Growing Pains

[Ona]

“So there is nothing wrong with me?” Carnelia asks for at least the dozenth time. She is sitting across from me, a fan of cards covering half of her face as she drinks another cup of fruit juice.

“Absolutely nothing,” I assure her. “You are perfectly healthy. The babies are healthy. Nothing bad has happened and nothing bad will happen today,” I pat her on the back as I shuffle the cards again. The game Wishes and Fishes isn’t nearly as distracting as it used to be, now that she has so much more on her mind than whether or not my idiot brother likes her. We have been stuck on this island for 2 weeks since Primus left, and I have been tasked with teaching her how to be a dragon all while preparing her to be a mother. "You simply fainted