Moffitt placed a cup of coffee in front of Dietrich, who was staring absentmindedly at his breakfast. "Did you get enough sleep last night?" Moffitt asked, noting the dark circles under Dietrich's eyes.
Dietrich shook his head. "No. I was having bad dreams."
"About the baby?"
"How did you guess?"
Moffitt shrugged. "You've been very preoccupied with it over the last several weeks."
"It has been getting better, but I am still very nervous. So is Esther."
"How has she been doing?"
"Tired. Some days, she is moody. Other days, not so much. I have been following Tully's advice as best I can whenever Esther's mood decides to rapidly change."
"But you two still love each other?"
"Of course we do."
"I know she had a rough history before meeting you. Has that been… playing a role at all?"
Dietrich was quiet for a moment. "It has."
"Does she still occasionally leave the bed?"
"She did once, a few days before we came to visit you. She had been having bad dreams about some of her previous partners finding out. She was still dreaming while partly awake, like what I suffer from sometimes, and she… looked at me and saw one of them instead." Dietrich paused for a few heartbeats. "She screamed. I was startled awake, tried to help, but she was already running from the room. I think she partly came to her senses downstairs, but she still stayed on the couch."
"You didn't go after her?"
"No. I did not want to scare her. I waited until morning to go and say something. She felt terrible for what happened, but I told her not to apologize."
Moffitt looked down at his tea. "At least you understand how she feels."
"I still hope my depression and her trauma do not ruin how our child will turn out."
"I don't think so. Esther's changed a lot since we first met her, and she's still very much in love with you."
"Like you and Vanora."
Moffitt nodded, grinning a little. "Yes. Oh, we celebrate thirteen years of marriage in a few weeks. I've already made reservations at the restaurant hall where we first met, the one where we had our very first dance together. I… want to recreate that. It took some convincing, but the staff there were kind enough to say that we can stay after closing and have the floor all to ourselves."
"You did not threaten them with Anah, did you?" Dietrich said with a slight smirk.
Moffitt snorted. "No, of course not." He lowered his voice. "Don't say anything to Vanora, though, I want this to be a surprise."
"You can trust me to keep a secret."
"Thanks."
The front door opened, and Jules came running in with Anah. "Dad, Snowstripe got out again, and he took Icepatch with him."
"You didn't unlock their pens, did you?" Moffitt asked.
"No. Not this time."
"'Not this time?'" Dietrich frowned. "Jules, under what circumstances did you think letting the horses out was a good idea?"
"I wanted to ride Snowstripe myself."
"With no supervision." Moffitt folded his arms over his chest. "You're lucky you didn't get hurt."
"Snowstripe wouldn't hurt me."
"He's still a horse, Jules. Horses are big and very strong. They don't often understand how strong they are. Even if they aren't intending to hurt you, accidents can happen. That's why you can't ride alone. Not yet."
"When will I be able to ride by myself, Dad?"
"In a few years."
"Aw, but Dad—"
"You need to get stronger, physically, and there's a lot of discipline when it comes to riding a horse, discipline that you don't have yet. You'll get there, though. You just need more time and learning."
Jules still looked disappointed, but he muttered, "Okay, Dad."
"Well, you can still come with us to get the horses back. Did you see where they ran off to?"
"They went toward the park north of the house."
Moffitt and Dietrich put their jackets and boots on before heading out with Jules to look for the horses. Anah had taken her usual place around Moffitt's shoulders, holding herself high to get a better view.
Jules jogged ahead of his father. "I don't even know what happened. Anah was showing me some stuff in the garden when we heard neighing and saw the horses running from the stable. We went to see if there was anything wrong, but there's nothing. It's like they decided to run for no reason."
"It's not the first time Snowstripe has gotten himself out," Moffitt said. "Usually, he has help." He cast a sideways glance at Anah.
"I still cannot believe she convinced Snowstripe to escape his pen just to get me and Troy to start getting alone," Dietrich said.
"It worked, did it not?" Anah asked.
"Yes, but it was still—"
"And now you are the best of friends. It worked."
Dietrich sighed. "Indeed, we are."
They came to the top of a hill, where they could see the two horses had stopped under a tree. Moffitt gave an irritable sigh as he headed toward them first. "Snowstripe!"
Snowstripe turned toward Moffitt, and ran over to greet him excitedly.
"What am I going to do with you?" Moffitt said while Snowstripe nuzzled him. "You can't keep doing this." He gave a heavier sigh while continuing to receive affection, then began petting Snowstripe's neck while grumbling, "You naughty, wild little troublemaker. Yes, bloody wonderful horse, you are." Moffitt turned to face Icepatch, a mare sired by Snowstripe shortly before Moffitt returned home from the war. She was named Icepatch due to the large patches of white fur breaking up the jet-black inherited from Snowstripe. "And you! I expected better from you. I guess trouble runs in the family."
"Her? Trouble? Never." Dietrich walked up to Icepatch, a big smile on his face. He had gotten acquainted with her after riding her with Moffitt and Snowstripe on trip to North Africa to revisit some familiar places. The mare was more than happy to shower him with affection.
"I find it amusing how she just melts for you, Dietrich," Moffitt said.
"I still want her when I retire from the military."
"And you can have her. I promised that years ago."
"When will I get my own horse?" Jules asked.
"When you're older."
Jules folded his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes.
Dietrich laughed. "He looks just like you, Moffitt."
Moffitt frowned. "Oh, dear, he does look just like me."
"You say that like it is a bad thing," Anah said.
"When he hits his next growth spurt, you'll understand. I was very, very lanky and awkward when I was maturing."
"I have seen pictures. You were adorable."
"Shut up. Only my wife can call me that."
Jules suddenly seemed fixated on something in the tree, and tugged Moffitt's sleeve. "Hey, Dad, look."
Moffitt and Anah looked up. Perched on a branch almost directly above them were four magpies. Moffitt noticed Dietrich staring up at them as well. A strange sensation gripped Moffitt's chest and stomach, and he found himself reciting, "'One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl…'" he turned to Dietrich, "'four for a boy.'"
"There are indeed four magpies," Anah said.
"You do not think that poem is mere superstition?" Dietrich asked.
Moffitt cleared his throat, and pointed to Anah.
"Right." Dietrich put his hands on his hips, and looked at the ground. A moment later, he switched his gaze back up at the magpies. There were still four, staring down at the men, boy, snake, and horses.
"I think it's safe to say you're going to have a boy," Moffitt said.
"I never really thought much about it," Dietrich replied. "Why would the magpies come to me now, though? We have about seven-and-a-half months before the baby arrives."
"I don't know. Perhaps to give you time to pick out a name?"
"I already have a name in mind for a boy."
"Oh?"
Dietrich nodded. "Gunther, after one of Rommel's officers who helped train me in North Africa." He kept his gaze on the magpies. "Gunther Samuel Dietrich will be his name."
"Samuel?" Moffitt raised an eyebrow.
"That is Troy's birth name, right?"
"Yes. Are you sure you want that?"
Another nod. "Troy played a large part in saving my life."
"Will Esther agree to it? The whole name, I mean?"
"We briefly discussed names. I know she wants Maria for a girl. I said I was not sure yet."
"Sounds like you are now."
Dietrich was quiet for a moment, then turned to Moffitt. "You are certain the magpies are correct?"
"Four magpies were in the backyard a few days before Jules was born."
"Alright. I trust you."
Even though it had been thirteen years since he and the other members of the Rat Patrol started mending their relationship with Dietrich, it still warmed Moffitt's heart to hear Dietrich say he trusted him.
