Terra remembered the very first time she'd ever held a baby in her own arms. She had been greeted upon her return to Mobliz by several of the younger children that she had been caring for, all of whom smiled widely as she bent down to their level to hug them as tightly as she could.
One of the little girls – a little brunette with pigtails named Emily – had grasped her hand tightly, leaned up on tiptoe to reach her ear and whispered excitedly, "Katarin's had the baby!"
She had been ushered into one of the small, somewhat wrecked buildings by the excited child, down into the basement, which smelt as musty as it had when she had left a year ago to assist in the battle against Kefka. Her heart had hammered against her chest with nerves – she had plenty of experience dealing with older children, the youngest being six when she had left – but a newborn babe was something entirely new to her.
The first of the couple she saw was Duane, who immediately hugged her. "It's good to have you back," he said, "The kids have missed you."
That had warmed her heart; she had missed them too. She had spent many a night on board the Falcon thinking of them and worrying for their well-being. Fortunately, her friends had been quick to reassure her and she had spent many an evening regaling them of tales of the children's exploits and achievements.
As she turned the corner, she saw Katarin laid in bed, a tired smile on her face and the tiny babe at her breast. Their eyes met, and Katarin's smile widened. "Terra! You came back!"
She stopped, running a hand through her mint green curls. She didn't initially know what to say, so simply nodded. A beaming Emily skipped ahead of her, "Mama, come and see! Come and see the baby!"
Entwining her hand in the young girl's, she slowly approached the side of the bed, while Katarin slowly eased the babe off of the breast and shifted position to enable a better view. Little blue eyes gazed at her with curiosity and small arms jerked in her direction. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
"Would you like to hold her?"
Heart beating quickly, Terra had nodded. Katarin had leaned over, gently placing the child in her arms. It had been frightening at first, holding such a small, delicate being. She had feared dropping her, so held her so gently it would seem she were made of china. The babe yawned in her arms, and rested against her chest. Terra had recognized the feeling right away in her heart this time – the feeling of love.
"What's her name?" she whispered, unable to take her eyes off of the beautiful creature in her arms.
"Hope."