Welcome to Gaia! ::

Idri had heard about all the little pop-up shops that were all over the city and decided to go check some out while he was out grocery shopping. It was almost New Year’s Day and there were traditional dishes he needed to make, things his mother had always made that he had continued to make for New Year’s. Maybe one of these shops would have some of the specialty ingredients he would need.

He parked near where a street full of small shops had popped up with a reusable grocery bag in case he found anything. One of them sold handmade baby clothes and toys and he couldn’t resist stopping. Most of the items were made in bright colors or pastels, but he managed to find a couple things in darker colors. The twins had plenty of bright and colorful things (thanks to their mother and auntie) and not very many things in darker colors (mostly because he wasn’t usually the one shopping). But this seller had two three piece sets: one in dark purple, one in dark blue. Each set contained a hat, a onesie, and a pair of fabric shoes they could grow into as they started crawling and walking. For now, the shoes would keep their little toes warm in the colder months. She was also selling fabric rattles, so he grabbed a couple of those as well. Natural fabrics were better for them to chew on than plastic.

With the new items for Haji and Gabi tucked into his bag, Idri moved on. Most shops were things he wasn’t interested in, but then he caught the scent of something he hadn’t had in years. Not since before his mom had passed away. Buñuelos. They were easy enough to make - just balls of yeasted dough fried and rolled in sugar - but his mom had always given them a brown sugar cinnamon filling and that’s what he was smelling. The scent drew him in until he found the shop. There seemed to be a line and as he waited, he thought about adding them to his lineup for the new year. He had loved them as a child, and he was decently sure Noa and Ainsley would love them, too since they were both fond of sweets. Not to mention it would feel like his kid would be getting to know their grandmother through a dish she loved to make.

When it was his turn he ordered the buñuelos and walked to a spot where he wouldn’t be in the way before opening the styrofoam container. Fresh and hot, the small round doughnuts gave off steam in the cold air. They had been rolled in sugar but he could smell the brown sugar and cinnamon inside. They came with a side of guava syrup but that was too sweet for his liking. He bit into one of them and it was like being back in that shabby little kitchen with his mother. She would let him help with small things like mixing the brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter for the filling or helping her check the rise of the dough.

Their tiny kitchen would get hot, especially in the summer time, when she fried the dough balls but it was always worth it in the end. He took another bite, wanting to stay in the memories of his mother. Despite their financial circumstances Gabriella was always able to bring a smile to his face and to make things seem better than they really were. Even when his father came home drunk and angry about one thing or another, Gabriella Caine never let her son see the worst of things. It wasn’t until after she was gone that Idri had truly understood what kind of monster his father was.

But he didn’t want to think about Garrett. He took another bite of a buñuelo and recalled the time his mother had set up a ‘camping trip’ in their small backyard. She had even set up a campfire for them to cook over. They made hot dogs and roasted marshmallows over the fire, then laid on a blanket in the grass to look at the stars. She taught him both the English and Spanish names for the constellations and told him the stories behind them all.

As he ate more of the buñuelos more memories washed over him some things he had forgotten whether on purpose or not. But the thing they all had in common was his mother. The woman who had loved him since before he was born, loved him enough to choose him over her own family when her father had given her an ultimatum. Loved him enough to put money away to grow and increase until he had turned twenty-one so he would be able to live the life they didn’t, couldn’t have. Gabriella had loved him enough to shield him from his father when Garrett was feeling… violent.

And now that he was a father, he knew exactly how she had felt about him. When Noa had told him she was pregnant he had been shocked, sure. But after that had been an instant feeling of intense love for the life - the lives - they had created. Those two months they had been in the hospital hooked up to all of those machines… He had held it together by sheer will alone. He had wanted to remain strong for Noa because she had needed him to keep it together so she could fall apart.

But they were here now, healthy and happy, inquisitive and precocious. And precious. Most of all, they were precious. He would do anything for his family, anything to keep them safe, and it seemed that since he met Noa his family just continued to grow. For the first time in a long time, Idri was happy, truly happy. He had his sister, the love of his life, and two beautiful babies. He had an actual friend, both in his normal life and his powered one. His life seemed to be pretty perfect and he couldn’t think of a single thing that would make it better.

Okay, well, maybe one thing. He wanted to be able to call Noa his wife instead of his girlfriend. He just needed to find the perfect ring…