Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ulrich just grinned at Cindy, his blue eyes glinting mischievously. "You're going to be hearing some very interesting stories, I'm sure," he winked at her. "It seems everyone has some tale to tell about me to make others laugh."

Rhea giggled. "That's because you're funny, Neko," she told him, poking his cheek with one finger.

Ulrich laughed. "Ah, so that's where you get it from!" He turned his head to nibble on her finger, making her squeal with laughter and hide her hand in her lap.

"Neko!" she exclaimed.

Ulani giggled at Cindy. "Well, I'm sure I could probably tell you more stories than anyone else," she murmured, "considering how old we are now ... though whether or not they would be interesting depends on your point of view. We went through many adventures together, Ulrich and I ..."

Ulrich blinked innocently at his wife. "I thought we still were," he pointed out. "After all, isn't life here always an adventure? Especially with the ranch so close, and our own children and grandchildren living so near?"

"Don't forget me!" Rhea piped up, poking Ulrich on the nose again.

Ulrich chuckled at her. "I didn't, I said grandchildren," he winked. "That means you, too."

Ulani grinned at Ulrich. "And here I thought that life here meant we had finally settled down," she laughed softly. "But you're right, Cindy," she added, looking over at the girl and nodding. "We have had an interesting life together, to say the least ... but I do have to add that I'm sure Ulrich will have just as many stories about me as I will about him."

"It goes both ways, after all," Ulrich chuckled. "And really, the only time my wife is all grown-up and serious is when we're with others. Keep in mind, we were alone for nearly three thousand years."

Ulani looked thoughtful. "Looking back on it," she murmured as she took the cider off the fire and set it on a wooden plate, "there was so much happening at every turn ... and yet I can't say that it seemed like a long time. Long compared to some things, yes ... but altogether?"

Ulrich shook his head. "It could never be long enough," he said seriously. "The time with our family ... here ... and ... other places ... it could never be long enough. It wasn't long enough."

As one, Ulani and Ulrich both nodded.

"With the death of each child," Ulani said softly, her eyes growing shadowed. "Then it doesn't matter that we're together ... it still feels like we're alone."

"But it helps," Ulrich added, "don't get us wrong. It helps that we're together. But ... the death of a child just creates a void ..."

"Thankfully, the void has been filled," Ulani smiled once more. "We now have two beautiful children, and several grandchildren, and can even look forward to some great-grandchildren in the future, possibly even the near future, the way things are going."

Rhea giggled at Cindy and snuggled once more into her father's chest.

Ulani smiled. "To be fair," she pointed out, "it's really no different from anyone else on the ranch ... I mean, you all were here before the ranch even existed, now look at Ahren and Arwen and Adanedhel and even Shael. Sure, no one knew Shael as an infant, but the others were all born long after the ranch had begun, and now they're adults and Arwen might even be starting her own family, for all we know. She and Roydon left the day before you arrived, hoping to reach the south before the real winter hit -but I mean, they've been married over a year now, who's to say they don't already have a child on the way?"

Unlikely, since they had been so insistent on traveling, which would be hard enough without being pregnant, but still, it was possible.

"That was a long time ago," Ulani smiled. "She's doing very well indeed now. Married and heading to the south to live ..."

Her expression turned curious. "But did you not see her at Lore and Elnara's wedding? She was there, as I believe you were ..."

Rhea grinned at Cindy. "Just like Papa will be reading to you until you learn how to read our language!" she beamed. "It's nice that you can at least have help."

The rest of the visit passed quickly, when Ulani realized that Shael would be looking for Rhea and Cindy for lunch.

Winter passed and turned into Stirring, which blossomed into spring, and before anyone realized it, a new year had come and was filling the world with lush greens and gorgeous blue skies. The children from the ranch were returned home to their families, Rhea began her lessons with her grandmother, and life returned very much to normal.