Ice Ice Babies Read Online Free Page B

on that,” I tell her as I clean Elsa off and change her clothing. When I turn around, Asha’s settling in on my favorite stool and Anna’s asleep tucked against her shoulder. She holds her other hand out for Elsa, and looks excited at the thought of holding both of my squirmy, fussy children. Like I’m going to turn that down? I hand her Elsa and she settles the baby carefully in the cradle of her lap, one hand resting on her to make sure she stays in place. She seems to know instinctively how to hold the twins, and then I feel bad for thinking that. Of course she knows how to hold a baby - she had one of her own, even if it was only for a few days.
    And now that someone else has the babies? I feel so…relaxed. “You sure you don’t mind?” I ask her, hesitating.
    “It is my joy to help out,” she says, and presses a smiling kiss to Anna’s tiny head. This is the most I think I’ve seen Asha smile in the two years we’ve been here.
    “Well, while you keep them busy, I’m going to grab my tea bag,” I say, and head to the far corner of the cave where, theoretically, stuff should be neatly stored and is instead stacked messily. I’m not much of a housekeeper and with infant twins? That idea went right out the window.
    “Take your time,” she murmurs.
    I do, straightening a few things and chatting with her as I tidy up. Eventually, I grab my tea bag and several bowls and dump the lot onto a sorting skin. Tea’s a big deal with the sa-khui. There’s no soda fountain, no coffee, no nothing to drink but water, so they’re experts at flavoring things with tea and know just what leaves to use to get the best flavors. Me, not so much. They just look like piles of leaves to my inexpert eye. “So like, what are the best flavors that go together?”
    “Which flavors do you like?” Her voice is dreamy. I glance over and her expression is soft with longing as she holds my children. “I am jealous of you, you know. You have two and I have none.” Her eyes are curiously shiny.
    “Mmm.” I sort through the leaves, doing my best to ignore the twinge of unease her words stir in me. “I hope this isn’t a prelude to you deciding to snatch one of them.” There’s nothing but silence at my joke, and I look up to see her aghast expression. “Oooor maybe that’s just a human thing?”
    “Humans steal the kits of other humans?” She looks horrified. “Why?”
    “Because they want one? I don’t know. Some people aren’t well.” The look on her face makes me feel better, though. I guess it never occurred to her. Gosh, sometimes I love this ice planet for being so darn simple and uncomplicated.
    “I would never take your kits, No-rah.” There’s a wounded note in her voice.
    “Oh, I know you won’t, Asha. I’m just messing with you. Now which tea leaves make a really good breakfast flavor?” I hope she’ll take the hint for the topic change.
    But her expression doesn’t change. “Your kits are beautiful, but I miss mine.” She holds Anna, tucked under her chin, and closes her eyes for a long, long moment. “My Shamalo did not live to have her khui. She was too small at birth.” Her sad eyes blink open. “Now I have nothing.”
    Jeez, she’s going to make me cry. I reach over and pat her knee. “You have your mate.”
    She snorts. Her eyes roll with disgust. “I do not want him. Not now, not ever. If there is no kit to be made, I would not care if I never saw him again.”
    Ouch. “Well, look on the bright side. If he’s out hunting for long periods of time, you won’t miss him like I miss my mate.”
    “It is not an easy time,” she agrees.
    “And having two babies doesn’t help things,” I say glumly, picking up a dried leaf and then tossing it aside. “Nora can’t exactly get her groove back if Nora’s mate isn’t around.”
    “Groof?”
    I wave a hand. “Nothing. I’m just whining and lonely.”
    “He will not touch you?” Asha asks, the expression on her face shrewd. “Is