Radiant, Pure, and Lovely

The more time that passed after ada and Leroi's encounter, the harder it became to look ada properly in the eye. Similarly to how ada knew I had children but didn't realize I was a true mother, he knew I had had intercourse but never really believed it to be reality. Now that reality is hitting him hard. He's facing the same troublesome emotions Eloril fought with, but is doing it silently. He wants to protect me so badly. He wants to keep me as that little girl from his memories forever. Then he only gets hurt more when he sees I can't ever be that girl again.

I'm almost positive that Eloril noticed what was going on even though ada and I never spoke to him about the issue. Why else would I accidentally see the two talking seriously together, and then the next time I see ada he's forcing himself as best as he can to act completely normal? He started looking me in the eye again. He also came to talk and joke with me while he watched me do my writing.

The feelings were still there though. It took a couple more days for the two of us to properly talk and push past those emotions. I woke up one night for no explainable reason only to see that ada had made a small fire in the pit outside, and was sitting at it alone. I went to join him. However, I was at a loss for what to say. The two of us just silently watched the fire crackle. I so desperately wanted to talk to ada, but I had no idea if he wanted to discuss that particular topic, or if he thought he was better off just ignoring it.

It was when I finally sat down next to him that ada suddenly started telling me about the day I had been born. He admitted that he and naneth had been so set for a long time on having one child. It was only after Eloril was born that he realized something was missing, and that feeling eventually led to my conception. Ada said it was impossibly hard waiting for the chance to meet me. I came a week early, but that still wasn't soon enough for him. When he finally saw me, he lost his breath. Seeing me in that moment makes him terrified whenever he now thinks about how I almost hadn't been born.

I was so radiant, so pure, and such a deep and unfaltering love for me grew in his heart so quickly that losing me has become the one thing that could break him- my ada who has survived through many terrible horrors. Then he had met Leroi. When he realized what the two of us had been doing, he began to fear that despite wanting and trying for so long to protect me, that he had ended up losing me in so many ways.

He had been staring into the fire as he talked, but he looked right at me then. He had been wrong, he said. Despite everything, and no matter how I felt about myself, to him I was still as radiant, pure, and lovely as the day I had been born. The physical actions my body has been through don't matter to him in the scheme of things. He looks at me now, and still sees the same daughter within that he's always loved.

I didn't realize until that moment just how desperately I needed to hear those words. I had given up a long time ago that I could ever be that person ada sees through his eyes. He didn't tease me this time when I began to cry. Instead he held me in that embrace of his that I love so much- the one I merrily longed for each day as a child.

We had a rather annoying issue with our maid service. I actually asked for a new maid to clean our house, because Mr. Grace was lazy and overall terrible at his job. His replacement, Mr. Santiago, proved to be much better. It seemed that Mr. Grace either didn't get or ignored the notice he was fired from our house because he came over anyway. He didn't clean at all. The very first thing he did was raid our fridge for its leftovers. You know, it's not as if I don't already have a hard time getting meals to last or anything anyway.

Eloril was considerably more frustrated with him than I was. However, he remained surprisingly calm and polite as he explained the situation properly to Mr. Grace. Perhaps it would have been better if he was a bit harsher. I think then Mr. Grace would have been a bit more afraid of making the big fit he threw as he stormed out of the house. Mr. Santiago apologized for his co-worker's awful behavior, and I gave him an extra tip just for being a rational human being.

With autumn in full swing, I was in the process of planning another feast party. That is, until Serith, Tirith, Renduil, and Rion all decided they wanted to throw a costume party instead. I was a bit stunned at how vocal Eloril was about his agreement towards the idea. With really no other choice, I went along with them.

It was when Eloril came to the party dressed as a hot dog that I realized he was trying to make me feel better after I had been down for so long. It certainly worked. Neither ada nor I could look at him without bursting into laughter. Ada asked multiple times as to what had become of his son.

The party itself was a great success. Ada now has a lot of humorous pictures to bring back to naneth, most of them being embarrassing ones of Eloril of course.

Ada finally got out of the house for once. He only took a walk in the woods, but anything is better than almost nothing at this point. But with him out, I left Sidhion in Eloril's care as I made a quick run to the hospital to get an ultrasound for mine and Leroi's baby. I teased Eloril when I got back by asking if he had cast a magic spell before coming here. He was quite confused, and asked if I had hurt my head.

I told him I found out I was having another boy. Eloril wanted more boys to be born the last time he was here, and now that he's come back I'm having a streak of them. It was very suspicious. Eloril joked along with me. He said now that I mentioned it, he did vaguely remember selling his soul to the Under Demon so that I'll only birth boys from now on. However, it was such an insignificant thing he didn't think it was worth saying anything about it.

I laughed.

For the most part, both ada and Eloril share the same disdain that I have for television. The lone thing on there that does grab their attention though is the sports channel. They'll watch it in the rare moments where there's nothing else to do. I join them occasionally. The more I give thought to it, the more I believe watching sports gives them the adrenaline rush of the large amounts of physical activity they're so used to getting at home.

One day, I took Serith and Tirith over to Axel and Lomaraniel's house. I was right about there being more between the two, because it wasn't long before they ended up married. Just as importantly as that bit of news, they also had triplet girls of their own. Multiples seems to be becoming more and more common in this family.

Axel and Mara were very grateful for the company and help. I am thankful that I at least had some experience raising children before Aravilui, Arluwen, and Amadrie came along. I don't know if I would have been able to cope with three child at once being a first-time parent like Axel and Mara.

It was time to celebrate Renduil and Rion's birthday when we returned home. I truly have a pair of great looking sons. I think it's interesting how they both have a perfect blend of both mine and Norris' appearances each in their own unique way.

Seeing my two sets of twins growing up is so wonderfully relieving. It makes me feel as if I managed to do my job somewhat decently. Ada and Eloril can take a good portion of credit now too though for how well everything has been working out.

Time passed quickly from that point. So fast in fact, that the day my son and I met for the first time finally came. I didn't know it was going to be that particular day though. All I had been expecting that day was Sidhion's birthday.

He was so excited when Flynn called right when he said he would. Given that he never came to see Sidhion before, the two of us didn't get our hopes up that he would keep his word. I felt much better once I saw that Flynn seems to have found the desire to try harder to connect with his son. I let Flynn know that the two of us really appreciate every effort he is willing to make.

But yes, it was shortly after Flynn and Sidhion ended their call that my water broke. Thankfully, ada didn't force any help on me this time. I did promise him I would ask for help if I truly needed it, but I felt more comfortable being by myself. As always, everything went fine.

When I gazed into little Ortherion's eyes for the first time, the words radiant, pure, and lovely settled nicely into my thoughts......