#bergen_county

(Off to RV)

Tove feels like a damn whale.

Huffing, she dreads sitting down.

But kind of has to

"CJ... when I learned I was having you, I told myself I would never be one of those mothers that made a child feel guilty for carrying them around... never going to rub your nose in it. " A breath "Told myself that wasn't fair."

"Well, the deal is off. I am SO going to bring this up whenever you give me grief. Get used to it."

Well, at least she is comfortable on the couch. Yup. She might take a nap. But she's not moving.

Thirty seconds later.

"I need to pee." A sigh.

........................

"Of course I'd make tea," Tove says hurumph.

"I guess it is a sluagh thing? Like coffee for trolls."

"Raindrop!" A laugh as the tiny horse swoops in through the kitchen door.

"Oh she's dripping.." A fuss at Raindrop "You're not supposed to live up to your name"

"No no I'm happy to make tea for Symon any time is what I mean. Especially if gets you both out of the drizzle"

"I barely noticed the rain..."

"Oh, you shoulda SEEN Star! She was flying even when she was running, not just with her wings."

"mmm racing wolves. I have to admit, the skald in me wants to make a song about that"

"I suppose you can..."

"Make sure you talk about how honorable the wolves were. And how fast Star was. They'd like that...."

A pause.

"Star's pregnant."

"Yes, well, the honor of wolves has a good sound to it and..." A blink "Beg pardon?"

"That's what Star said."

"My word..well, not hard to guess who the father is... " A sip of her own drink

"Well, no..."

"Do... do we think we're in trouble? With a baby?"

Her mom looks at her, "With me or her?"

"With a whole nother horse!"

"Oh, mmm " She ponders "I think at first it will hardly be any trouble. And when the new horse grows up, IF necessary, we find a new home for him or her. "

"Right..." She bites on her lower lip and nods.

"Pennons isn't until October..."

She puts a hand on her daughter's hand, "Horses aren't like me... you'ed be amazed how active they can stay even while pregnant .You'll still get to try Pennons." A nod "And... as for the little one on the way .. you KNOW We'd never put an animal up in a place with mean people."

"Well, no..."

"I mean, worst case, I bet the Farm could take the foal..."

"Exactly"

Symon speaks up finally. "You should make sure there wasn't some sort of breeding contract." A slurp. Unsluaghlike, but there it is. "I wouldn't put it past an Ailil to hedge his bets, and from what I heard of this guy, he's not the most up and up elf on the shelf."

"Uhg. He doesn't deserve her baby. He's an ass."

"I... " Tove frowns "That's a very good point, Symon. We should mention it to the Chieftain."

"I bet the kids would like to ride a pony around. Even Lily if it was calm enough, maybe. I wonder how long it takes to get big enough to ride." Slurp.

"mmm " A thought, Tove writes down something on a pad

"The chieftain should look into monetizing the situation. With three horses to feed, it only makes sense. Put up a pasture far enough from the Lodge, bring in private classes, boom, free horse-crazy kid glamour. I bet there are plenty of dreamers who would love to ride a horse, especially the ones who are too poor to ever afford camp themselves. I bet you could even get NFP status."

"Ann Marie would know more about it."

A slight flush and he adds, almost embarrassedly, "My... uh... Mom's good at shit like that."

"Like that ranch, sure! Maybe we could train them to be therapy horses?"

"Oh that might be more attention than the Chief wants," Tove ponders "But it's not bad to ponder."

"Oh, shi - shoot. Ann Marie. I didn't tell her I was leaving that early." He checks his phone and winces. "Three texts, just in time. After the 4th she starts sending out the alarms. After a 5th and she'd send DIRK."

"Uhg. Take the tea in a thermos, yeah?"

"I better get back." A sulky look. "They want me to do AP testing to take online college courses." Scowl. "Eveyrone else gets to take it easy..."

"Mm, yeah if I can borrow one. Uh... I'll replace it with one from home, though. You can't ever really get the old cream smell out of the rubber lining. "