remembering how he died. It's not something he'd go into much detail about with Enzo, anyway. "You?"

[a1enzo]

"I'm good!" He gives Cal a shifty sort of grin. "I've got someone for you to meet."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal's answering smile is curious.

"Oh, yeah?"

[a1enzo]

"Uh-huh! Just a nano!"

He runs off, and soon returns with a female sprite, thirtyish but just barely taller than Enzo in heels, in tow. There is an enormous red and yellow dog close on her heels, and a pink-blanketed bundle in her arms.

[command_dot_com]

The pink-blanketed bundle is making the fussing 'feed me' noise again, making the female sprite dig around in a bag for another bottle of glowing formula. "Shh, Mairi, don't worry you'll be fed again.."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal is instantly charmed, standing up for a better view.

"Hi," he says to the woman. "You must be Dot." It's not much of a stretch. There aren't a lot of sprites running around in Milliways. "I'm afraid I don't know who this is, though," he continues, gesturing toward the baby.

[command_dot_com]

"That's right..." Dot replies. "And this little lady here.."

Who is now sucking down that bottle of formula with gusto, wrapped in blankets.

"Is Mairi Matrix, my daughter."

[a1enzo]

"She came early," Enzo interjects, bouncing slightly on his toes. "She's almost three weeks old!"

Mairi has the same plasticky-smooth look to her as all sprites, making her seem somewhat like a doll. Her expression, though, is definitely a real baby's: the standard look of amazement with the world at large.

[isaysimplewords]

"She's beautiful," Cal tells Dot with absolute sincerity. It is the kind of thing one is supposed to say to a new parent, and he'd say it anyway, but Mairi really is adorable.

And (there's the shadow of grief behind the warmth in his eyes) parents understand these things.

[command_dot_com]

That they do, that they do.

"Thank you...I think she knows it too." Dot replies, not looking away from Mairi's face for even a pico-second.

"Enzo said some good things about you too....would you like to hold her for a little bit?"

[isaysimplewords]

Cal brightens. "I'd love to," he says.

He gives Enzo a quick smile - he likes the sound of said some good things.

[a1enzo]

Enzo smiles back and shrugs.

As the baby-transfer begins, the dog suddenly starts to growl. Loudly.

"Frisket, chill!" Enzo snaps. "It's just Cal. We like Cal."

The growling continues unabated, but Frisket's posture untenses a fraction.

[command_dot_com]

"He's just being protective of Mairi, Enzo..." Dot says, carefully handing Mairi over into Cal's arms, then passing her formula bottle over as she starts fussing again for it.