Guardians of the Prophecy

Epilogue: Family

Eight years later...

"So, Alistair, not that it matters, but when are you and Rima going to... pop out some little ones of your own? Landon keeps pestering me about his god parents not having kids." Caleb teased with a wide grin.

Alistair was just about to retort when Shan spoke.

"Everyone thought that you and Rima would be the first to have children," the monk rumbled.

Alistair sighed; he'd lost count of how many times his friends had brought this up ever since both men had children. Caleb had married the earliest at the age of twenty-three, with Holly, a woman he'd met who had worked on Laurel's family's farms. Shan and Laurel had married afterward, but had children before they'd married. Caleb's daughter and son had been born after Laurel and Shan's child.

Naturally, of course, having known them for so long, naming each other their children's godfathers and godmothers had been an obvious choice.

"Remember what I was like when I was younger? Given my past reputation, I would've been even more terrified of having 'little ones' since all I cared about was sex." Alistair noted.

They nodded. "True."

"Well, just let us know, so I can finally have a proper answer for Landon," Caleb said with a small smile. "Because then he asks how children are made... and that's not something I can explain yet."

He laughed a little, and Shan chuckled as well. Alistair managed a small twitch of his lips since his wife's health was worrying him.

They seemed to notice, since Shan asked what was wrong and that he'd seemed "out of it" this whole time.

"It's just that..." Alistair took a deep breath. "Rima's sick. She has been for the past few weeks. And we don't know what it is."

"Shit."

Shan and Caleb's expressions became sober so quickly, that for a moment Alistair wondered if their teasing a minute earlier was real.

"She's gone to see a healer right? My wife should be available today," said Shan, gently.

"Yeah. She's seeing Laurel now."

"Rima'll be fine. She's strong." Caleb said confidently.

"I know she is. But I just want her to be okay."

~*~

"So how're you going to tell Alistair?" Laurel asked as she wiped her hands on a towel.

Rima exhaled. "I don't know." She was feeling giddy with happiness and excitement; the healer had confirmed, about ten minutes ago, that she was pregnant. A child was inside of her.

She had been suspicious, given that she'd experienced morning nausea and puking, tender breasts, and fatigue. But now that it was actually true, she wasn't sure how to tell her husband. It had to be done well enough, at least. And considering that they had been attempting to conceive, Rima knew that Alistair would at least take the news well.

"I'll think of something though," Rima smiled.

"I always loved thinking of how to tell Caleb when I was pregnant," Holly, Caleb's pretty red-haired wife, said. "And his responses were always so sweet. He'd be acting like our little Landon, as if he'd just opened up a present from us. His face and eyes would light up, and I would melt a little inside." Holly chuckled.