Lirum was two and a little over six months old when a devastating sickness ran through Tosca. Kaim could see Sarah out at their gate, sadly looking down the path to the little village. It was too much of a risk to set foot into Tosca with Lirum as small as she was. If she caught whatever was ravaging the people, there could be a chance that she wouldn't survive it. As much as it worried the two immortals of the fate of their most favorite village, they didn't want to give that sickness a chance with their daughter.

Kaim peeked his head around the corner to where Lirum slept on their small chaise in the living room. Her body skewed, and limbs tossed about in a way that reminded Kaim of her mother. He laughed as he gently pulled open the front door. Sarah didn't even turn around, hands just clasping around their gate as if they were prison bars.

"I can't bear it."

Kaim hummed in agreement, setting a hand onto her shoulder. "Tosca has done so much for us," she continued, "and we're stuck behind this barrier until we get the all clear."

"We have to think of Lirum."

"I know," she relinquished with a sigh. She stood facing the path for another moment and then turned towards him. She leaned her back against the gate. She didn't look Kaim in the eyes, but he knew she was scheming something with the way she was biting her lip. "But I was thinking."

"Sarah."

"Just hear me out!" Sarah looked up at him with wide eyes, a slight dip to her lips that wasn't quite a pout. Kaim couldn't resist that particular look and couldn't avoid this discussion as he knew it wasn't going to be something that she could easily drop. He sighed and relented with a nod. "We've only maybe four months of supplies left to feed the three of us. This sickness could last longer! If I went down to help we might be able to find a cure faster."

"And what if you can't?"

"Well, we'd be stuck anyway." Sarah sighed. "I understand the lockdown we've created for ourselves, but I haven't heard a positive word from the people down there in three weeks. It's like they're at a standstill. Meanwhile more and more people are getting sick and some are probably starting to die."

"We've told ourselves that we won't interfere in mortals lives while Lirum is still so young."

"I know, but what happens when we run out of food? There's only so much we can ration, and unfortunately, I was too busy to plant food this past spring. We can't last on carrots for long."

"We can make it last, though."

"Lirum won't, the stubborn little thing." Sarah offered a small smile. "She can't stand the taste and I know you hate to see her cry."

Kaim knew he had a soft spot and probably spoiled his daughter just a little, but he couldn't agree to her suggestion. He opened his mouth to speak—

"And don't you say she'll learn how to eat them, because that means she'll have to go hungry first and I won't allow that. We're not so rugged as you, Kaim."

—and closed it just as quickly. He wouldn't allow Lirum to taste hunger. None of his children ever went without food, even when he did, and it would never be the time to start. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sarah was very convincing at times, and especially when life started to look grim. Her sometimes wild ideas are always what worked in the end, he had to admit. He had gone through the stock of food they had, and it was starting to get uncomfortably thin. Tosca was not getting better, and unless he wanted to plunge into the sea, try to swim to Saman, possibly get lost along the way, and have to find a way back up the mountain and home with a pack of supplies, and without going through Tosca, they were not going to get any more food or other necessities.

He promised Lirum she'd never be without and even if she was too young to understand a struggle, he didn't want to chance that experience for her. "I'll go."

"And do what?" He knew that suggestion wasn't going to work, thought felt the need to try. He winced at her higher pitched tone. "You're good with a sword, but I'm definitely better at curing and have more medical knowledge."

"I really don't want you to go."

"I know," she said softly.

"What if you catch it too?"

"We're immortal." It always came back to that point. That was how she won their discussions, by reminding him of their unendingness. "And I'll be sure to be careful. I've gone on healing expeditions before."

"I know," Kaim acknowledged with a frown. He thought back to his own fever he caught years ago and couldn't help the feeling of a coil growing taught in his gut. He didn't want Sarah to have a chance to go through what he did, but what other choices did they have? They promised not to meddle in mortal affairs, and yet if they didn't, they could suffer consequences the little family of three couldn't afford. He thought back to Lirum, his small and currently healthy daughter, and despaired at the thought of her being hungry.

There was some silence after the last words were said. Kaim knew the answer would only have to be to let her go. He rolled his shoulders as Sarah waited patiently. She didn't need his permission, she never did, but they needed to agree on something. "You'll have to leave when Lirum is asleep. She hates to see you go."

"In the early morning then," Sarah settled.

. . .

Kaim woke up when Sarah gently nudged his shoulder. She was packed in a heavy rain cloak. She put a finger to her lips and pointed down. He turned to see Lirum snuggled in beside him. "Storm?" he whispered. He had slept through another one.

Sarah nodded. "I'm going to leave now while the thunder is rolling away."

Kaim carefully pulled himself up from the mattress, quickly replacing his body with a pillow. There were a few seconds of stillness as they watched Lirum press her face into the soft thing before finally resettling. Kaim walked Sarah down the steps and to the door. It was nearing three in the morning, and Sarah was going to go straight away to the Toscan inn, and settle herself there. He adjusted the hood of her cloak, pulling the string a little tighter. He began to check off. "You've got your staff, medic documentation, notes, and paper?"

"Yes, yes, yes and yes." Sarah pulled her pack higher onto her back, her staff strapped into one of the loops. "I'm set and secured."

Kaim brushed a thumb across her cheek. Already missing being wrapped up with her in bed. "You have our love."

"I wouldn't leave without it."

Sarah leaned up and gave him a quick kiss to his lips. With a sigh, he pulled open the door. At the gate she gave him one last wave, and then she was gone too quickly.

. . .

Kaim was rudely awaken to a series of light smacks to his face. The light was pouring in from his bedroom, the rolling storms passed on swiftly enough, and the sun burning the last of the dark clouds. He looked over to the annoyed face of his daughter. "Lirum, you can't hit daddy. What do you say?"

"Mommy."

"No." Kaim sat up. Lirum crossed her arms and he almost laughed at her pout she was trying to pull on him. A millennium of fatherhood knowledge let him know that he couldn't let her see that humor or else all would be lost. "What do you say to daddy for hitting him?"

There was a grimace, but then her eyes casted downwards as she said, "sorry."

He picked her up and swung her onto his lap. She laughed, Kaim guessing that she momentarily forgot her ire, so he tickled her sides to make sure she didn't remember altogether. "Breakfast?"

"Eggs!"

Kaim thanked whoever was listening in the heavens above that they had invested in getting their own chickens as this was Lirum's go to breakfast whenever he or Sarah asked. He followed her into her bedroom where she picked her own outfit of shorts and a long-sleeved sweater, and Kaim helped her pull on her socks. As they reached the steps to go down, he held out his hand. With a giggle, Lirum linked hers in his. As they did whenever it was Kaim who helped her down the stairs, they hopped down the steps one by one. He already missed Sarah's sigh of disappointment at the silly behavior. He didn't let it linger. Lirum was good at catching moods.

Luckily, she was distracted enough that she didn't notice the absence of her mother downstairs. Not right away, anyway.

In the mudroom, they pulled on their boots. "It got rainy?"

"It did. Remember last night? The thunder?"

"I no like thunder." Lirum stuck out her tongue and Kaim laughed as he slid the boot onto her last leg. "It is too loud!"

"You do not like thunder?" Kaim asked with a gasp. Lirum giggled at his overdramatic sounds. "That's why I had a visitor last night!" Kaim helped the young girl up. She looked up at him with a smile. "I thought you said you were too big to sleep with mommy and daddy?"

"Never!" Lirum ran out in front of him, pulling open the door leading to the backyard of their home, and—doing what any child would do when wearing boots—jumped into the first mud puddle she found.

Kaim took the wicker basket that hung on a nail by the door and walked next to his daughter as she stomped her way to their chicken coop. Lirum's favorite part of the morning was getting the eggs, so as she got closer, the less stomping she made. She shushed her father, making him snort a little, as he pulled open the creaky gate.

The routine was that Lirum would collect the eggs from under the chickens. Sarah was very good at showing her how to "sweet talk" the chickens to get them to move from their spots. It wasn't necessary at all to talk to the chickens as they do the same thing no matter what is said or not said to them; but they had to make this job entertaining for the child. Kaim allowed Lirum to show him exactly what to do.

"You have to tell them pretty things," Lirum said, for what Kaim was sure was his dozenth time hearing this lesson. He nodded stoically anyway, listening intently to her words. Just another morning in the chicken coop. "Like: Miss Button, oh my how nice you look!"

That was a new one. Kaim chuckled. Lirum mimicked Sarah so perfectly, he could practically see his wife pushing her glasses up on her nose with her lesson finger in the air. "Who taught you that compliment?" Kaim smiled at the tilt of her head and reworded his question. "Who taught you those pretty words, that compliment?"

"Oh! Mommy. She told me that…complatint?" Kaim repeated the word, and Lirum tested it out again, "comp-le-mint!" She turned her head and patted Miss Button on her head. Then she looked up at Kaim expectantly.

"Sorry." He gently lifted the chicken up and Lirum collected the eggs underneath.

They did this for each of the four chickens they had, compliments then the taking of the eggs, and Lirum very carefully carried the basket back to the mansion.

Kaim was fortunate enough that Lirum didn't ask where Sarah had gone until after they had eaten breakfast, and the next set of storm clouds rolled through. As he checked the front door for any messages on the gate, the first drops of rain hit the top of his head, and moments after he closed the front door, the water broke free from the sky with heavy drops. Lirum watched the outside darkened through the window, eyes large and looking. Kaim knew that if the thunder rolled back in there would be some trouble. Sarah was infinity better at singing Lirum down from her terror.

"Where is mommy?"

"Out." Kaim was looking through their bookshelf for a book he knew Lirum would like to hear but paused when he heard her question. He hoped she wouldn't be too upset that Sarah wasn't going to be returning soon. "Mommy went to go help the people in Tosca," he added.

"The sick people?"

Kaim nodded. He waited to see if she had any other questions, but she just turned her head to watch more rain fall to the earth. Kaim picked out a few books and sat on the couch. Lirum climbed into his lap a moment later, laughing at the first book he held up.

. . .

Kaim forgot what it was like to entertain a toddler all day. Usually there was a schedule between the two parents, and they would get some down time to take a quick nap or get anything else done around the house. But now that Sarah was gone, it was all Kaim. In between making sure Lirum wasn't getting into anything, he was prepping meals, cleaning, and getting the house ready for the colder months.

He hadn't been a single father in centuries.

He had forgotten how exhausted he would feel at the end of the day.

And it was only day one.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. It was nearing nine-thirty and he felt like he didn't get anything meaningful done today. He walked down the steps and pulled open the front door. The rain had left leaving a note attached to the gate.

Kaim,

It's bad down here. I'm almost surprised not everyone has caught this sickness. Those few that have not caught it, I have sent them to Saman in search of more information. Hopefully now that I'm here, they can better search for answers.

I hope your day was fun! I also hope the rain passed with no more thunder up there. We both know how hard it is to get Lirum to calm down from the sounds.

I will try to be home as soon as this is over.

Send Lirum my love,

Sarah

. . .

The month dragged on, but Lirum was enjoying the change that autumn brought and Kaim was happy for the distraction from the absence of Sarah. Lirum was taking Sarah not being home very well, and he was a little surprised. He was sure that by now Lirum would be watching out for Sarah any moment she could, but the two-year-old was content just being around Kaim all day. The season brought about the leaves turning from green to red-violet, yellow, and orange; Lirum enamored with the change.

Kaim and Lirum spent the cool days outside watching the change and today ventured out to the cliffs after lunch. Sarah's barrier was still in full force, but Kaim always held Lirum's hand when they got towards the edge of the rocky cliff. The sea crashed against the rocks in a swift motion. "It's a loooong way down!"

"It is." Kaim held onto her hand tightly as she leaned her head out until it bumped the vibrating wall in front of them. She giggled and smoothed her hair back into place. "This was the place that me and your mother met."

"You found mama here?" Lirum looked up curious.

Kaim wasn't going to tell her the full details on their horrific first day of their meeting—he's sure Lirum wouldn't want to hear about her mother falling to her death off the high cliffs of this place—but he would tell an abridged story. "You know how mommy likes to read all the time?" A flurry of nods let him know that their daughter had noticed Sarah's study habits. "Well, she dropped books from all the way up here." And then they walked to the other side of the cliff that dropped down three hundred meters to the edges of the mountain. Down there was the old path that led to Sarah's harbor, but that boat had sunk decades ago. It wasn't used much now-a-days. "And they landed down there. I helped her pick them up."

"That's a loooong way down!" Lirum looked up. "Was mama sad they were broked?"

"She was very sad that her books were broke, yes." Kaim led his daughter away from the cliff and back down the path towards their home. "But she found other copies and fixed what she could."

"Because she's a fixer!"

Kaim smiled fondly. Sarah was a fixer, and he was missing her terribly. This month-long separation was the longest they'd been away from each other in three years. The absence of his wife was cold and harsh and tore his spirit in two. On top of that he felt a little antsy as he always did when she was not safe in Tosca or safe by his side.

And at night it was worse for the moments he was awake and aware that his wife wasn't next to him. Usually when Sarah was away, he could hardly sleep. Luckily for him, this time around he had someone else that needed ten times more of his energy to keep engaged. He had noticed his anxiety induced insomnia was less apparent with Lirum to keep him company and wear him out, though he still missed and longed for his immortal companion. He briefly wondered how she was handling the sickness in Tosca as he and Lirum reached the back of their home.

.

Later that afternoon, Kaim was adding logs to their firepit. It was a little warmer, and there looked to be no rain coming, so he decided that he could cook dinner outside tonight. With one eye on his daughter, who was petting a stray cat that visited the house sometimes, he lit the fire.

It flickered into life, and Kaim enjoyed the heat radiating from it. The supplies for their dinner were right next to the door, and with Lirum busy playing with the cat, he thought it would be safe to turn around for just a few moments.

He was wrong. In just the few steps it took to reach the basket and pan for dinner, the cat ran away from the little girl. Just as Kaim had turned around to wonder why the cat had run past him, Lirum was reaching for the fire, curiosity lit on her face. Kaim's heart dropped to his stomach as he yelled out, "Lirum!"

His voice must have jolted her because she got too close to the flame and cried out. Kaim dropped everything to run towards her. He tried to hold her arm still to inspect the burn. Big tears were streaming down her face and she was twisting and turning to jerk her arm away. "Stop."

"Mommy!" she wailed and thrashed a little harder. "I-I want mommy!"

Kaim told her to sit down, but she refused, still trying to get away from him. "I can't do anything about this until you sit down!" He was losing his calm, and he knew Lirum could feel it making matters worse. He hardly ever lost his cool with his daughter, but she had a knack for knowing when he was irritated, and it brought out her flight and hide instinct. Kaim held on tight as she began to push him away from her. "Lirum."

"It hurts!"

"I know, you need to sit down."

"But it hurts!"

"Sit down, Lirum."

"But—!"

"I said, sit down!" Kaim chose his meanest face, and with that deep command, his daughter dropped to her knees. Kaim sighed and lifted her arm again. It wasn't a bad burn, leaving only a small red mark on her palm and thumb. He gently placed a hand over it and took in a deep breath. He can only use one spell, and it was ten times weaker than Sarah's zephyr, but it did the job. Lirum's hiccups subsided the longer they kept still. When he lifted his hand, the mark was still there, but Lirum could move her fingers without pain. "Are you okay?"

More sniffles and a nod.

Kaim stood up and lifted her into a hug, and she tucked her face into the crook of his neck. He rubbed a soothing hand on her back and swayed from side to side. Soon enough she was trying to make her way back down to the ground. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's okay. Mommy yells sometimes too," she said, with a small smile.

"Do you want to help with dinner?"

"No more fire?"

"I will handle the fire." Kaim smiled down at her and she nodded in return.

.

Kaim leaned against the house, Lirum tugging on his hair as she sat in his lap. She was trying her best to braid, but her hands were still a bit uncoordinated, so it was just tying into a knot. Kaim did not mind, and when he had a moment he caught her hand in his. In the firelight he could see that the burn mark hard almost faded away completely. He used the last of his magical energy to sooth the spot once more and found that Lirum was nodding off soon after. "Hey, you need a bath."

"No."

"Yes. You smell like a campfire." With a chuckle to the pout on her face, Kaim lifted her up and doused the last of the dying embers with water from a pail before turning into the house.

He carried the sleepy Lirum to one of the downstairs bathrooms and filled the tub with cold water. Without Sarah here, their magic hot water tank had cooled, but luckily his smart wife created little balls of hot energy that melted into the water and warmed it up nicely. Kaim thanked her in his head for the invention she created years and years ago as he added a little bit of soap to the water. He pulled off Lirum's clothes, and the girl stomped her way over to the tub. "Hmph."

"Get on in," Kaim said with a tap to her back. She giggled and pulled herself into the tub, making sure to splash him along the way. "I deserve that," he said with a sigh, only making his daughter laugh more.

He scrubbed her of the sweat of the day and the rinsed her hair of the smell of smoke. While she was distracted by the suds in the tub, he quickly braided her wet hair. He knew her hair would be a mess in the morning if he didn't. By the time he was done towel drying her off she was sleeping standing up. He was happy for the fightless night as he carried her to her bedroom. After making sure she was tucked in and into a deep sleep, Kaim left her room, leaving the door cracked just a little.

"I should take a bath too," he murmured to himself as he sniffed the inside of his shirt. He made his way back to the bathroom, grabbing a towel along the way.

With three heating spheres in the tub, he sank into the water, allowing it to lap up over his head, before breaking the surface again. He let his body relax into the warm tub, letting his head rest against the back rim of the tub. Before he knew it, he was waking up. The bath water long grew cold.

How long was I out? Kaim looked at the clock in the corner and laughed to himself. Three hours.

He wet his hair again, quickly washed it and hopped out of the cold water. Making sure he was all dried off so that the cold night air wouldn't make him even colder, he pulled on a robe and made his way out of the room. He carefully creaked down the stairs and unlocked the front door. He looked out and there was another note on the gate.

Sarah's writing was rushed, but that always signaled a good thing. He smiled as he read: The cure is at hand just need to administer to everyone. Be home soon. Sarah.

. . .

Kaim was reorganizing the woodpile outside. It had been two weeks since the last letter, but he knew Sarah was going to be home soon. To get everyone cured would take a little while and then she would want to make sure it was safe for everyone to return home; and that there was enough of the medicine to last them through the winter season in case there was another, hopefully smaller, outbreak. He guessed it would be another week or so, and he couldn't just sit around and wait for her either. The winters always came early in these mountains and being this far up north it was likely to start snowing any time this coming month.

Lirum was dressed in two very heavy sweaters and sat on one large log with a pencil and paper. She was drawing something but was being very secretive about it whenever Kaim asked. He was amused by her secrecy and played along.

Suddenly, she asked, "Papa, when's your birthday?"

"Hmm?" Kaim placed the last of the wood on the pile and pulled his axe from the wall of the woodhouse.

"When is your birthday?"

"Well." Kaim thought. Had he ever celebrated a birthday? Wedding anniversaries, yes, and any other family's birthday's yes, but he never celebrated his own. He couldn't even think about when he would place his birthday. It's been a long life. "I don't know, Lirum."

"You no not know when your birthday is?" Lirum sounded so shocked that Kaim ate the grin that wanted to break out on his face. "And mama?"

"Ah." Kaim thought back. He didn't know if Sarah celebrated her birthday, and if she did she never told him about it. "I don't know."

"Papa." Lirum set her pencil and paper down and stood up with one hand on her hip. He couldn't help the laugh that came out when she pushed pretend glasses up her nose. She was Sarah's daughter alright. "We have a party for me!"

"That's because your birthday is in the spring."

"And yours?"

"I don't know."

"Why?"

"Because I've lived a long time and I've forgotten."

"Why?"

"Why have I lived a long time?" Kaim watched as his daughter nodded. He set the axe on one shoulder and shrugged with the other. "I'm not too sure myself. That's just the way it is."

Lirum stomped her foot. Kaim raised an eyebrow. "Well, you will have a birthday!"

"I will?"

"Yes! Mommy too!"

Lirum sat back down and turned her paper over. She began to write furiously, and when Kaim looked down he laughed again at the squiggles and scratches she was setting to the paper. She covered it up when she heard his laugh and saw him looking. "Don't look!"

"Okay, okay."

As Kaim drug out old fallen trees from outside the gate to the back yard, Lirum sat and concentrated on her illegible writing. By the time he was finished cutting enough wood for the winter months that were soon to come, Lirum was back at his side again with the paper. He gently took the writing and little drawing from her hand and tried to decipher it. "Is this a recipe?"

Lirum nodded with a big smile on her face. "I need your help!"

. . .

Two days later Kaim received the last letter informing him that Sarah would be home the next day. Two months was a long time and he thought to himself that he'd rather not do that again.

. . .

Sarah breathed in a sigh of relief that her home was not burned to the ground. She knew Kaim wouldn't let anything happen to it or its occupants, but a mother did have her worries. She touched the cold gate in front of her and lingered for a moment. Happy to be home, and happy to rest. She took in a deep breath and pushed open the bars.

The front foyer was still and quiet and Sarah wondered just where her husband and daughter could have wandered off to. I almost would have thought that Lirum would be at the window waiting for me to come. Unless Kaim didn't tell her. I know he got the last message because it wasn't on the gate…

Sarah walked up the stairs into the bedroom she shared with Kaim. She set her things on their bed, and looked into their bathroom and in the closet. No one there. No one in Lirum's room. No one in the study or library. She walked down the stairs and checked the living room and den. She quickened her pace to the kitchen, and it too was spotless. "Where could they be?"

She noticed the door leading to the mudroom was ajar, so she ventured her way in there. It was just a little bit warmer today, so there could be a chance they were out back.

When she opened the back door, she was greeted to a very happy Lirum. "Happy birthday, mama!"

There was a fire, a makeshift log table, and two banners. One banner was written out nice and neatly: Happy Birthday! and the second one in more squiggly lettering: Welcome Home! She could easily guess which one Kaim made and which one Lirum insisted on helping with.

Sarah could feel the tears running down her face. She turned to see her husband with a little smile just for her. In a few paces he was wrapping her in a very tight hug. "Welcome home, my dearest."

"I'm so happy to be home!" Sarah held on for as long as she could, but soon there was a small child worming her way in-between them. With a laugh, Sarah scooped up her daughter and left a big kiss on her cheek. "And you did this for me?"

"Yep!" Lirum exclaimed with a giggle.

"And it's my birthday?"

"It's yours and daddy's birthday!" Sarah set Lirum on the ground and the girl was tugging on her trousers for her to follow. "I made you this! Daddy helped." It was a beautiful little drawing of the three of them with Kaim's patient writing underneath. "It's you, me, and daddy!"

Sarah was pulled over to the log table. "And I made you this!" She presented, with as much flourish a three-year-old could muster, a cake with crudely drawn picture of a smiling face on it with the number one underneath. "It's your first birthday! Daddy's too!"

Sarah lifted an eyebrow up to Kaim. He shrugged. "It's been a weird few days."

"Daddy helped with the fire today." Sarah watched as Lirum's eyes grew big, and she scrambled to pull up her sleeve. "I got a burn mommy!"

Sarah immediately furrowed her brow and looked up at Kaim. She watched as her husband rolled his eyes. "It wasn't bad. I took care of it," he said before she could think to ask.

"Are you okay?"

"Yep! Papa's a fixer too!" The little girl lifted her hand, and Sarah inspected it. She couldn't even see any marks, so the burn really must not have been bad at all.

"I'll explain later," Kaim said reassuringly.

"Yeah! Let's eat!"

. . .

Sarah followed Kaim up the stairs and watched as he set the sleeping Lirum into her bed. Sarah walked over after he made sure she was snug into the blankets and laid a gentle kiss to her forehead. Lirum hummed in her sleep but didn't stir.

As soon as Sarah freshened up and pulled on her nightdress, she climbed into bed next to Kaim. Kaim wrapped her into the closest and tightest cuddle she had received in a long time, intertwining limbs until she could hardly tell where she began, and he ended. She laughed as he pulled off her glasses and laid them on the pillow behind her. He silenced her mirth with a long kiss, Sarah sighing after they let go. "I've missed you so much."

"It's been so cold without you here." Kaim ran his hand through the ends of her hair.

"Even though I usually bring in the cold with my toes?" Sarah teased. Kaim just answered with another, though shorter, kiss. "Lirum didn't sneak into bed with you at all?"

"Only two times."

"I'm surprised!"

"I tried to tire her out as much as I could. It kept us both distracted."

"Sorry."

Kaim shook his head. "You had to do what you had to do."

Sarah hummed and planted her head on Kaim's chest. It calmed her down when she could hear and feel his heartbeat. "It was pretty devastating down there."

"Was it?"

"Mmhm. I'm glad I went down when I did. Tosca wouldn't have survived the winter. So many people succumbed." Sarah frowned. She guessed Kaim could feel it, as his hand was rubbing her back soothingly. She continued, "luckily no children perished."

"Was it hard on them?"

A nod. "It was a bad virus that attacked their senses and left a few with hearing and vision loss. It was bleak for anyone who was older. It attacked the elderly far worse for reasons unknown. Not everyone survived."

"I'm sorry."

"With me there it was a less painful death." Sarah could feel herself sag into the mattress. It was unfortunate that so many people she had known for years would just waste away that quickly. "It was still hard."

Kaim kissed her temple and she leaned into his chest once more. She didn't have the energy to grieve right now but knew in the coming days she'd let it out. She was just so happy to be home next to her husband, with her child safely in the next room.

Thinking of Lirum. "What happened with the fire?"

Kaim sighed. "She got a little too close and burned her hand. I healed it with magic."

"Are you okay?" Sarah peeked up to see him nod. "I know it's not easy for you to procure magic."

"I only used a little. Besides it was not a bad burn at all. Only on the surface."

"Okay." Sarah put her head back down. "Was Lirum scared?"

"I had to use my Dad Voice."

Sarah laughed. It was such an overdramatic deeper version of Kaim's voice, that whenever he had to use it, which wasn't often, she always had to turn her head to keep from Lirum seeing her laughing. "She was trying to pull away from me and wasn't listening," he continued, whining just a little at her humor.

"She was just scared."

"I know." Kaim sighed. "I lost my patience though."

"Aw. Poor papa Kaim." He tickled her in response.

After squirming away for a moment, Sarah wrapped herself against him again and asked, "how does it feel to have a birthday?"

"It's odd." Kaim took a moment to pause. "I've never been asked before. Maybe my past children never noticed that my birthday was never celebrated. We always celebrated their birthdays, their mother's birthdays, and wedding anniversaries, but mine just slipped on by. This time around our child just happens to have two parents who don't celebrate birthdays, and she must have been curious as to why."

"It's kind of nice having one," Sarah said between a yawn. The day was starting to finally catch up to her. Kaim untangled his arms and legs and allowed Sarah to stretch a little. After placing her glasses safely on the nightstand beside the bed, she curled into him once again; another smaller yawn escaping her. "I feel appreciated."

"Happy first birthday?" She laughed. Kaim nestled in beside her. "It's weird saying that after living a millennium."

"And there will be many more to come," Sarah finished with a smile. Kaim leaned in, and Sarah met him in the middle of the small space between them. With a kiss goodnight, she closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.