Braska, Mara, and Yuna were in the living room, playing together, as Alex and I laid together on the bed in our room. Mara and Braska had converted a room in a different part of the house into Yuna's room, so we were allowed to stay in the room we had occupied since our arrival. I rubbed her large stomach in small circles as we talked in soft voices.

"Confined to bed rest," she sighed.

"It's good for you," I replied, kissing her cheek. "This one will be here any day now. Besides, it's not like we'd be going anywhere."

"True, but still. I'd love to go for a walk around the city, or through Macalania Woods, or—" she stopped abruptly. "Auron?"

"Yes, love?"

"You might want to get off the bed. And also, call Mara."

"What's wrong?" I asked, getting off the bed.

"Auron, the baby's coming," she said. "Now."

"Oh sweet Yevon!" I exclaimed. "Just breathe, Alex—I'll be right back."

I ran down the hallway, my whole body shaking, and quickly rounded the corner to the living room.

"Auron, what's wrong?" Mara asked. "Is Alex okay?"

"The…" I panted. "The baby's coming!"

"I figured as much," Mara said. "Braska, watch Yuna and call for help. Auron, stay with him until I get everything set up in your room. I'll let you know when you can come in."

"Okay," I nodded. I sat down on the couch with Braska as he made a call on the sphere. After he severed the connection, he pulled Yuna up on his lap and looked at me.

"Auron, you'll be fine," he said.

"I didn't say—"

"You didn't have to," he interrupted. "The look on your face screams it. And besides, I felt it, too, before Yuna was born. Auron, if you love and guard that child half as much as you've loved and guarded your wife, he or she will turn out far better than okay."

"You think?"

"I know."

A hint of a smile flickered across my lips. "Thanks, Braska."

"Don't mention it."

"Auron!" Mara's voice called from the hallway. "Come here!"

"Good luck, to both of you," Braska said as I got up.

"Thanks," I replied, sprinting down the hallway and to my room. Alex had towels under her knees, and Mara was next to her head, coaching her in breathing.

"Auron," Alex sighed. I was at her side in an instant, holding her hand.

"I'm here," I assured her. "I'm here and I'm not leaving." I kissed her hand. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, shooting me a weak smile.

I brushed her damp hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. "You're doing great."

Three people rushed into the room then, all of whom, I assumed, were there to help with the birth. They worked efficiently, and before long, the nurse delivering the child held a screaming, pink baby in her arms.

"Congratulations," she said, smiling. "It's a girl."

"Did you hear that?" Alex asked breathlessly, looking up at me. "A girl. We have our little girl!"

"I know," I said. I kissed her hand again. "Our little girl."

I allowed the other two nurses to tend to Alex as I watched the first one clean the baby off. My baby. Our baby. After she was cleaned up, the nurse brought her over to Alex.

"Here she is," the nurse said, handing the child to Alex. "If you need us, we'll be out in the living room for a little while longer."

"Thank you," Alex said as they left us alone with our daughter. We gazed down at her, and for the first time, noticed her shockingly red eyes, and her wisps of silver hair. They were certainly different features from anyone else in Spira, I was sure of that, but they only added to my wonder, my awe, over her.

"She's beautiful," I whispered. "I can barely believe we made her."

"The best of both of us," Alex nodded.

"She has your lips, you know," I went on. "And your nose, and your eye shape."

"She has your… cheekbones," she said after a moment's hesitation.

"Cheekbones?" I chuckled. "You get nose, lips, pretty much everything that matters, and I get cheekbones?"

"Hey, those are important, too," she laughed. She stroked the girl's cheek. "She's incredible."

"You're incredible," I said, looking down at my family. I went in to kiss the top of Alex's head when she looked up at me. I smiled, and kissed her lips instead. "I love you."

"I love you too, Auron," she murmured.

"Hey, we have to think of names for this little one," I said, sitting down on the bed next to my wife.

"I think… Paine," Alex said.

"Paine?" I asked.

"Mmhmm," she nodded.

"When did you come up with that?"

"Just now," she said. "I don't know what it was that made me think of that name, but it just seems to fit, doesn't it?"

I looked at our daughter. "It does," I nodded. "It really does." I touched her little hand. "Hi, baby Paine."

Paine's fingers grabbed mine and held on firmly. I gasped.

"Wow," I said, looking at Alex. "That's amazing."

"It is," she nodded. "Auron, will you take Paine for a little while? I think I need a nap."

"Absolutely," I said, taking Paine gingerly from Alex's arms. "Take as long as you need—we're not going anywhere." I kissed her one more time before leaving the room, closing the door behind me. I made my way to the living room, where everyone looked up upon my entry.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Paine," I said, letting Paine gaze out at the people in the room. "Welcome to the world, Paine. It can be a ruthless, unforgiving place, but for the most part…" I looked at all of my friends. "It's pretty good."

:::

"Are you sure you have to go?" Mara asked, one week after Paine was born.

"She's a week old already," I said. "She'll be able to handle the journey."

"Really, you could stay a little longer," Mara continued. "We don't mind at all, and Yuna was just getting to know her new cousin, and—"

"Mara," Braska said. "It's their choice. Besides, I'm sure they'll have us over the moment they're settled in." He looked over at me. "Right?"

"Absolutely," I nodded. "We'd love to have you over, as long as you don't mind coming all the way to Kilika."

"Not at all," Mara smiled.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Braska sighed, shifting Yuna onto his hip so she could see us.

"See you later," I said, waving to them.

"Wait!" Mara exclaimed. "Don't leave yet—I forgot something." She ran quickly back into the house, emerging a moment later with a small drawstring bag. "I made this for Paine."

"Oh?" Alex said.

Mara walked over to them and took something out of the bag, slipping it over Paine's little wrist.

"It's a perfect fit," she declared, smiling. I looked over at Paine, noticing the bracelet on her wrist. Its beads were crafted from wood and painted in colors similar to the colors on her mother's necklace, and facing out was a small wooden oval, her name engraved upon it in elegant script.

"Mara, it's lovely," Alex said, running her finger over the bracelet. "Truly."

"Thank you," Mara said. "I just wanted Paine to have something to remember this by."

"This is masterfully crafted," I commented. "You must have worked long nights on this."

"Oh, it was nothing," Mara smiled. "You're going to make me blush, both of you!"

Alex smiled. "Well then, we'd better get going. We want to reach the Moonflow before nightfall."

"Ambitious," Braska chuckled. "Good luck."

"Be careful," Mara said, hugging Alex and then me before her husband followed.

"Mara, they'll be fine," Braska said. "They've got Auron."

"Hush," I laughed. "We have Alex, too."

After another round of goodbyes, Alex, Paine, and I were on our way back to Kilika.

"Did we really have to leave so soon?" Alex asked when we were almost to the edge of the woods.

"You were the one who suggested we leave!"

"I know," she said. "I just… kind of wished we'd stayed a little longer."

"We can always turn back, you know. I'm sure Mara would be delighted."

She shook her head. "No. Kilika's where we belong."

I took her hand. "I'm sure Paine will love it there."