A/N: From now on, chapter length varies. Some are short. Some are regular. Depends on the talk. :D
Sciencegal, me too! I love the babies. And Leo. Next book. Leo.
Feather, thank you. *steals a tissue to use* That means the world to me - especially since these characters are prototypes for an original adaption I've been working on. *blows nose* We'll see Coyolxauhqui come "The Distance". As for Casey...He isn't forgotten. Trust me. Most questions you have will be answered with time. Some soon. Some not. Heh. ;)
September 26
3:23 P.M.
Mia Anders welcomed her daughter into her master bedroom. Why the girl felt a need to knock, Mia had no idea. Then again, Gavin had always been big on etiquette.
"Daddy's working, Mama?" Nia asked.
Mia grinned at her daughter from the king-size bed. "Yes."
"Oh, good."
"All things considering, I think your father is taking the new arrangements well. Adeline and Sophia are still here with Cuddles. Now you and Raphael are staying with that little pig-creature. Pez."
"I—I didn't mean it like that." Hands raised, Nia glanced over her shoulder then shut the door. "I…I have something important to tell you, and…I wouldn't be able to with him here."
"Is this about what happened last week?"
The pale girl stared at her red Converse. "Sort've."
"I know your father isn't too pleased with what happened. I'm not either, but I know not everyone will accept—"
"It isn't that," Nia interjected, heated. She licked her lips, gaze still downwards. "It's bigger."
"Bigger how?"
"Life changing…"
Dear God, please say she wasn't sick. Mia tensed, her new-found strength depleting with her held breath.
"I—I—I'm not dying!" Nia added as she stepped forward. "It's quite the opposite, actually. Instead of something decaying, it's growing. Living inside me."
Living inside? If not cancer or a parasite then…
Mia's eyes widened. "Yo—you're pregnant?"
Nia fought a smile and failed. She nodded, hand on the doorknob. She wouldn't need that escape route, though. Mia's reeling mind allowed her enough leeway to gesture Nia closer and the moment her child reached arms-length, Mia captured her in a hard hug.
"I—Oh my Gosh, Nia. A—are you sure?"
"Absolutely positive," Nia replied while returning the hug. "Mel and Don confirmed it. My—My first ultrasound is soon."
"This"—the brunette could hardly breathe—"this is amazing. I can't believe it."
"You…you aren't mad?"
"Mad? Why would I be mad? Yeah, you're young. At least you made it past your teen years, unlike some girls these days."
"That's part of it…"
"Ni." Mia drew back slowly to gather her thoughts. She met her daughter's blue and brown gaze with a smile and touched their foreheads together. "You have to remember something. I tried having babies. For a long time. When the doc told me I couldn't? That about destroyed me. Do you know why?"
Nia's forehead rocked against her mother's.
"I missed family. I had Gavin, but…I wanted the dynamic of a child. I wanted someone to care for, who would love me unconditionally. Someone who I could teach what I had learned after the Johnsons disowned me."
"So you adopted me?" Nia asked in a small voice.
"Life blessed me with the chance. You've been my world ever since."
"What…what made you pick me, though? Misses Flemming says I was withdrawn during my stay at Warner-Frost."
"And frightful. Almost feral. I knew you would require special care. That's why I took time off work after your adoption, so I could help with your acclimation."
"So…I was like an abused puppy?"
"In a way. You'd hide in closets, under tables, between the furniture and walls. Took forever to get you to sleep in your bed for an entire night."
"I"—Nia' brows scrunched—"I don't remember ever being scared of you and Daddy."
"Good. That was my goal."
"Was I really so fearful once?"
Mia heaved a weak sigh. "The first three years of your life are a mystery, Ni. Whatever happened left a negative impact. It bothered Gav."
"Really?"
"Not in the way you might think. You were terrified of his glasses, his height and build. That…ate him up inside. He wanted nothing more than for to smile at him, so we started your trips."
"The camping trips."
Brushing a hand through her child's shoulder-length hair, Mia smiled. Until the age of five, Nia cried before leaving with her father. The brunette could recall her sobs; they had cut like knives through both parents. However, Mia had convinced Gavin it was all for the best. He looked awkward about it, too. She still found it adorable.
'And the more often they went out, the more Ni enjoyed it. Now she can't remember a camping trip or date she hadn't looked forward to.'
At least, until Nia's preteen years drew to a close. Then, her headaches became a wedge between her and her parents.
"Da—Daddy's gunna hate me for this too."
"Oh, Nia." The mother rubbed her daughter's shoulders as the young female quivered with tears. "Your father never hated you and he never will. He loves you. He's just…horrible at showing it. It'll be okay."
"He—he's gunna hate my baby." Nia's face fell against Mia's collarbone, her arms wrapping around the brunette's torso.
Mia had little muscle to move her legs, but she did twist at the waist so Nia could sit on the bed's edge. "I…I can't assure he'll be open-minded. It'll take time and talks. But this is his grandchild."
"Some people just don't care about that stuff," Nia grumbled.
"True. I'll work with him then. It's what I do."
"You're really okay with this?"
Mia laid her check against her daughter's frayed hair, smiling. "Life has granted you an opportunity I never had. I'm happy for you, Ni. And I'll be here for you and Raphael. Always."
.
A/N: Short and sweet. Next one is twice as long. LOL. Hope you enjoyed this little mother/daughter fluff. :P
