Forever Luna

Dawn

verb ~ become evident to the mind
NOVA

Phoenix stumbled into the room, body tense and on high alert, but I raised a hand to stop him. I couldn't tear my gaze away, focused on the little wolf standing on two feet.

'Is he...'

I widened my eyes as though to silence him, before reaching my hands out to Freddy. He stared at them with a confused brow, before once again, he did what he just did moments ago.

He took a step.

My body burned with anticipation, and soon he took another, and then another. He stumbled like a drunken man, waddling like a duck as he staggered closer, and closer.

Phoenix was silent, and still in the same position he entered the room. He daren't move, and neither did I.

Freddy babbled, stopping halfway toward me before eyeing Phoenix. He giggled softly, flapping his arms in the air before continuing his waddle toward me. The moment his warm torso touched my fingers, I was pulling him into me with a sharp cheer.

"You did it! He did it!" I screeched.

Phoenix moved, finally coming to stand beside me. He laughed loudly, ruffling Freddy's hair as our son clapped his hands.

"I knew he would." Pheonix beamed. "I said he would just start walking. You just wait, soon he'll be speaking in full sentences with us."

I laughed happily, kissing a very confused Freddy on the head. He squirmed in my hold, his tiny, damp hands shoving me away by the cheek.

"Ba!" He complained.

Ba also means no.

Just thought I'd let you know that, too.

"Oh, you're growing up too fast." I murmured.

"Ba!"

"I think he wants down." Phoenix mused.

I parted my knees, letting Freddy slide to the floor. He wobbled on his feet, taking a single step before collapsing back to his knees. I laughed softly, watching him crawl to the open door.

"I think he is saying he's fed up with being in here."

Phoenix watched him crawl away with a smile. "He's growing so fast."

My heart ached for an entirely new reasoning now, and I rubbed my chest as though it could cure it. I can't believe I just witnessed his first steps. How is he growing up so quickly already? It felt like mere days ago when he was small enough to fit across my forearm.

"Dinner is ready. You coming?"

I didn't miss the way his eyes briefly scanned the portraits surrounding us, only to pause at the one I was currently doing.

"What's that?" He wondered.

I turned, finally seeing what I had been creating, only to pause. My eyebrows furrowed, and I stared at the figure with a frown.

"I don't know." I muttered.

There was a clatter in the family room and Phoenix cursed, running from the room to deal with Freddy's destruction. I stayed where I was, my eyes running over the various textures and shades on the page.

It was a man on his knees. Clad in only a pair of pants, his shoulders hunched over his thin frame. He seemed sad. Rope tied his wrists together and there were fresh cuts on his skin. His wrists and inner elbows were bleeding, the dark blood dripping down his forearms and over his thighs. With his head hung low, I couldn't make out who it was.