KOTLC After Stellarlune-A Sokeefe Story

Visits

As the days went by, their friends took it in turns to come visit.

Biana and Dex were the first to come, and they ended up staying most of the day. Biana cried while holding Emma—excited, joyful tears. Dex couldn't seem to get enough of any of it. Of staring at the sweet baby. Of watching his wife interact with her. Of seeing his best friend in her new role as mama.

He even enjoyed watching Keefe tell Emma to call him "Daddy Hunkyhair" and Sophie "Mysterious Mama F".

And he really got a kick out of Emma just looking up at him out of her sweet newborn eyes and innocently asking, "Daddy being funny?"

"He likes to think so," Dex said with a grin, rolling his eyes at Sophie.

They were still there when Grady and Edaline came to visit—Edaline bringing a large plate of mallowmelt as a gift.

"For my favorite son-in-law," she said with a smile on her face before taking Emma from Biana.

"Technically he's our only son-in-law," Grady reminded her. "So we could also say he's our least favorite." He winked at Keefe.

"You know you love me," Keefe retorted.

"You wish," Grady shot back.

Edaline glared at Grady. "I'd smack you in the arm if I weren't holding your granddaughter," she told him. "Honestly, watching the two of you is like watching a couple of teenage boys interact. And neither of you are teenagers anymore."

Dex snorted. "Age and maturity don't always go hand in hand," he told her. "And it's not surprising Sophie married Keefe. She found herself a big lovable goofball just like her dad."

Grady pretended to be offended. "That's no way to talk to your uncle!"

Biana just looked at Sophie with a look that clearly said boys and rolled her eyes.

The next day, Marella, Maruca, Wylie and Jensi stopped by for a few minutes. Jensi had been spending a lot of time with Marella and Maruca the last couple of years—apparently at Marella's insistence that he disassociate himself from the Drooly Boys.

Wylie was newly married, but had no immediate plans to have children.

"We want kids, but not yet," he told her. "Though seeing your little one does make me excited at the prospect."

Tam and Rayni came for a very short visit too. Sophie couldn't help but wonder if Tam had any plans to propose, but wasn't sure if she should ask—Tam may have opened up to her from almost the moment they met, but he was still very private.

She'd have to ask Linh, though she didn't expect to hear from her or Fitz for a while.

But surprisingly, they reached out the next day and asked if they could drop by.

Fitz couldn't wait to see his best friend's daughter.

They each held Emma, Linh insisting that she get to hold her first. She sang softly to her, making Fitz stare at Linh with heat in his eyes.

Then when Fitz held Emma, he had to convince her that his name was actually Fitz. Apparently Keefe had been showing her pictures of him and telling her that this was Daddy's best friend, whose name was Wonderboy.

"She's so cute," Linh told Sophie as she watched Fitz hold Emma. "And seeing Fitz hold a baby..." she smiled sweetly. "Just when I thought he couldn't possibly get any better looking."

Fitz heard her and smiled over at her. "We'll have our own someday," he promised her.

Linh walked over and kissed him. "We'd better," she told him. "But for now, maybe we should head home."

Fitz grinned and carefully gave Emma back to Sophie. "Oh, I'm definitely good with going home," he told Linh, pulling her in for another—steamier—kiss.

Keefe laughed. "Dude, go do that in your own house!"

Fitz pulled away from Linh and looked at Keefe, shrugging. "I have two years of inappropriate jokes and innuendos to get you back for," he reminded him.

Keefe just smirked. "You have no idea how much I've held back," he warned him. "I could go get one certain sketchbook I have upstairs—"

"You will not," Sophie told him.

"You sure? I've added to it since last time you looked at it," he told Sophie slyly.

Linh rolled her eyes at Sophie, smiling, and pulled out her home crystal, dragging Fitz with her into the light.

Magnate Leto came to see them. Sophie thanked him for coming as Leto and not as Forkle--knowing Emma would have commented on him being stinky thanks to the ruckleberries. He teared up as he held Emma and couldn't help but comment on how his little moonlark was all grown up.

Sandor and Grizel both came, and Sandor took one look at Emma and insisted on setting up some security measures around Aeternum in order to keep both Sophie and her baby safe.

Flori had been in and out since they first brought Emma home. She would often come in just to sing to her, and wove flowers into a sort of canopy over Emma's crib. The sweet-smelling flowers seemed to help Emma sleep very soundly.

But perhaps the most exciting part was when Sophie reached out to Silveny.

SOPHIE HAVE BABY? Silveny's transmissions went into an excited frenzy. VISIT? VISIT? VISIT?

Yes, Sophie told her. Please come visit.

And the next thing they knew, not only Silveny but Greyfell, Wynn and Luna--who were all grown up--had cracked through the sky and landed at Aeternum. Silveny nuzzled Sophie and Emma both.

Her name is Emma, Sophie told her.

Emma was awake and staring at Silveny with wide eyes.

"Emma, this is Silveny," Sophie told her. "She's an alicorn and one of my oldest friends."

"Hello," Emma said in her quiet little voice, continuing to watch Silveny.

EMMA! FRIEND! LOVE!

I love her too, Sophie said.

EMMA SAFE?

Yes, she's safe, Sophie assured Silveny. And your future babies will be safe too. It's not like it used to be. It's not like when you had Wynn and Luna.

Silveny seemed satisfied with that.

And then she gave Sophie some exciting news of her own.

"You're pregnant again?!" Sophie confirmed excitedly.

Keefe's eyebrows shot up. "Glitter Butt is pregnant?"

Silveny's excited transmissions of BABY! BABY! BABY! Were very adorable, and very loud.

"I'll need to let the Council know," Sophie told her. "And this time you have to let someone check up on you every now and then. If not Vika then Edaline, okay?"

Sophie could tell the idea made Silveny nervous, but she also remembered how bad things almost were with Wynn and Luna, so she transmitted OKAY! CHECK SOON!

Sophie decided to trust Silveny to keep her word and let the alicorn family fly away before hailing Oralie, Vika and Edaline to let them all know the good news.

Then, the little family of three went to cuddle up under the large tree by the pond, soaking up the warmth, the view, and the quiet contentment.