Eventually, Angel came to her senses. She didn't tire, she simply remembered that she wasn't alone.
She waded toward them, head hung sheepishly. "Sorry about that, I--"
"It's okay," he grinned. "You've been cooped up for a long time." To their daughter, he said "I guess that answers the question of what kind of dragon Mommy is, huh?"
She shook her head, droplets sprinkling the surface around her. "So now we need to add the aquatic subtype to the Celestial Dragon, huh?"
She was confused when the smile dropped off his face. "Celestial Dragon?"
"Yeah," she said slowly, drawing out the word. "What else would you call a dragon that's half angel... somehow... How does that work, anyway?"
His face wavered into a pleasantly neutral expression. "I don't know, and I don't think you did, either." The sigh of relief was purely internal. He was worried she'd started regaining memories, but it made sense that she'd independently come up with the same name she'd given her species the first time.
"One thing I do know," she said, homing in on the baby, "is that this little lady hasn't been further than the stairs. Come on, let's see those legs kick, huh?" She tugged on the leg closest to her and backed up a step, watching to see if he followed her further into the shallow end.
"Yeah, let's see what you can do!" As usual, Menolly brought out the best in both of them. They bobbed and bounced around the shallows, waving the tiny arms and legs until she got the gist of it. Telepathy helped, but she was also a bright child. They didn't expect her to swim yet; the point was to introduce her to water in a positive way.
When she grew tired, Angel tried something that her own mother had done to her. She'd been a bit older, but it was a vital lesson in pool safety. She'd waited until Menolly wouldn't wiggle out of her arms.
"Come here for a sec, lovey." The words were more for Avi than the baby. He handed her over, curious to see what Angel would do. She lay her down on her back, though she kept trying to sit up.
:Trust me, sweetness. I won't let anything happen to you.:
It took some convincing, and a mental image of what she was trying to do, but she finally lay in her mother's arms, her little body as stiff as a scarecrow.
"Relax, sweetie. If you don't, it won't work."
He didn't want to interfere, but even he didn't quite know what she was trying to do. The baby didn't like water in her ears, and she didn't understand what was going on.
"Close your eyes," she cooed. She pictured it, for emphasis. She couldn't close her own eyes, because she couldn't See something as translucent as water yet, and she didn't want to lose her balance.
Slowly, reluctantly, the feathery lashes drifted down.
"Good, now relax." She drew out the last word, removing any excess tension in her arms to coax the baby into doing the same.
Menolly trusted the solid arms beneath her. Gradually, the tension left her little body. She felt light as a feather. It was almost like being back in the womb.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now," Mama said.
Her wispy brows knit an entire farm of concern when she saw her mother's hands up in the air. Then what's holding me up?!
She panicked. She tried to sit up, not yet aware of how water worked. Fortunately, her mother knew that was what she'd do. Her butt came into contact with her father's arms, and she was lifted up to his furry chest.
"You were holding yourself up. You did it!" Mama clapped, a broad grin on her face, and gave her a loud kiss on her cheek. "My mom did that to me when I was a baby, and I remember feeling betrayed. That's why Daddy was ready to catch you."
Menolly didn't understand all the words, because Mama forgot to show her what they meant, but her trust wasn't damaged like Mama's had been. She knew she'd be scared, so she made it safe. She patted her parents' faces, one with each hand.
"So now, if you fall in some water, you know what to do, right? Lie back and relax until one of us can get to you."
Angel didn't know if the lesson would stick, but she did know that her daughter was extraordinary. She threw lots of pictures at the baby, hoping at least some of them made sense. She didn't know why she felt it so important to teach her this one thing. Maybe, deep down, she was afraid she wouldn't be there when her daughter grew up, so she wanted something of herself to stay with her. To have made a positive difference in her life.
"I think that's enough for one day. Maybe we can come back tomorrow, but you look done in." She looked to her Bonded, and said a single word that made him fall a little more in love with her: "Pizza?"
YOU ARE READING
Book IV: Avi Dragon
Hayran KurguHis mother said he could become a dragon if he wanted. Does he want to? Can he make the Shift?