Don't Let Me Drown (Birthing- Texas/any)

[Texas]

and I discovered that my castles stand

upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

Though Hoku had seemed inclined to take Texas up on his offer to join him at the Falls, he’d not seen the dunskin mare since. He assumes she’s found somewhere else to rest her head, and has not thought of her since. The idea that she might be pregnant had crossed his mind only once or twice in the few weeks after their meeting, but it takes a considerable amount of focus to be one of three horses in a kingdom, he’s given it no thought at all. It’s not like he’d be a help even if he had; children are women’s work, after all.

So when he stumbles across not only Hoku, but also a small filly with more than a passing resemblance to himself, he seriously considers back up casually and pretending he was never there. What if she wants him to be an “involved parent”? What does that even mean? This is exactly why he prefers to keep his dalliances far outside of the places he frequents – morning-after encounters are always so awkward. It’s even more awkward when there’s a child, he’s realizing now.

Too late to back away, he realizes, so he might as well soldier on.

“Hello Hoku,” he says, giving her a brief smile before he turns his dark eyes on the filly. “I see you’ve been busy over the winter.”

texas