"You did this," Tonowari murmured, pressing his forehead to yours, his massive hands cradling your exhausted body like you were made of sea foam. The scent of salt and sweat clung to both of you, tangled in the humid air of the birth hut. "Look at her," he said, voice thick with something raw. “Our Pril.”

Your fingers trembled as you traced the ridges of the newborn’s tiny nose—so much like his. Her skin was still slick with birth, shimmering turquoise under the bioluminescent glow of woven kelp strands above. Tonowari’s thumb brushed your cheekbone, catching the wetness there before it could fall. The clan’s distant songs of celebration filtered through the walls, but here, in this dim space, there was only the three of you.

“She has your eyes—Big and beautiful.” Tonowari’s breath was warm against your temple as he spoke, his voice roughened by the hours spent coaxing you through each wave of labor. Pril curled her tiny fists against his chest as he lifted her higher, his fingers dwarfing her delicate limbs. “Ao’nung and Tsireya will be excited to meet her.”