Welcome to Gaia! ::

"He doesn't smoke," Zia said, looking around, then spotted something on a shelf. "I know what he would like, though." It bounced up and down, a few feathers and cards flitting to the floor from under the hooded jacket it had thrown on before leaving the carnival. "I can't reach it." It pointed at a cherry wood music box so Rhian would know what it wanted.

"Thank you," Zia said, then bustled over to the clerk to pay for the presents, asking the music box and rabbits to be wrapped up as gifts. Once paid for, the Essentic headed outside the shop, presents in hand, and looked up at Rhian, having let her carry the flowers. "Are you mad at me and Faolan?"

"You don't really seem like you like us anymore," Zia said, shuffling a foot. "And you don't like Granda, either. What did we do to make you not want to be around us anymore?"

"Why shouldn't you be around? You're family," Zia said, surprised. "And you're not clumsy. You think I never made mistakes or screwed up? I almost got killed because I used my abilities without thinking." It looked down. "And Mama almost left Faolan because I wasn't doing my job on guiding him." The Essentic shrugged one skinny shoulder. "You should learn to know Faolan and Granda. They're family, too. Might help you with Ellandra some if you knew Faolan better, anyway."

"Faolan really doesn't have better things to do. The man is a cat. He eats, he sleeps, he snuggles Mama--that's pretty much his day," Zia chuckled. "I know he wants to be closer to you. You're a part of Mama and that makes you a part of him, too, just like I'm a part of Mama through him. You're not unwanted."

"Well, we all want you," Zia said, then spotted Keagan and rushed to the man's side. "Granda, are they born yet? We got presents." It held up the gift bags then pointed back at the flowers Rhian held.

Keagan shook his head. "Ah donnae hae a clue, lad. Th' doctor an' nurses are still in there wi' them."

Zia moved to help its sister up, but Keagan was already there, helping her to her feet. "Easy, lass. Still ain't use t' your feet, is you?" He brushed her off gently. "No scrapes or bruises?"

Before Rhian had a chance to answer, the doctor came out and smiled at them. "Grady family, I presume? Everything went well. The children are in the nursery and mommy's resting up. The boy was born first and seems to have broken his sister's clavicle in his eagerness to get out. She'll be alright and there won't be any lasting side effects from it. The boy, however . . ." The doctor paused to make sure he'd put it as delicately as he could. "I'm afraid the boy is blind. We haven't told the parents yet since we're testing him to be sure."

"Can we go see Mama now?" Zia asked, looking up at the doctor and clutching the gift bags to its thin chest.

The doctor nodded. "I think it'll be alright to go see her now, yes."

"Just means this part o' her is broken," Keagan explained, tapping Rhian's collarbone. "It ain't unusual fae them t' get broke in birthin'. She'll heal up just fine, lass." He ushered the kids to the hospital room so the doctor could go check the babies. "Come, bairns, let's gae t' see your parents now, eh?"

Faolan sat in a chair beside the bed, looking as exhausted as Ellandra did, and held his wife's hand. He was slumped down a little, eyes half-closed, relaxing in the lull after his children's arrival. Ellandra was resting and everything was quiet, peaceful. It wouldn't be long before the nurses brought the twins in to show Ellandra how to feed them and all that went with being a mother. For his part, he was going to pester the staff into showing him how to do everything he could--bathing, changing, whatever non-mommy specific jobs there were to help Ellandra out. Right now, though, he could enjoy the peace of just being quiet and relaxed with his wife.