Welcome to Gaia! ::

Haides instinctively nuzzled his mate to calm her down when her imagination got the best of her. At his mother's words, his ears perked up. "Expecting?" Jaromila was pregnant? They were... "We're... going to be parents...?" The stallion's thoughts, both good and bad, swirled in his head. Doubt, excitement, joy and fear all blended together and left him trying to figure out how to react. His gaze went to his mate, as if her reaction would give him a clue about his own.

Haides absently nodded to his mother's words before turning his complete focus to his mate. "Mila." His voice was quiet as usual, but still calm and reassuring. He gently nudged Jaromila's head so that she was looking at him. His eyes shone softly with adoration and maybe a spark of amusement. "You're going to be a wonderful mother," he informed her.

Haides smiled. "Anytime," he replied quietly, though his ears flicked against his head when he heard Beta giggling. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Tee-hee! Sorry." Beta smiled brightly back at her glaring best friend. "I just couldn't help picturing lots of Haides mini-mes running around."

"Of course they will. I bet there's gonna be at least one that's just like him," Beta announced happily. Haides huffed and rolled his eyes, but the smallest of smiles remained on his face. He couldn't argue Jaromila's statement; her confidence in him wasn't something easily swayed. He believed her. "We should start planning," he told his mate, looking over at her. They needed to plan now--while they were still able--where they would settle down until the foals were born. They could elect to stay at their normal location, but Haides couldn't help but be worried about that choice. After what happened to Jara and Huel, he didn't want to take chances. There were still options, though. They could stay with Serenity and Ve'ki, or they could go and stay with Jaromir and Michiko.

"I'm worried about staying where we are," Haides admitted softly. "But I want us to be where you're most comfortable." He wanted Jaromila to be safe and comfortable above all else. Those were the two most important things.

"Once the pregnancy progresses, you won't be able to move much," Haides reminded her, remembering his mother in that state. "If you want to stay with your parents, I won't mind. I'm sure it would help keep their worries from growing." If they were with Jaromir and Michiko, he had no doubt their children would be safe. "We should at least see them and tell them the news," he added with a smile to his mate. Jaromir wasn't that approving of him, but it wouldn't be fair to him or Michiko to be left in the dark about their daughter's pregnancy until the foals were already there.

"No matter which you chose, we can still visit the others when the foals are old enough to travel." Haides nuzzled her affectionately. "Do you want to rest for now?" he asked. He didn't want to set out right now if Jaromila was still shaky...