Bun And Loaf.

D Day.

I poured hot water over Sylvia's head as she sat in the tub, dead to the world.

Then, like a bolt of lightning, she jerked awake with a gasp.

I noticed a slight fluid density difference in the water between her legs and took a deep breath.

Releasing it, I held her head, kissed her, and sat on my knees to begin massaging her abs.

She sighed and laid her head back on my shoulder.

"Heh. My parents told me that the first few seconds of labor would be the worst of it." She laughed.

"The first few seconds?

Careful not to ever let a human woman hear you say that.

She'd be furious."

"How come?" She asked, stroking my arm as I continued massaging.

"Almost their entire labor is a roller coaster of pain and discomfort. Then birthing is excruciating." I said.

"I thought soap operas were unreliable." She sing songs.

We talked for a bit until I checked my watch

"It's been ten minutes, you're not quite at ten centimeters, yet." I said

"Ten centimeters, what the hell? Tell me that's for human women."

"It is. Why?" I asked.

"Dumb loaf! First of all I'm four feet in height, natural stance.

Second, Elkish Lops deliver in birth sacks and, maximum, we only need to be at six CM to comfortably deliver.

"Oh, well. You're at seven."

"Oh! Stroke my abs hard and downward."

I did so and I felt her body stiffen and relax.

"Again." She said.

I went through that four times before the first of seven was born.

Cut sack, remove infant, snip umbilical, tie, start breathing, rinse... or rather... dry off and repeat.

Two times for the next and so on until all seven were born.

I was still rubbing to ensure that the afterbirth all came out when she siezed up and an eighth birth sack was delivered to us.

We stared at the smallest birth sack. The last one... Right?

I picked it up and carefully cut open the sack, as I'd done with the others.

The smallest one and the only girl of our first litter...?

"Yes, litter! Remember, you goofy loaf?"

Once all of the afterbirth was out and she could begin recovery, I placed her in the drying booth and then carried her, with our children on her, to the bed.

Laying her down, I snuggled up beside her, staring at our children in awe of the eight lives that we were blessed with.

I kissed her cheek and she turned to kiss me.

"Good loaf." She said.

"MMM. Good bun."

She licked my cheek and I stared at her.

I rubbed my cheek against hers.

"I love you, Sylvia. So much."

"I love you too, Clark." She said.

"You want to know the true irony of all of this?" I asked.

"Tell me." She said.

"I quit my job, not even ten minutes before we met at that building where you came to our world in the parking garage." I laughed.