"The doctors here can do lots of things," she said, trying to remind herself of all the myriad reasons that a talking frog shouldn't bother her. It shouldn't. She's seen worse. ******, she IS worse.

Still. It was a ******ing talking frog.

She took several deep breaths as she carried the kid, reminded again how carrying a child was like wearing big old blinders. She started to remember... but forced her mind away before she could too clearly picture Severn carrying Catti, dressed only in his tabard, into the halls of law. Before she could see again Severn carrying two other children, so much smaller, yet so much larger all at once.

Her mouth trembled, wanting to say their names.

She locked the pain away inside, to focus on the kid she held. Here. Now. Here she could help someone, take care of a child who needed it, keep him safe. She would not fail. Not again.

"If your brother is here, we'll find him," she assured the child, kissing his forehead, under the teapot, thinking instead of Mayalee, and how much the kid would giggle if Kaylin ever tried to kiss her there, between her amphorae.

"And if he isn't, we'll keep you safe and comfortable until he arrives, or you go back, alright?" she asked.