"Is Mom going to be okay?" Lina asked very quietly.
Seres put his arm around his daughter. "Your mother is very strong," he said. "She is like a lion. She will be just fine."
Inside the room, the doctor was busy. He had helped many babies be born. "Breathe, Ruby," he said. "Be strong. Push!"
Max felt the pressure getting stronger. Suddenly, he saw a bright, warm light. It was much different than the cold space from before.
Then, everything opened up. For the first time, he felt cold air in his lungs. It was a big surprise to be alive again, so he let out a loud cry from his tiny throat.
The door opened slowly. Seres stood up so fast that the bench almost tipped over.
The doctor walked out. He looked tired but he was smiling. "He is a fighter, Seres," the doctor said. "He has a very strong voice."
Seres walked into the room very carefully. The fire in the fireplace made shadows dance on the walls. Ruby was lying on the bed. She looked very tired, but she was smiling. Her eyes were bright and happy.
In her arms was a small baby wrapped in a soft white cloth.
"Look at him," she said quietly. She was very happy.
Seres knelt down by the bed. He used his big, rough hand to gently touch the baby's face. "He is beautiful, Ruby," he said. "He has your nose."
Lina came into the room and stood on her toes to see. Her eyes got very big. "He is so small!" she laughed. Everyone felt happy and safe again.
Max opened his eyes. It felt very strange. His mind was still an adult's mind, full of memories of cars and cities. But his new body was small, soft, and weak.
He looked at the woman. She was his new mother. Her hair was bright red like a sunset, and her eyes were a beautiful gold.
Max thought she looked like a queen. He tried to talk to her, but he could only make baby sounds.
Then he saw the man, his father. The man looked strong and very kind.
This man looked at Max with so much love.
Next, he saw a young girl. She was his sister. She looked like both her parents.
She looked at Max like she wanted to be his best friend right away.
"How about the name Zephyr?" his mother asked. "Zephyr Silvaris."
"I like it," his father said. "It means 'the wind.' It is a name for someone who is free."
Max liked the name, too. He felt safe. He promised himself that he would protect this new family.
He felt very sleepy listening to his mother's heartbeat. Ruby also slept with him
Doctor Harken slowly packed his leather bag. He had been the village doctor for forty years and knew exactly what to do. He put on his heavy coat and clipped it shut.
Seres followed him to the door. He tried to be very quiet so he wouldn't wake up Ruby. Seres reached into a small bag on his belt and offered the doctor some silver coins and a jar of special tree sap that was hard to find.
The doctor looked at the money and then at Seres's happy face. He pushed the silver coins back. "Keep the money, Seres," the doctor said. "Use it to buy the boy good boots when he starts walking. The sap is enough for me."
The doctor stepped outside into the cool night air. He stopped and looked back at the warm light coming from the house.
"That boy is special, Seres," he said. "Most babies can't see much, but he looks at everything like he is trying to remember it. Watch him closely."
"I will, Doctor. Thank you," Seres said.
The doctor nodded one last time. Then, he walked away into the foggy night. The Silvaris family was finally alone, and they had a quiet, peaceful night together.
The house was made of wood. Zephyr's father, Seres, had built it himself. He used thick logs that shined like honey in the light of the fire. The house smelled like sweet dried herbs. These smells filled the room and made it feel warm.
In the middle of the room was a big, strong table. It had marks on it from many years of family dinners.
Near the fireplace was a small rocking chair. Seres had worked for months to make it smooth and perfect for the new baby. On the floor, there were soft green rugs that made the house very quiet and peaceful.
In the room where Ruby sleeps.
While Ruby fell into a quiet sleep, Lina stayed on the edge of the bed. She looked at the baby. She had wanted a little brother for a long time. To her, he was a miracle.
She put her hand near Zephyr's head. "I am your big sister," she whispered. She already loved him very much. "Don't worry, Zephyr. I will teach you everything."
She started to name all the things they would do. "I will show you where the best strawberries grow," she said. "I will show you which parts of the water are too deep so you don't get wet. And when you are bigger, I will show you the secret place where the blue butterflies live."
Max was falling asleep, but he could hear his sister talking. He didn't know the words yet, but he could tell she was very excited
Lina leaned closer with a big smile. "Dad says your name means the wind, but I think you are like a little star," she said.
"Tomorrow, I will tell everyone in the village that our family has a prince!"
Seres came back into the room. He saw how much Lina loved the baby. He kissed her on the head and said, "Slow down, Lina. He needs to sleep so he can grow up and play with you."
"I'll be careful, Dad," she promised. But she did not leave. She stayed right there to watch over her brother. She felt very, very happy.
Late midnight
The house was finally quiet. Seres sat in the rocking chair. The chair made a soft creak-thump sound on the floor as he moved back and forth.
Lina finally went to her bed upstairs, but first, she gave Zephyr one last kiss on the head.
Now it's Zephyr alone.
Max lay in his small wooden bed. It was lined with soft sheep skin.
Alright, he thought, focusing his will. Let's just lift the right arm. Just a simple wave
He told his brain to move his body. In his old life, this was easy and smooth. But now, his body did not listen.
His whole chest and head shook. His left arm hit the side of the bed with a soft thud. His right arm only moved a little bit, and his tiny fingers curled up and shook.
He felt a sharp, cold fear in his chest.
It was a scary feeling. It felt like being buried in sand.
He was trapped in a body that would not listen to him. His muscles were like wet clay—too soft and too weak to move. His heart began to beat very fast.
"Calm down," he told himself. He took a shaky breath. "It is just how bodies work. You are a baby now. You have to wait for your body to grow."
Max did not want to wait. He felt upset. He tried to look around the room to see how the house was built, but he could not see clearly. Everything was blurry and messy.
The fire did not look like flames; it just looked like a big orange dot that hurt his eyes.
Then, his body took over. His stomach felt a sharp pain. He was very hungry. It did not feel like a normal hungry feeling. To his baby brain, it felt like a scary emergency. He felt like he had to eat right now to stay alive.
I am not going to cry, Max thought fiercely, clenching his toothless gums. I am a grown man. I have dignity. I will simply wait until—
His body didn't care about his dignity. Before he could stop it, his diaphragm contracted violently. Air rushed into his lungs, and a loud, piercing wail erupted from his throat.
No! Stop it! he screamed in his mind, but the sound kept coming, loud and demanding. He was a passenger in a runaway vehicle, forced to listen to his own helpless crying.
"Shh, shh, my little wind," a soft voice said.
A shadow moved over the bed—it was Ruby. She smelled like a mother, and Max felt very safe.
She picked him up and held his heavy, wobbly head. The fear went away immediately. He felt warm and happy.
Max felt a little silly being so helpless, but he also felt very good being held. His tiny hand grabbed her finger and held on tight. He was surprisingly strong.
"This will be harder than I thought," Max realized as he stopped crying. "I have to learn everything again. I have to learn how to walk, talk, eat, and see."
That pain in the ass, man.