Deet glanced down at her son, silently gushing at his little gap toothed smile. “I’m working on a new sweater for you, sweetie.” She held up a tangled ball of red yarn being held between two knitting needles, “Winter’s just around the corner after all.”
Jen watched astonished as the mesh of red slowly began to take shape into something resembling a collar, then a sleeve, and very soon another sleeve to join it. He toddled closer to the side of the bed, beckoning Deet to scoop him up so he could get a better look.
“Would you like to give it a go?”
His big blue eyes widened slightly. “Really mama? Can I?”
Deet smiled warmly. “Of course you can. It’s your sweater after all - you should have a hand in making it too.”
Slowly did she guide her little one to sit between her thighs, placing her hands atop his and working them through the motions until the individual crimson spools were being tightly fastened to one another. At some point, Deet began to sing to him. A gentle melody that spilled effortlessly from her lips and filled the once still and quiet of the bedroom. Jen flickered his tiny ears in delight, briefly letting his mother take over knitting as he sunk into her inviting warmth.
That’s when the door creaked open and a pair of deep cobalt eyes greeted them affectionately.
“Should I just leave this and be on my way?” Rian chuckled, a playful lilt to his voice. He gestured with his head to the tray of tea and mini confections that Brea had dropped off from the Vapran marketplace. “You two seem pretty occupied with one another. Would hate to interrupt.”
Deet rolled her eyes fondly, already making room for Rian on the bed. “Well you could,but then you’d be missing out on some wonderful cuddle time, and that sounds awfully dreadful doesn’t it?”
The Stonewood laughed a little louder this time. “Oh absolutely, Deethra.”
Kicking off his boots, Rian placed the tray on the nightstand and took his place at his wife’s side, bending his head down to leave a quick peck on Jen’s forehead. It was then that Deet decided the knitting could wait until later. She had promised cuddles, and both her boys looked in desperate need of them. Especially Rian, who seemed particularly weary after running his earlier errands.
“Settle in my dears….” she cooed, wrapping her arms around both of them. “We’ve got the rest of the day to do absolutely nothing at all….”
