Lacey
It was strange to have someone cling so tightly to her. But it wasn't really her that her baby was clinging to. Only the security of familiar.
She would take it anyway.
From Kali, at least.
She knew Kali was listening when her little head nodded to something she'd said. Maybe it was helping, then, to be speaking aloud about small nonsense, really. Just droll ramble in attempts to comfort her youngest child. She had never been skilled with mindless speech, preferring something more deep and intelligent than anyone ever seemed prepared to do.
Or perhaps it was not helping after all. Kali curled in tighter and started crying. Drat. She grimaced and tucked her in, arched her neck over Kali's little shoulders to massage her grey-and-white side with her chin. There was nothing more she could say for it. They were all safe and that was what mattered. Things were strange and different, and sometimes a bit undesirable, but Kir's family was still here and well. All together.
"There is plenty to explore here, have you seen?" she tried to entice her baby. Children loved to play and maybe Kali would find that light in her eyes again as she bounded from one new thing to another. Or maybe she wouldn't. Only time would tell, and either way was acceptable to Wallace. She knew too well that sometimes things simply weren't enjoyable anymore. Sometimes recovery and healing took longer than someone else thought it should.
Or maybe they'd both be broken forever.
At least Kali had her family.
"I'm sure Kylin or Kharon would love to take you out. Or even Baddie, if you play near someone that can watch the two of you." She shifted her weight and let out a long breath, not quite a sigh. "Or even your father. Or Reilly." Reilly had nearly been a father to them, after all. She hoped the kids hadn't forgotten that. He did love them as his own. He was competing with Kir's impossibly loud presence, though. That couldn't be helped when Kir found them and decided he wanted to be a dad. How could he not when his children were so beautiful and stunning?
Maybe she'd have a plain and boring child some day and the two of them could slip away into forgotten memories. Then she could have her own family.
But she'd never wanted kids. Had been barely a child herself.
This was not the life she'd wanted, and it wasn't even really hers.
