I Want to Stay Like This

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 27th October 2015

Characters: A'kades, Lenala
Description: The pair spend lunch together
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 16 of Turn 8

Lenala

Lenala saw and smelled what the kitchen offered for a lunch and her
face turned slightly green. "Don't you have anything else?" she asked
with nauseated voice. "I can't stand fish right now," she sounded
apologetic.

"Oh, of course, begging your pardon, weyrwoman. Why don't you take a
seat and I'll see what I can bring you. We still have some of yesterday's
wherry left, I can make a salad out of it for you, if you don't mind a
cold lunch," the cook answered with nod for an understanding and made
a suggestion.

"That sounds like a good idea, I can't eat heavy meals," Lenala
smiled. She left the line to find a seat while the cook hurried to the
kitchen to make special lunch for the Weyrwoman's Second.

A'kades was sitting at a small table along the wall waiting for his
children to arrive. There was only a candlemark where they were free
from Harper classes and apprentice lessons, and he was free from the
weyrlings, and he did try to have time with them when he could.

He stood up when he saw Lenala, waving to catch her attention.

Lenala noticed him and her face brightened. She answered his wave and
weaved her way around the tables to him. "A'kades," she said.

He took her hand and kissed it. "How are you feeling today, my dear?"

"I was doing pretty well until I ran into the fish stew," Lenala
replied with a smile. Unfortunately, fish was on menu quite often in
Weyr like this.

He winced. The perils of a Weyr by the water... "The kitchens are
making you up a treat?"

"Yes, they've been wonderful," Lenala replied.

"You're one of their lady goldriders. I'd hope they'll pamper you with
everything you could possibly want." He moved his tray so there was
more space for her to settle down.

"I have no reason to complain," Lenala replied. "I wrote to my mother
and told her the news. She was delighted. She also hinted that she was
willing to foster the baby," Lenala told him and was interrupted when
the cook brought her salad with some fresh bread that was so warm the
butter had melted on it.

"Thank you. Oh, fresh bread, I could eat whole loaf of it," she
thanked the cook.

"Oh that looks good," A'kades said.

Fostering the baby. He hadn't thought that far ahead yet - the
farthest he'd been thinking was considering names. "Would you want
that, fostering them at a hold?"

"No, not really. I rather have them grow up here at the Weyr, " Lenala replied.

A hold upbringing was nice and traditional, but then when would they
have time to visit. "When we can see them more often and they'll have
options, especially if we have a girl."

"Yes," Lenala said and dig into her salad. She was quiet while she ate.

He hummed slightly as he considered something. "Do you have any plans
for this next restday?"

"No, I don't," Lenala replied after swallowing her mouth empty. "Do
you have something in your mind?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to get to know my children. You might
have seen them in passing. But I think they'd love to meet you and
hear about the new addition."

"I would love to meet them," Lenala said when in truth the whole
thought made her nervous. What if they hated her?

"Then I'll be sure to arrange it. Kadera's an apprentice Healer, and
Jadirel is still in Harper classes. They'll be good."

"What do they think about having a new sibling?" Lenala asked curiously.

"Jadirel's excited about it because he wants to play with them, I
think he doesn't realize how long babies take until they become
toddlers. Kadera seems more interested in what she can learn. But
neither of them hate the idea,"he reassured.

"Good," Lenala said with a smile. "Sometimes it feels that it takes so
long until this baby will be born. And then I realize that one
sevenday has passed again."

"I'm sure nearer the end you'll be hoping for it to be sooner. I
understand this can be kinda rough on you. But I'm here until the
end." He kissed her cheek.

"Yes, I'm heard of it," Lenala replied, "and met enough expecting
women to have heard all the possible complaints."

"Is there anything else I can get to make this easier?"

"Not really," Lenala said. "Right now I'm mostly doing hidework since
Vilarth is egg heavy too, so I have easier time than if I had to do
physical work."

"So long candlemarks stuck with papers? Probably not your favorite?" he guessed.

"Not exactly, no," Lenala grinned.

"I'll stop by whenever I can, if you'd like. And once washing Vilarth
becomes troublesome, there'll be no shortage of candidates."

"That's certainly true and she does love their attention," Lenala replied.

"Anything else I can think of to help, I'll run it past you." He gave
her a broad, reassuring smile. "This has been a wonderful month and a
half. I'd like things to stay like this."

"I do too," Lenala smiled back.

Last updated on the November 15th 2015

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I Want to Stay Like This