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Jora felt her chest tighten at his words, emotion blooming warm and heavy behind her ribs. She turned her face toward him fully now, studying him for a quiet moment like she was committing the sight to memory—Sage holding their children, meaning every word he said. “I know,” she said softly, reaching up to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing along his skin in a slow, grounding motion. “And she knows too. She knows you’re here now.” Her gaze flicked briefly to their elder daughter, still utterly absorbed in her siblings, before returning to him. “That’s what matters.” When he spoke about missing so much, Jora leaned in and pressed her forehead to his, breathing him in. “You didn’t choose to miss it,” she murmured firmly. “And you’ve given her more than you realize since you came back.” Love. Stability. A father who shows up every single day. His promise made her swallow hard. She smiled, though her eyes shone. “Good,” she whispered. “Because I’m not doing the rest of this without you.” She shifted just enough to rest her head against his shoulder again, one hand finding his, fingers lacing with his without hesitation. “We’re here,” she said quietly. “All of us. And we’re not going anywhere.” |
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Sage had turned to Jora when she cupped his cheek, leaning into the touch slightly. Happily. A soft smile turned the corners of his lips upwards at her words, and he looked back towards Lyra for a moment before his gaze returned to jora. "That's all she needs," he murmured. "So that's what I'll give her." He knew he hadn't meant to miss it. But he still often found himself just...wondering about it all. He could have looked for her longer. Fought harder, maybe escaped somewhere and hold on hope that she'd survived. At the time, he'd had no hope. Looking back on it, he should have known Jora was too stubborn to give up that easily. Not when her family was at stake. Even so, he smiled widely back at her when she said they were doing this together. "Good," he noted. "Because I'm perfectly fine with that." He was more than fine with it, of course, and she knew that. None of them were going anywhere. He'd make sure of that. Eventually, though, selene came to gather Lyra again, sensing that both he and Jora would need some time to relax after being up all night. Jora had had a small nap, but really it wasn't much in comparison to everything that had happened. And he was exhausted. Once Kyra was gone, it hit him like a truck, and he slumped against the wall with a heavy breath, mind spinning but body shutting down. He didn't want to sleep ....didn't want to let go of the baby in his arms. He knew those weren't realistic...he'd have to do them at one point or the other. But still. He was reluctant to let go. Afraid of missing something important. |
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Jora watched him carefully as Selene guided Lyra from the room, her heart softening at the way Sage’s shoulders finally sagged once the door closed. The moment the noise left, so did the adrenaline—and she could see the exhaustion hit him all at once. She shifted closer without a word, careful not to jostle the baby in his arms, and rested a hand against his back. Solid. Steady. There. “Hey,” she murmured gently, her voice low and calm. “You’re not letting go forever.” Her thumb traced slow circles where she touched him, grounding both of them. “You’re just resting.” She glanced at Caspian, then back up at him, understanding written plainly on her face. “You haven’t missed anything,” she said softly, but with certainty. “You didn’t miss the birth. You didn’t miss Lyra meeting them. You’re here. You’ve been here every second that mattered.” Jora leaned her forehead briefly against his shoulder, breathing him in. “And they’re not going anywhere,” she added. “Neither am I.” After a moment, she carefully reached to support the baby, giving him the option without forcing it. “Let me hold them for a bit,” she suggested quietly. “Just so you can breathe. You can take them back the moment you wake up—I promise.” Her eyes met his, warm and unwavering. “You don’t have to stay awake to prove you love them, Sage. They already know.” |
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Sage had taken a moment to even register Jora was taking to him. When he did, he turned to peer at her, letting out a soft sigh. "I know," he noted, a yawn breaking his words. "I just...I didn't know. You need rest too, and...." He sort of just trailed off, not sure where this was even going. What he was trying to say. He was much to tired for that. So when she suggested she take the babies and he sleep, he knew she was right. He did need the rest.... He hadn't gotten much that night. But if he were to not miss things.... If he were to care for the babies, and even Jora really.... He needed to be awake enough to do that. So he sighed in agreement, shifting so he could hand captain over to her gently, watching as she nestled each baby in an arm before moving to lay down next to her, tugging a blanket over himself as he got comfortable. It wasn't their bed, of course, but he was so tired he honestly didn't even care. He just passed out, seconds after his head hit the pillow and his eyes closed. That was probably a good thing. |
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Jora watched him fade almost mid-movement, the tension easing out of his face the moment the babies were safely in her arms. Her chest ached with it—in that quiet, overwhelming way love sometimes hit hardest. “I’ve got them,” she murmured softly, even though he was already gone. Still, she said it for herself too. She adjusted her hold carefully, one baby nestled against each side of her chest, their tiny breaths warm and uneven against her skin. Twins. She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. A girl. A boy. Their family somehow bigger, fuller, than she’d ever dared imagine. Her gaze drifted back to Sage as he slept—too fast, too deep, like someone who had finally allowed himself to let go. She reached out with one hand, brushing her fingers through his hair, slow and gentle, just enough to soothe without waking him. She shifted slightly so she could lean closer, her shoulder brushing his, anchoring them together even in sleep. Outside the room, she could hear the low murmur of Selene and her mother, the house alive but calm, holding them all. Jora closed her eyes for just a moment, breathing in the weight of her children, the steady rise and fall of her husband’s chest beside her. |
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Sage wasn't sure for long he'd slept, but he awesome to the smell of food coming from the kitchen. A meal was being made.... So it had to be closer to lunch time by now. He smelled it before he came to completely, but forced himself to shift slightly, breaths speeding up as he woke. His eyes opened a moment or so later, stomach driving him to rub his hands over his face with a yawn and pretty over at jora groggily. "What time is it," he asked, half sitting up and moving to check on the babies that were still in her arms. He knew they'd be fine, of course but still.... He wanted to just make sure. Check. Look at them. Make sure this wasn't all just a dream. They were really here. When Jora mentioned it being a little after noon, he nodded and moved to sit up with a sigh. *I'll go see what's bring made for lunch then," he offered. "I'll be back in a minute, yeah," he added. When Jora nodded, he moved to stand up and slip out of the room, wandering down to the kitchen. Lyra was there, with the two older woman, helping to mix something into a large pot. "Looks good, hon," he missed to the little girl, who looked up at him with adoration in her gaze. |
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Jora watched him wake with that soft, half-dazed concern that still tugged at her heart every time. The way his eyes went straight to the babies before anything else made her smile, tired but warm, adjusting her arms slightly so he could see them better. “They’re right here,” she murmured gently, voice low and reassuring. “Still real. Still ours.” When he pushed himself up and offered to check on lunch, she gave a small nod, amused fondness flickering across her face. “Don’t let them rope you into doing all the work,” she teased quietly, shifting the babies so they were settled comfortably against her chest. “And don’t be long.” As he slipped out, she leaned back against the pillows, listening to the muffled sounds of the house—pots clinking, voices murmuring, Lyra’s unmistakable little laugh drifting down the hall. Her hand came up to smooth over the baby in her left arm, then the other, her thumb brushing a tiny cheek with reverent care. She could picture it without even being there—Sage in the kitchen doorway, Lyra glowing like the sun because her father was watching her. The thought made her chest ache in the best way. “Look at him,” she whispered to the babies softly, as if they could understand. “Already can’t stay away from you.” She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing them in, letting the noise of family ground her. For the first time since the night had begun, she didn’t feel braced for the next thing to go wrong. Just… full. |
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Sage was content to watch Lyra for a little bit, listening to her ramble about lunch. It was almost done, so he sort of just lingered there, waiting for it to finish before taking a plate for him and Jora. Lyra had wanted to bring her mom the plate and show off her meal, so he handed one to her with a chuckle, walking back with her and opening the door for the little girl, who ran over and set the plate down next to Jora with a big grin on her face. She said hi to the babies to, giving them both a kiss before pecking Jora on the cheek and running off again. She'd reaced up for his own face, so he bent down on one knee so she could give him a kiss too, and then moved to close the door once she'd ran out again, moving to settle next to Jora with his own plate, chuckling softly. "She really is a little angel," he hummed softly, looking back at the door Lyra had run out of. He could hear her giggling in the kitchen again, a sound that never ceased to warm his heart as he moved to take a bite of whatever it was on the plate. |
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Jora’s face softened the moment Lyra came barreling in, her smile widening as the plate was set beside her. “Thank you, my love,” she murmured warmly, careful not to jostle the babies as Lyra leaned in. She laughed quietly when Lyra kissed both twins in turn, her eyes shining with that fierce, tender pride only a mother could hold. When Lyra kissed her cheek and ran off again, Jora watched the door for a second longer than necessary, her expression full and glowing. “She really is,” she agreed softly when Sage spoke, her voice thick with affection. “I don’t know how we got so lucky.” She shifted slightly to make room for him as he sat, careful and practiced even with how tired she was, then glanced down at the plate Lyra had delivered like it was the most precious offering in the world. “She was very serious about helping,” Jora added with a quiet laugh, picking up her fork. Her gaze flicked between Sage and the babies as she ate a few bites, eyes lingering on him in that unguarded way she only ever let herself look at him. “Seeing her with them already…” she trailed off, then smiled again. “I think she’s going to be an incredible big sister.” Jora leaned her shoulder lightly into his, careful not to disturb the babies, and let out a slow, content breath. The house was noisy, a little chaotic, and full in every sense of the word—but for once, it felt exactly right. |
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Sage had settled down, just watching Lyra interact with Jora and the babies. He nodded when Jora spoke about being lucky, a smile on his face as he started to eat. "She loves them so much already," he noted. "She's going to keep them safe as long as she lives," he added with a small laugh. He hummed in agreement when she mentioned being serious about helping, smiling down at the plate of food fondly. "She insisted on making it for us too, you know," he mused. "Your mom and selene helped, of course, but she came up with the idea and made it up." A soft chuckle. "For the most part anyway," he added. He nodded when she said she'd was already a good big sister, wrapping his free hand around her and giving her a gentle squeeze as she settled in. "She's going to be the best," he agreed fondly, just taking another bit of food as jora relaxed into him. He'd eat quick, then take the kids so Jora could eat. Take a nap if she needed to. That sort of thing. |
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Overcast and Humid, Clearing Overnight
