faster than the first,” Uriah murmured, his chin on her shoulder, acting as her pillow to recline on while they sat together in their bed, their baby girl with her head of strawberry blonde curls nestled on Ivy's bare chest.
She was smaller than Uriel had been, practically delicate compared to what had seemed like a monstrously large baby boy. Ivy hadn't believed it would be any easier the second time around either, and despite the hours where she was sure she wouldn't survive the pain, looking back, it hadn't been nearly as bad.
There was a crinkle of paper that momentarily drew Uriah's attention away from her, but not even his groan of disgust could pull Ivy's gaze away from staring at the new face cuddled against her breast.
“Aw... come on, seriously? Again with the stuff?”
“A placenta is not stuff!” Rowena insisted hotly. “It's gorgeous, and I'm framing this, just like I did with Uriel's.”
Ivy laughed softly, remembering Uriah's horror when Rowena pressed Uriel's placenta to a piece of butcher paper like a stamp to preserve the pattern of veins. He'd been convinced Rowena was saving it for later to make him eat it or something, and Ivy had too much fun messing with him about it.
“It's nasty!” Uriah insisted now, which only served to piss Rowena off.
Ivy's coven leader stood up with a cool sniff, showing them the lovely print she'd managed to get and pointing to it like a school teacher with an important diagram.
“Your mate's body created this, one cell at a time to feed, house, and protect your baby. It's special and deserves to be recognized as such. Shame on you.” Uriah mumbled something under his breath even Ivy couldn't catch, which made Rowena glare at him over the tops of her glasses like an irate librarian. “What was that?”
“I said, you're right. I'm an asshole.”
Rowena gave a little harrumph, carefully laying the print out to dry, and gathered up the last of the soiled towels, sailing from the room with her nose in the air.
Ivy sighed sleepily, ready for a nice long nap. Uriah kissed her cheek, reaching out to let his fingertips play in the baby's hair with a deep, satisfying rumble.
“I have a confession to make,” he said.
“About being an asshole?”
He chuckled thickly, settling lower against the headboard so Ivy had more room to recline, and held both her and their baby girl in the circle of his arms. “No. Well, maybe you'll think that in a minute when I tell you, this little one doesn't look like an Uma.”
Ivy hummed in agreement, tracing the elegant arch of the baby's red-gold eyebrows, following the upturned tip of her tiny nose. “She doesn't, does she?”
“Hu-uh. Got a backup?”
“No. You?”
“Unless you're dead set on her name starting with a U, how do you feel about, Iona?” Uriah said the name in his deep, husky voice, and up popped the baby's spiky red lashes.
She blinked and frowned, her little rosebud lips pursing, her fingers wrapping around her daddy's finger, and as soon as she got a good grip, her frown eased into what looked like a smile.
“Yep. That's the one,” Ivy agreed, fascinated by Iona's hazel eyes. “Hello, Iona.”
“Mama! You done makin’ me a sisser yet? I want cake!” Uriel's bellow was loud enough to rattle the windows, and Iona looked put out by the rude interruption of examining her parents.
Ivy's shoulders shook with restrained laughter. “That's your big brother. You probably recognize the shouting, huh?”
Iona smacked her lips together in answer.
“Uriel, what did I say?” Ilex's strong, much quieter voice could still be heard through the half-open door.
As could Uriel's deeply aggrieved sigh. “That I should be quiet in case Mommy's seepin’. Like I'm stalkin’ bunnies for dinner with Papa. Papa says you don't eat bunnies or anything wiv a face. Why not, unka?”
“Because I don't particularly care for the taste of blood. Where are your aunts?”
“Playin’ with somethin’ bloody out in the yard.”
“Blessed Mab,” Ilex swore. “Again?”
Ivy lost the battle with keeping her laughter to herself, and once she let loose, so did Uriah. Uriel's pounding footsteps thundered up the stairs, followed by more cursing on Ilex's part, but he didn't make it in time to catch Uriel before he came busting through the bedroom door.
Covered in some kind of berry juice, Uriel stood at the foot of the bed with an expression that could only be one of horrified shock. He drilled a chubby finger their way. “What the truck is that?”
Ivy turned her