Corso woke to the smells of baking, the sweet scents of vanilla and sugar bringing memories of his mother to his half awake brain. He got up and wandered toward the kitchen. Miriah must be anxious about seeing her mom this evening, he thought. She always baked when she was anxious. Thank the stars it didn't happen too often or he'd have to up his training schedule. He entered the kitchen to see several varieties of muffins, layers of cookies, and two cakes on the counter. His wife, her hair piled on her head and dressed in shorts and a tank top, was singing and mixing something in a huge bowl. Devin sat in an infant seat on the counter, watching the movement and grinning when his mom would stop mixing to make faces and coo at him.
Corso went to his wife and kissed her. "Good morning, kitten. Sleep well?" he asked, grabbing a cup of caffa and a muffin with berries, the juice from them mixing with the crumbled sugar topping. "These look delicious," he told her, taking a big bite. Miriah smiled at him, looking rested and strong this morning.
"I thought I'd get a head start on breakfast," she joked, getting a glass of milk from the cooler and sitting at the worktable with him, bringing Devin over as well. "I know, I know, I'm working through it though. And we needed cookies," she grinned at him. "Devin will always need cookies in the house, right little man?" she wiggled the infant's foot as he gazed at her, his eyes getting sleepy. She jumped as the timer dinged and went to the oven, taking out more cookies.
"Devin will be the most popular guy in his class if his mom keeps cookies like these around," Corso told her. And if his mom wears outfits like that, he thought. She looked like a young girl in her current attire, with her hair all over the place, her eyes happy and shining, her face slightly flushed from the heat of the oven. She still looked too thin, but her energy level encouraged him. He watched her as she called Lucky, pouring cat food and milk for the kitten, who seemed to always be under her feet. The rescued animal had imprinted on her once its eyes were open, rarely left her side, and had taken to sleeping at her feet at night.
Corso's datapad, which was lying on the desk in his office space, chimed as he walked past, taking the baby to his bed. He circled back and picked it up, expecting it to be something to do with one of the herds and was surprised to see a note from Aric. "Big news, we'll try to get there this evening when everyone is there. Got a proposition for you two. Later, Aric." Hmm, he thought, that's a little different. Miriah thought so too when he showed her. She'd moved from baking to preparing food for dinner when he put his hands on her arms, making her stop. "You need to pace yourself, darlin', or you'll have no energy left for later. Come over here and sit, keep me company." She blew out a breath before she sat, thinking of all the things she could be doing, but knew he was right. She could already feel the earlier burst of energy fading.
They moved to the couch in the living area. Corso just chatted to her, about the ranch, about Devin, little things designed to relax . While he talked, he took her hair down and massaged her scalp, which always relaxed her. Him, too, he thought. He'd spent months thinking of running his hands through the black, silky hair she mostly wore in a ponytail, back when he'd first known her. Her eyes were closed and she was feeling floaty when he kissed her, and her body responded with a rush of desire. There was no play in it, they'd gone past that point, and she was aware of his response as well. Which was why she was so surprised when he jumped up and away from her.
Oh stars, he thought, she doesn't have to look at me like that. She was still trying to steady her breathing, her hair wild about her shoulders, eyes half closed, lips kiss-swollen, trembling for him. He had to turn away, or he'd lose all control. "I'm sorry, love, I won't hurt you for anything," he told her.
She turned impatient eyes to his. "Don't you realize that I am healed, sugar? Magdalane force healed me. You won't hurt me."
"The doc on station said four weeks, it hasn't even been one yet," he replied, his voice shaking.
"Yes, but he had no idea what Mags was capable of doing," she reminded him, rising from the couch and pulling her tank top off over her tousled hair. He groaned, she had no idea how she affected him, he thought. He'd just started to walk toward her when they heard their son cry. Neither of them moved for a few seconds, and then he gathered her to him for a quick kiss before releasing her and going down the hall to get Devin.
She sat, waiting to nurse the baby, thinking she would never get through four weeks of this kind of need. When Corso brought the baby to her, she grabbed him by his shirt and drew him to her. "This isn't over," she told him in her sultry voice. He swallowed hard and hoarsely whispered back to her.
"Not by a long shot, not ever. Not even if it takes the next hundred years to finish." He gazed into those silver eyes he loved so much and it took all his willpower to move away.
As it always did, nursing the baby soothed Miriah and she was in a much calmer frame of mind when he was full. Corso had gone out the back door, and she put Devin in his portable bed beside her, stretching out to take a quick nap. When she woke, C2 had put all the baked goods in storage bins and cleaned the kitchen. She thanked him, and when she reached to pull out things for dinner, the droid stopped her.
"Master Corso left strict instruction to let him do this, Captain. I believe his words were, 'Tell Miriah to rest and make sure she eats something for lunch.' He said he would be back soon from the pasture." Miriah nodded, she figured he'd gone out to get some fresh air and not be tempted by her. She took some vegetables from the cooler to eat for lunch, and headed down the back hall to their room to shower. When she'd dressed and dried her hair, Devin was hungry again, so she sat to feed him.
The door chime woke her from her doze, Devin still feeding. C2 opened the door to her mom and Magdalane, with the twins. Colin waved and made for the playroom, but Calleigh climbed up on the couch with her aunt and cousin, hugging Miriah and putting her head on her aunt's shoulder.
"She's sleepy, and wouldn't nap until she saw you," Mags smiled. Sarai had followed Mags inside, and hesitantly crossed the room to Miriah, and sat beside her on the couch. Devin was full, and sleepy, when she pulled the blanket she'd tossed over her shoulder aside. Miriah lifted him to her shoulder, got the required burp this time, then wrapped him back up to hand to her mother.
"Mom, meet Devin," she said, as she handed the infant to his grandmother, whose eyes promptly filled when she saw him. Sarai was speechless. Devin looked exactly like she's always imagined a baby boy of her own would look, and it took her voice away. She could only stroke his arms and legs, and smile at his sleepy face as he tried to focus on her.
Miriah pulled a sleepy Calleigh into her lap, the tiny girl snuggling into her aunt with a sigh. Mags had to smile, Calleigh had been great with her but definitely preferred her aunt, sometimes even over her mom. Colin was a typical boy, more interested in play and being outside, while Calleigh was people oriented. Mags might have been jealous of Calleigh's preferences, but the now-palpable movements of her own daughter tempered any negative feelings she had.
Sarai had recovered her voice by then, and started to apologize to Miriah, but her youngest daughter stopped her with a laugh. "It's not me you need to apologize to, Mother. Corso would never ask it, but I feel it is warranted. He's out with a few of the new calves, radio tagging them, but he'll be back in shortly." Miriah kept her tone neutral, trying her best to make things easier between them.
"Devin is a beautiful baby," Sarai said, patting Miriah's knee. "He's very healthy, and his hair is just identical to yours, it takes my breath away to see how much of both of his parents he's incorporated into one." She smiled at the sleeping infant. "He's a wonder, Mir, just gorgeous." Miriah smiled and agreed.
"He's a good baby, sleeping around four hours in a stretch now," Miriah told them. C2 brought a tray with tea, cookies, and small sandwiches for the women, telling Miriah that Master Colin had requested a cookie. "Oh, yes, that's fine, C2. Is he okay in the playroom?" The droid assured her he was keeping a watch on the toddler, and would only give him two cookies.
"So you spent the morning baking," Mags stated, knowing her sister would have been a little anxious about this meeting but not about to say so. Miriah nodded.
"You need to take some of it with you, we'll never eat it all before it spoils," she told her sister, then asked her about the note Aric had sent them.
"I have no idea what it's about, they left this morning to attend a funeral on Coruscant, but said they'd be back this evening. We only saw them a few minutes." Mags took another cookie. "Mir, these are too good. You could sell these, if you wanted. Mom, his portable bed is beside you, if you want to put him down to get a snack."
"Oh no," Sarai responded, "I'd rather hold this little one any day." Miriah and Mags both smiled, knowing the spell Devin had put on their mother.
They passed the afternoon quietly, Sarai graciously apologizing to Corso, him blushing and telling her thank you. The women eventually gathered in the kitchen, Sarai expertly chopping and sautéing things that smelled wonderful. She and her son in law were making dinner, and no one was more surprised than Sarai, but she was having fun with this lively and skilled young man. Felix joined them late in the afternoon, bringing sleepwear for the twins and dessert that Mags had made this morning. They had finished feeding the twins when Aric and Maura showed up. Both Colin and Calleigh made beelines for their parents, who washed faces and hands and changed them for sleeping before settling down at dinner with everyone.
Aric looked around, at this gathering of people he loved in one spot, before he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "As of this morning, Maura and I have resigned our commissions." He waited for the stunned exclamations to settle, then continued. "We talked about it most of the night, and agreed. It's time. But here's the proposition I have. Let's form a consulting firm, as an adjunct to the Republic army." He detailed his plan, and when he was finished, was greeted by thoughtful silence. Miriah didn't need to put a whole lot of thought into it before saying she was in, and of course Corso followed, glad that he'd now have both his ranch and consulting to do without any of it putting Miriah and Devin in danger. "Magdalane, when you and Felix are ready to leave active diplomacy service, we'll open that side of the firm, " Aric told them.
Dinner was a huge success, everyone talking and laughing. Miriah saw that Maura looked younger without the responsibility of Havoc squad on her and Aric was uncharacteristically jubilant. Mags was in her pregnancy glow, and Felix looked relaxed, talking freely where he was usually reserved. Colin and Calleigh slept in the guest room off the kitchen, Devin in his crib. Sarai was keeping an eye on all her grandchildren, nibbling the succulent food and laughing with the group.
This, Sarai thought, is what Ian always wanted. Family.