Penn's Red Wings
March 30th, 1990
Pennywise relished in the warmth around him, his own body temperature running cooler than the surrounding water for once. Harsh water jets hit his back so nicely, pushing into the knots that came from hours of leaning over his three-month-old pups to tend to their entertainment and sanitation needs. Since they were so small in comparison to him, he’d taken to hunching more than he ever had to before.
He sighed, acknowledging that he wouldn’t have it any other way. All four of his little ones, and Tom, were adorable, and he’d been wrapped around their pudgy little fingers since day one. His own fingers trailed over the foamy water, already looking forward to the pups’ next bath time. Rose and Robert absolutely loved the water, and if they could manage it, they grew little fish tails to splash him with, like infant mermaids.
Still, his nose twitched at the strange chemicals Hermione put in the hot tub. He’d been much more skeptical when his mate bought it. She apparently became impulsive in the later stage of her pregnancy, as he’d found out when he came back from a hunt, only to find his beautiful wife and mate sobbing in their indoor jacuzzi bathtub.
She claimed that she felt cramped inside the house, so she wanted to get a hot tub for outside so she could still have the fresh air she wanted, while also being able to relax her heavy belly in the weightlessness of the hot water. When he initially rejected the idea, stating that they could just open the bathroom window if she wanted fresh air so badly, she threw a high heel at his head (something Hermione cried about the previous day because her swollen feet couldn’t fit inside them anymore). Then, like a switch flipped on, she and her enlarged belly tackled him onto the bed and rode him until even he was afraid his cock would break off.
The sight of her above him, wet and rutting against him in a blind rage, belly bouncing and full of his pups, made him cum faster than he had in a while. After he nipped at her mating bite and filled her with another helping of his seed, sad that he couldn’t slip in another pup to make her even bigger, he agreed to his mate’s demand for the hot tub. As soon as the words left his lips, she huffed, falling onto her side like all the previous energy left her seductive body. Then, the witch irritatedly kicked him in the shin, hissing about how it was his fault she was too round to move unless their children wanted something, and they wanted their parents to have sex, a lot. So, he fretted over her tired body, rubbing her swollen middle and gently chastising their little ones for using up so much of their dam’s energy. However, he was also quick to praise them for making their mother so horny, even if that meant she stared at the sexy men in her Witch Weekly magazines for a bit too long in his opinion. Still, all was forgiven between everyone when he offered his sweet mate a piece of lemon meringue pie topped with bloody steak pieces and strawberries.
So, Hermione got her hot tub, and he got to savor the sight of Hermione: relaxed, rosy-cheeked, naked, aroused… Pennywise joined her nearly every time she mentioned taking a bath outside. They made the sweetest love, and a ton of splashes when she craved his more animalistic side. After a time, they could feel little hands and feet pushing against Hermione’s round belly, demanding to know why they were being jostled so much.
However, the real fun came from when she believed herself to be alone. At first, he smelled deceit in her scent, and as the territorial alpha male that he was, he decided that he would watch her like a hawk. Hermione went about her days as usual, going to work, coming home to him, smelling of only herself. So, any possible interloper in their relationship wasn’t a colleague.
★★★
November 15th, 1989
Offhandedly, he mentioned going on a hunt, telling her that she would be on her own for the evening. The amount of subtle hope in her nonchalant affirmation gave him the pause he’d been waiting for. So, that night, he pretended to leave the house and hid in the shed for an hour, stewing bitterly in silence as he waited for some hidden lover to appear so he could reveal himself and murder them in front of his traitorous mate.
Not even forty minutes passed and Hermione crept outside into the brisk November air, wearing nothing but a towel. She shivered, looking around in a paranoid sweep of the yard. Sensing no perverts, the heavily-pregnant witch shuffled over to the hot tub and turned it on, manipulating the little dials until she had it heated and bubbly.
Pennywise peered out from his hiding place, trying not to drool as she dropped her towel. Her perfect round arse swayed as she got in, and a pup must have moved in her belly because she paused, standing in the water and rubbing her belly with a soft giggle. He crept closer, realizing that she was talking to their young, something that she rarely did around him.
“Yes, my little loves…” she began as he hid behind a nearby tree, “It’s bath time for mummy…”
Hermione giggled again, rubbing her belly and likely feeling the little rubs and kicks against her palms and fingers, “Does it feel good, nice and warm? Daddy says you get cold from being inside me…”
Pennywise frowned, remembering how his mate’s blood was cooler than that of their children’s. So, the hot water around them likely felt like a warm blanket. He mentally gave the tub another ‘pro’ point, slowly being convinced that the object was a good purchase for his mate to make.
“It feels good for me, too, and I know it’s your favorite,” she made a short, repeated, clicking sound, tickling her belly where the small indent of a foot rested for a moment, “Ah, ah! Got your foot! Tickle, tickle, tickle!” she giggled, wincing when the foetus inside merely began kicking rapidly inside her, “Oh! Careful, love… Mummy’s not as durable as Daddy is.”
Hermione smiled when the impressions of hands and feet came slower, “Good, good… Very good… Ooh~” she whined, letting herself slide a bit more into the water. Her breasts leaked, dripping white into the foam, “Already? You’re driving me mad, little ones… At least Daddy gives me a few fingers or tongue first...”
The witch moaned, quickly rubbing her belly, almost placatingly, and turning on the jets with a few fumbling fingers, “Daddy’s not here… I’m sorry… I thought I’d try something a bit more creative...”
Pennywise gripped the tree trunk with clenching claw-tipped fingers, realizing what was happening and hoping he could control himself while he watched his mate work herself off. His suit was already tented, his groin tentacles pushing eagerly at the fabric and opening his sheathe in preparation for quick and easy access to his knotted, bumpy cock. He could already feel the flared, red and purple head oozing with ink-like pre.
Hermione’s face flushed, breaths coming closer and more heady as she kneeled before one of the low jets on the floor of the tub. She moaned, feeling the intense watery pressure on her clit. Her hips bucked slightly, making her whine when she momentarily lost the vibrating pressure. With shallow thrusts, she closed her eyes, feeling the jet hit her little button and move downward to hit her opening, pushing water inside her snatch.
She moaned as the short cycle continued. Ever so slowly, she adjusted her body until the skin of her clit touched the spot where the jet began. The water was so pressurised now, and it had nowhere to go but onto that heavily-stimulated bundle of nerves. Hermione bit her lip, feeling so close to orgasm but the pressure just wasn’t enough. Her index, middle, and ring fingers shot down, trying to give her the additional friction she needed to climax. However, her clit had become numb, making such friction unhelpful.
Hermione whined, pushing off the tub’s floor in favor of leaning against one of the sides and letting the jets there relieve her of her lingering backache. She sagged into the water up to her neck, pouting and gently probing herself as the numbness went away. Her thoughts drifted to her mate and she sighed, remembering how he often kissed her neck, licked her cunny into orgasm, went shirtless when they were home alone, let her tug on his hair and kiss his moaning mouth…
The witch surged forward, attaching herself to the jet again and partnering it with erotic memories of her mate. This time, the pleasure burned quicker and brighter. She cried out, humping the water jet and holding onto the side and floor with a white-knuckled grip. Her wrist felt sore from trying to prevent her hand from sliding along the bottom, but she didn’t care.
Hermione’s orgasm hit her like a truck. Her clit pulsed and her pussy clenched, wishing for a certain cock to milk seed from. Her abdomen clenched, the little ones inside feeling the tight squeeze and fluttering movements along her womb’s walls. They wriggled happily, becoming more active from the adrenaline coursing through their dam’s veins, and from the happy and satisfied hormones pumping through her body.
Hermione sighed, falling back against the side of the tub and rubbing her now rippling belly. Her cheeks were strikingly red in the wintry air, showing how hot and out of breath she really was. The witch hummed, tiredly and satisfiedly, “Happy Mummy, happy babies…”
She chuckled when the little hands and feet pushed against her own hands, “That’s right, my little loves… We don’t always need Daddy, right?”
Hermione smiled, lazily pushing some of the foam around her and milking herself a bit to relieve some of the pressure in her breasts. As much as she hated to admit it, her mate had developed a Pavlonian response in her, conditioning her body to prepare itself for a full milking after mating. So, now her tits were full and Pennywise wasn’t around to relieve her, or so she thought, “What do you all think of a late night snack?” she rubbed her belly again, feeling eager little kicks and punches in response, “Yeah?” she giggled, “Something sweet… or spicy…” she paused “No… salty?”
“I’ve got something salty for you…” Pennywise husked, stepping out from his hiding place, just as naked as she was, a hand pumping his painfully erect dick, leaking dark pre, “and don’t worry, Doll… I’ve heard it’s a good source of protein…”
Hermione jumped, her mouth immediately watering at the sight despite her shocked embarrassment, “Oh you— Bloody sod!” she cut herself off, shrinking back against the wall and covering her breasts.
Pennywise chuckled, dark legs stepping into the tub and equally dark fingertips brushing the water as he came toward her. His tip brushed the warm water, parting the foam lingering on the top in favor of leading toward her. She gave his slit a little kiss when it was close enough, licking her lips to taste the aforementioned salty flavor, “Mmm…” she hummed as he sat down in the water before her, “Daddy’s home…”
The clown rumbled his immense pleasure at the seductive tone in her voice, pulling the heavily pregnant witch onto his lap and kissing her soundly. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue explored hers. After a moment, he gripped her nape and tilted her head back, exposing her neck to his eager lips, teeth, and tongue.
He kissed and licked the pale column like he never would again, leaving subtle little bruises from pressing a bit too hard. His fangs left more than a few claiming bites, leftovers from his previous suspicions. She was his to fuck, even if she cheated on him with herself. Pennywise purred, sucking a few of the bites into prominent hickeys that she would have to wear a tall turtleneck to hide when she went to work the following day.
“He certainly is, and he’s feeling a bit left out…” Pennywise pouted, scooting them both until Hermione was pressed back against the wall of jets, “Don’t you know cumming is a privilege, hn?” he nipped at her swaying breasts, “Our little ones have become rather addicted to the effects, and I’m afraid we’ve been spoiling them as of late… So, I think a little moderation is in order.”
Hermione squinted, immediately suspicious at this uncharacteristic “sex prohibition,” but then scowling knowingly at his next words.
“...When I’m not with you,” he added, reaching a hand down to rub the tip of his well-endowed rod through her abused clit and folds, “After all… they need to absorb their special nutrients from Daddy…”
The resounding slap, in his opinion, didn’t feel warranted.
★★★
March 30th, 1990
Since that night, he’d yet to catch her masturbating in the hot tub for a second time. However, the pups had kept them both busy, enough that Hermione was often too exhausted to emotionally or physically invest in a round of lovemaking. As such, their more intimate moments together had been few and far between, and that simply wasn’t acceptable to the eldritch.
Sighing, he closed his eyes, focusing on his young. All five of the pups were fast asleep in their cribs, and hopefully would be for the next hour before their initial midnight feeding. Given this, he and his elusive little mate only had until then to be alone, otherwise they’d have to wait until the next evening. The thought made him simmer, a frustrated pout tilting his painted lips downward. He hadn’t realized how much he’d relished being Hermione’s first priority until he’d been pushed back to the sixth.
When he heard the sound of the back door opening, he opened his eyes, only to see Hermione nervously shuffling on the porch toward him. Even from the other side of the yard, he could smell her inward-facing disgust, something that he’d smelled with such an intensity only twice before. Eagerly, he glided to the closest wall of the hot tub, his sharp teeth on display and his claws tapping impatiently on the side.
“Penn,” Hermione bit her lip, clenching her thighs together, “I can’t do this tonight.”
“Oh?” he husked, resisting the urge to extend his arms out and yank her into the water with him.
“Yeah,” the witch nodded rapidly, “This just isn’t a good time… I don’t want to get the tub dirty, and I know you were just out hunting and feeding, so I’m sure you’re full—”
“Doll…” Pennywise cut her off warningly, shaking his head at her audacity to make such assumptions about him. The thing she often forgot was that he was always hungry, the adult criminals he slaughtered like livestock doing not nearly as much for his deadlights’ hunger as the innocent little children he used to consume. So, now, the way his mate flashed her emotions and scent at him… Well.... It was like a drop of blood to a shark, and he craved the crimson-induced frenzy awaiting between her supple thighs.
“And I’m worried about the babies… I can’t hear them out here—”
“Doll…” the clown’s eyes shimmered beautifully in the moonlight, glinting like the flashy lures that caught large fish. Hermione whimpered, unconsciously stepping off of the porch toward him.
“I’m just saying… If you’re going to be out here, I should at least be in there in case they need me—” She was nearly halfway into the yard by now.
“Doll!” Pennywise finally snarled when she came close enough, lurching out of the water and trying to grab her. Yelping, the witch shrunk back.
“I’m on my period!” Hermione finally shouted, abruptly looking to the woods around them, embarrassed that their nearest neighbors may have heard her despite the forests between them.
“C’mere, Doll,” Pennywise licked his lips, and crooked his finger, almost menacingly at her, “Now.”
“No!” Hermione gasped, looking down and realizing exactly how turned on he was at this very moment, “No! We are not doing that!”
Pennywise chuckled darkly, “Ohohoho! Yes, we will,” he extended his arms and brought her closer. Already, he could smell the pungent scent of dead blood and compulsive slick leaking from her.
“Why?!” Hermione whined, trying to protect her sleep clothes from being torn to ribbons by excited claws. Pennywise rumbled, a wolfish grin on his face as he kissed and nipped at her neck.
“Because I’m hungry, and you smell delicious…”
Hermione gasped as he rubbed their cheeks and noses together like cats did. Pennywise purred, giving her a slow lick with his tongue from underneath her chin to the tip of her nose. It caught on her teeth, skimming her tongue teasingly. His fingers made quick work of the robe and pajama shirt covering her torso. Her milky breasts swayed, distracting him only for a moment as they rested warmly on his collarbones.
“Penn…” she whined as he ripped her shorts and underwear off, leaving her awkwardly crouching on top of the hot tub’s shell. The witch could feel the blood beginning to gather, ready to drip.
“A moment, Hermione…” he conjured blood red candles that floated around the tub, far enough away that any splashing they would do wouldn’t immediately extinguish their flames. He also added rose petals to the water, turning it a lovely pink color, “There… now you shouldn’t feel so bloody embarrassed...” he mocked, relishing in her shaking cold body.
Hermione gaped at him, her legs shaking at the effort of trying to grip the slippery tub and the embarrassment of her blood soaking it. Pennywise, now a bit fed up with her self-deprecating and uncooperative attitude, abruptly grabbed her and lifted her up into the air. She yelped, scrambling to grab onto something. However, she froze when his tongue touched her clit.
An embarrassed moan left her slack lips as Pennywise acquainted himself with her bloody folds, licking and sucking on the skin like a child would with an ice cream cone. To him, she tasted of copper and earth, but also caramel and the sweetest berries. He speculated that the copper and earthy scents would fade as she became more and more like him. Even her periods would soon fade as the amount of human eggs in her ovaries are used up. Then, all of their pups would be fully eldritch. So, in summary, he had to relish these delicious and bloody moments with her, for in about twenty-five years or so, they would be truly gone. Eldritch blood wouldn’t be a proper substitute in any case.
Blood dripped down his chin, escaping down his neck, only to be lapped up by his toothed fissure as it temporarily opened. The clown paid it no mind, preferring to dig his tongue into his mate’s gaping snatch and scoop out the darker clots of blood with his tongue. They squished between his teeth, tasting of cleanliness and fertility. He teased her clit with the claw of his nearest thumb, wanting a bit more pleasure from her with each slurp.
Hermione made an aborted buck of her hips when he began fondling her, gripping his tufty orange hair with shaky fingers. Even her legs twitched in his grip as clear slick started to accompany the blood being sucked out of her hole. She opened her mouth, gasping into the cool winter air.
“P-P-Penn…” she whined, “Hur… Hurry up, please…”
Pennywise chuckled, sending vibrations through her clit harsh enough to make her hump his smirking face. As a result, his nose bumped the aforementioned bundle of nerves, compelling her to repeat the action once, twice, four times. The clown snarled then, shoving her down on his chest, right over the gaping secondary mouth stretching along his torso.
Its tongue struck, laser fast as it shot up her channel and began pulsing and swivelling. Tiny little suckers appeared on it, attaching the slithering limb to her walls and beginning its thorough cleaning of her womb. Hermione yowled, trying to lift herself off of the secondary tongue but only establishing a rhythm for their pace.
“Make me cum! I need it!” Hermione sobbed, gripping onto Pennywise’s pectorals so as to stay afloat.
His groin tentacles ensnared her thighs, holding her pelvis tightly to the eldritch’s secondary mouth. The witch moaned, falling forward until her breasts landed against her mate’s face. Pennywise rumbled hungrily, bringing one of the two swinging buds to his mouth, milking ban be damned, and suckling as quickly and loudly as he could.
Hermione screamed, a torrent of slick and the rest of her period blood flowing out of her as her walls squeezed and pushed inward to expel the fluids. Her head lolled against the crown of his own, the female’s fingers lazily combing through the errant tufts she found there. He would properly groom himself later, but her fruitless effort was appreciated. To show his gratitude, he brought her wrist to his mouth and kissed right above the visible veins, nibbling the flesh with a small purr. She hissed, snatching her arm back from his ravenous grip.
“What about you?” she husked, her voice a mere croak.
Pennywise grinned, bringing his mate down to soak in the hot water and following her down until the water reached their necks, “What indeed?”
He pressed her down further, enough that her overstimulated clit was sitting right on top of one of the floor jets. The witch sobbed, fidgeting and trying to stand back up. However, his hands were immovable, “Pennywise… Please, don’t! It’s too much.”
“Now, I don’t think that’s true,” he teased, rubbing the ball of his foot into her abused clit and watching her gasp in both relief and anticipation. His toes scrunched into her folds, making her buck into them, “You have yet to understand something very important…”
“W-w-what is it?” Hermione moaned as her mate removed his foot and replaced it with his other, letting her hump it to her own end.
“Having your devoted, undivided, unconditional, attention,” he shoved her back down onto the jet and bit into her neck, suddenly bringing her to another screeching orgasm.
“I feel ignored, Doll…” the clown grumbled, lapping patiently at her heaving neck while she recovered in the deceptive comfort of his lap, “It’s been a while since our last time together, and I can’t help but notice how our young have twisted you away from me.”
“I’m not sure how to best break this to you,” she coughed, an ugly, hacking thing, “but that’s how having children works.”
“I don’t like it… You’re mine,” he hissed, scenting along her cheeks and lips, “I do everything to tie you to me, and you’re still being stolen away…”
“Stop being so bloody dramatic!” Hermione pushed at him until he let her sit up straight. Exhaustion tugged at her senses, but she was determined to ease her mate and husband’s frustrations, “C’mere, love…”
The witch scooted back until she sat on Pennywise’s pale thighs, indicating for him to get comfortable before getting up. Foam drifted in the water around her knees, dissipating as droplets fell from her goosebump-ridden skin. Her nipples pebbled in the frosty air, her hot breath coming out as steam. Lazily, she pinched one, emphasizing the droplet of milk that leaked out of it. Grabbing her hips, she began to slowly dance away from her now slack-jawed mate. She fought the urge to snicker when he nearly cracked the shell of the hot tub from clenching onto it too hard with his hands.
Hermione spun around, thankfully not slipping, and slowly approached him, running her hands along her moist body. The air became even more heady around him as he watched her, eager, but silent, eyes like molten honey ready to ensnare her. She smiled shyly, looking down at him from under her lashes as her hips continued to move up and down. He purred, subtly rolling his hips, invitingly. When she finally stood in front of him, he kept his arms outstretched, but spread his legs a bit, enough for her to sit down on. A bit of drool escaped his mouth, but she was quick to lean over his thighs and lick it off of him, pressing their lips together for a kiss. He groaned, itching to grab her hips and pull her down onto his aching member.
Luckily, as though she could sense his thoughts, the enchanting witch lowered herself onto his lap and brushed her fingers against his fat sheathe. It bulged invitingly, even twitching when she teased the leaky entrance with her knuckles. He exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to guide her fingers to where he wanted them.
However, what he didn’t expect was for her pinkie finger to push into the sheathe, and consequently, his erection. The eldritch jumped at the sudden feeling, nearly panting his confused arousal. Hermione had a similar reaction, gauging his face for any pain. Of course, the opening was durable, used to pushing out sperm sacs on a regular basis, but this was new.
Hermione pushed in a bit further before pulling out, making him whine. She held up her hand, telling him to wait. He huffed once, but said nothing in response, instead purring when Hermione sat down in his lap and began grinding her sloppy cunny into his bulge. Her hands wrapped around his neck, fingers lacing at his nape. Up and down, up and down, push and pull, push and pull… It became a rhythm. Her body ground up, her breasts bumped his nose, her pussy ground down, her teeth scraped down his neck.
Then, Hermione slowly unwrapped her legs from beside his thighs and stood between his spread legs. He watched, frozen, as she placed her hands on his knees, moving toward his face before slowly lowering herself and moving her body from side to side, her face near his heaving belly. His closed fissure rippled at her closeness, but the eldritch ultimately kept it shut, not wanting to spoil this spontaneous performance.
Her hands gratefully gripped his bare hips, but only for a moment. She worked her way up into a standing position, slowly. Fingertips grazed his chin, tilting his head up so she could give him a chaste kiss. It was almost embarrassing how he almost chased after her retreating skin.
The witch stood, gyrating her hips in a simple figure-eight. Her hands moved to her heavy breasts, squeezing them harshly before migrating down to her sides. Milk trailed after them, dripping distractingly into the water. She turned, her hands drifting up to sway above her head. The round globes of her bum swayed, giving him a peek of her intoxicating red flower when she bent over. Pennywise couldn’t help but lean forward, reaching with long fingers.
Hermione spun around as quick as she was able to without falling over, pushing him back against the tub and slapping his grabby hands away. Pennywise growled, just as offended as he was aroused by her roughhousing. Traditionally, it was the male eldritch that performed the mating dance, but it was the female who pushed and asserted herself, much like his mate had just done. It was an instinctual paradox, and he wasn’t sure how to react.
The witch picked up some of the nearby foam, sensually rubbing it onto her wet arms and trailing her fingers up to her neck. Soft fingertips came down, spreading the foam all over her skin. Her breasts jiggled in their wake, pointy nipples pulsing subtly. Her belly sucked in, coercing the foam down into her rosy folds. Ignoring her clit, she finished by trailing her hands up from her knees.
Then, she spun around again, crouching until her bum was right above his aching bulge. The clown hissed, ever closer to giving in to his urge to grab her hips and yank her down onto him fully. She smiled at the sheer frustrated agony on his face, turning back around and sitting on his lap. Her hips bounced, making him let out a staggered growl and finally grip her hips.
Hermione leaned back until her hair was submerged in the water, continuing to gently hump her mate. After a moment, she leaned back up and kissed him fully on the lips, letting him groan and lick and suck to his black heart’s content. Poor thing… the witch thought as he actually moaned into her mouth when she thumbed his weeping slit.
“My poor mate…” she teased, pressing a bit into the slit like she had before, “It’s just so hard being a daddy, isn’t it?” Pennywise merely snarled, his capacity for human speech completely gone. She giggled, gripping his sheathe with the rest of her hand and giving it a few pumps. Quickly enough, his bumpy, knotted, red, and purple cock emerged little by little, pulsing hopefully in her hand.
“You’re so big, my love,” she cooed, kissing his tip and wrapping her other hand around his knot and squeezing. His hips jumped and he actually cracked the tub with a low snap.
“Penn!” Hermione admonished upon hearing the damage, “Shame on you!”
The clown snarled at her, loudly, making her shrink back and realize how far gone she’d taken him, “Alright, Love… No more sounding… Let me take care of you,” she promised, finally lowering herself onto his long and girthy cock. It was a bit of a slow decline, but when he finally bottomed out inside her, she could tell he was much more ‘present’ than before.
He gripped her hips, watching her move up and down on his cock. She wiggled a bit, grinding into the clown’s firm torso, “Better?”
“Yes,” Pennywise hissed after a moment, “I’m close.”
“Good,” Hermione replied blithely, grinding down onto his wide knot.
Pennywise pushed her onto it, the hard bulb slipping in with a wet squelch underneath the water. Hermione moaned, loving how hot and heavy it felt inside her. She couldn’t help but rub her clit, working herself into a matching orgasm to share with her mate. He watched her do so with only a bit of envy for her fingers.
Within a few short thrusts, he snarled his climax to the rest of the yard as he dumped his seed into his mate’s willing womb. It spurted, hot and creamy as it flooded her channel and hole, making her belly swell into a nice little bump. Pennywise rubbed it reverently, purring his satisfaction to his exhausted mate. Her clit and walls continued to pulse, milking him for every drop he had to give. She’d had a quiet climax, her mouth falling open and no sound coming out as she arched and writhed in her husband’s strong grip. He kissed her slowly, lovingly, delighting in how she struggled to remain conscious.
“Beautiful,” it was both a reassurance and a promise, something to be cherished even after the candles extinguished and the sounds of five hungry infants pierced the wintry air.