"Anything?"
Steel looked up at the whispered voice of his partner and shook his head slowly. "No, but it hasn't been that long." He moved aside on the bench and Sapphire sat gracefully.
In her arms, she cradled her newborn close to her chest. Kyanite, or Kyan, as he was nicknamed, fussed softly and she kissed the impossibly blond hair. "Hush, Kyan." She inhaled deeply and smiled. "Why do babies' heads smell so good?"
"So that we can tell one end from the other?" Steel let his head tip back. "How long to they say something like this will take."
"There is no time limit."
"Then how…?"
"I don't know," Sapphire admitted with a sense of exhaustion. "There are several books on the subject, but they are very vague on details."
"I have aided in the destruction of civilizations. I have battled Time, Blackness, ghosts, and the Universe. Never have I been thwarted and frustrated with such aplomb."
"I don't know why this surprises you."
"I don't understand."
"She is your daughter, after all."
"That is beside the point."
"I think it very much is the point to all of this."
"Mommy? Daddy?"
They both looked at the source of the voice. Astra was standing there, her pink overalls around her ankles as she waddled towards them.
"Yes, Astra?"
"I went potty and waved bye bye, but I can't do snaps."
"You did?" Sapphire stood and handed Steel his son. "Miracle of miracles."
"I will rate this up with five hours of uninterrupted sleep."
"I remember when you didn't need any sleep at all."
"That was before we had two children." Steel made a face. "Sapphire, is there any chance that I could help Astra with her wardrobe adjustments?"
Sapphire smiled sweetly. "Not on your life, Steel. You know how to diaper as well as I do."
"I was afraid you'd say that." Steel grunted to his feet and carried the now crying baby away.
"This must be the day from miracles… Astra, why are your pants all wet?"
"I was wiping up the floor. Boomer swam away down the hole and the water came."
Boomer was Astra's little plastic duck. "Down the hole? Oh, no, you didn't flush…" Sapphire sighed. "Steel, do you still want to swap?"
At the silence, Sapphire followed the trail of water to the bathroom. It wasn't something that she and Steel used, but Astra's physiology was different. She took one look at the mess, the water on the floor, counter, and nearly every other surface.
The real miracle is that we don't eat them at birth.
There was the sound of mental laughter and Sapphire gave Steel his do. At least in this adventure, she had someone she could admire and love.
Oh, no.
What's wrong?
Kyan just did his impression of the Trevi Fountain.
Welcome to the hood.
The hood?
Parenthood.