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“It is the only one that still fits me,” she had explained, doing a little spin as Seth burst out laughing, more in love with her than ever.

Jane was wearing some sort of cape, with forest green sleeves that her baby was pulling at.

Seth crossed toward them, catching Alicia’s eye and loving the way her face lit up at the sight of him.

“Constance said my name!” she said happily.

Jane turned to Seth, rolling her eyes.

“Did she now?” he asked, putting a hand on Alicia’s waist.

Jane squinted at her daughter, who was only three months old. As Seth waited patiently, the baby wriggled madly.

“Asha,” she gurgled, more gibberish than actual words. Jane shifted her onto her hip.

“You see?” Alicia said happily. “She is saying Alicia, I am certain.”

“She is not four months old, my darling sister,” Jane said wearily. “But I have no doubt you will teach her your name before she turns one.”

“Of course I will. When she meets her cousin, they will be the cleverest girls in all the world.”

“Girls?” Seth asked in amusement.

Alicia looked up at him. “Of course. She must have a sister, and until she gets one, I shall provide a female cousin who will act accordingly.”

Seth raised his eyes to the ceiling in resignation, placing a hand on her belly. However, Dove chose that moment to climb up his leg, as was her habit.

Seth glowered at her as he winced, her claws sinking into his skin as she climbed up and leaped into Alicia’s arms, pushing his hand away from her belly as if she owned it.

“She loves you even more than I do,” Seth said testily.

“Well, that is hardly her fault,” Alicia teased.

Everyone around them laughed heartily, and she beamed at him, hugging Dove to her chest as the ladies all came to fawn over her in a myriad of mismatched colors and feathers.

The End?