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Tossing a used dishrag back onto the table, Nina interlaced her hands over the curve of her swollen belly. Many months had gone by since the birth of their little daughter, Fetla, and after two perfect years as a family of three, they were soon to be a family of four.
Though she couldn't feel the beat of her unborn baby’s tiny heart, Nina trusted that it was there; it had to be… She, the Corpsewitch, knew death’s call all too well, and it was thankfully nowhere to be found in their cozy household.
“Mama!” Fetla squealed, lifting a chubby fist up in delight while cruising from one piece of furniture to the other. “Mama!” Her little face scrunched up into an elated smile.
Nina’s heart nearly melted at the sight. “How are you feeling, cutie pie?” She crossed across the kitchen floor to where her little girl was bouncing on her toes and clinging to the seat of a nearby chair.
Clapping her tiny hands, Fetla babbled in reply, squealing when her mama scooped her up.
Adjusting the way Fetla was positioned at her hip, Nina moved through the cottage to the front door, pushing it open and exiting out to stand in the front yard. Holding a hand over her squinting eyes to shield them from the sun, she could barely make out Matthias as he worked in the distance.
Fetla began squirming, eager to be let down after spotting her papa close by. “Papa! Papa!”
Wiping sweat from his brow, Matthias stuck the shovel he was using into the loose soil he'd been breaking up. With a grin, he waved to his wife and daughter from where they stood several paces away.
Ever eager to be with her papa, little Fetla broke into a run, not even bothering to look toward her mama for permission to do so.
Nina watched closely. Most of the farm equipment had been put away so Fetla’s path to Matthias from the yard to the field was relatively safe and clear. A smile played about her lips as she leaned against the side of their cottage, searching for a bit of toffee in her apron pocket.
As Fetla toddled over to the rows of the crop Matthias was currently planting, she moved so fast that she was very nearly flying into her papa’s arms. Her legs were a blur beneath her small body as she giggled and beamed.
Stepping forward, Matthias knelt down and opened his arms, preparing to receive the little girl hurtling into his embrace.
Only… Fetla didn't quite make the journey. Instead, their baby girl tripped on a bit of uneven ground and fell, scraping her palms and knees. Then, she looked up at the sky, lower lip wobbling, and began to cry.
In an instant, Nina found herself moving toward Fetla as fast as she could with her pregnant belly, but thankfully, Matthias was quick on his feet. He picked Fetla up and placed her on his knee as soon as he could reach her.
“Oh, cutie pie…” Nina couldn't quite bend down to reach Fetla, but she placed a hand on Matthias’s shoulder blade as a bit of moral support.
Matthias seemed shaken, but he was doing his best to keep himself collected for Fetla’s sake. Fjerdan was pouring from his lips as he nestled Fetla against his chest and ran his fingers through her blonde curls. “Baby bird, Papa and Mama are here.” He pressed kisses to the top of Fetla’s head as he continued, “We’ll take care of you, little one.”
Though tears tracked down her ruddy cheeks, Fetla seemed comforted by her papa’s reassurances, wiping her eyes against his work shirt and hiding her face in his chest.
“We should get those scrapes cleaned up inside,” Nina said, tapping Matthias’s shoulder blade to get his attention. “Are you able to carry her, Papa?”
Matthias’s head snapped upward as his eyes went wide with worry at Fetla’s cries. “Yes,” he replied shakily. “I can.” Standing with Fetla nestled against his chest, he allowed Nina to lead the way back home from the field.
“We’ll get our little cutie pie all bandaged up,” Nina promised as she pushed open the front door and began searching for their collection of medical wraps and bandages.
Setting Fetla down on one of the kitchen chairs, Matthias joined her in her search. Before long, his voice carried through the house as he sang in Fjerdan. Fetla loved her papa’s singing, and so did her mama.
With a smile, Nina finally found a box full of medical equipment and began sorting through it in order to find suitable bandages. “Fetla always loves your singing.” Her nose crinkled in amusement. “I wonder why she doesn't like mine.”
They both laughed. Nina couldn't hold a proper note to save her life. Still, she swept to Fetla’s side, equipped with bandages as Matthias kept up his singing.
“Mama and Papa will have you all better in no time,” Nina whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her little one’s forehead.
Fetla’s eyes watered as her wounds were cleaned, but Matthias’s singing kept her calm. And soon, her dirty clothes were swapped out for an adorable set of red overalls, and all her scrapes were cleaned and bandaged.
Once the last of Fetla’s tears were dried, both Nina and Matthias sank into their seats, sheer relief painting their features as their little girl toddled about the kitchen.
“I was supposed to finish that section of the field by the end of today,” Matthias groaned suddenly. Tiredly dragging his hand down his face, he tugged at the scruff that was beginning to overtake his chin after several days of not shaving. His eyes softened as he watched Fetla sway on her feet. “But I'm just glad that Fetla is safe.”
Nina reached for his hand across the table and gripped it with her own. “She's taken quite a few tumbles lately, that's for sure…”
“But the falls she will take are nowhere near the ones we endured to get here,” Matthias said simply. He squeezed her hand gently, and it was a comfort, even as her other hand sought the curve of her belly. “And for that I am grateful.”
“The children will have their own struggles,” Nina agreed, rubbing circles into Matthias’s calloused skin. “And they'll be different from our own. But at least we’ll be there to help them up whenever they stumble.”
Tired as they both were, Nina rested her head on Matthias’s shoulder, and her lips tilted upward at the sight of their little girl who'd fallen down but still managed to get right back up again.