# While Mama's Away...

#### <span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Mommy and Babies will play!</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">It’s been a couple weeks since Gabriella left on her trip, along with a pair of stowaways. Novalynn and Diss went with her, like I knew they would. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">So, I am home, with Mina and Damir.</span>

> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Our Goals?</span>
> 
> <span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Get those wingies put away. </span></span>
> 
> <span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Learn to walk.</span></span>
> 
> <span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Make sure Damir doesn’t get into his Mama’s snack stash (Make sure to close the closet door.)</span></span>

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##### <span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Day 1</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Got the kids up and eat breakfast. Mina kept glancing at the door, knowingly. Damir was babbling to me between mouthfuls of oatmeal and fruit. Until he realized he hadn’t seen Mama yet, and normally she’s around by now. I had to explain to the boy that Mama had to go on her trip – a detail he forgot from the night before when he spent all night snuggled with her. Poo[![Damie and Mina.png](https://bookstack.treehousefullofstars.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/vDRmlDOxOvINbAiE-damie-and-mina.png)](https://bookstack.treehousefullofstars.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/vDRmlDOxOvINbAiE-damie-and-mina.png)r boy… didn’t even want to drink from his sippy cup. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">After breakfast, I got the two of them dressed, and we played in the living room. Mina practiced her magic, animating little butterfly lights to flutter around the room, while I tried to distract Damir with his dragon plushie. At one point, Mina went and gave Damir a hug, saying “It o-ay, Da-ie.” Sweet girl helping her brother feel better. Damir was a little better after that, but clung to me, and has clung to me since. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">By the afternoon, I had the pair down for their naps. They were in the sit-crib, using the dragon as a pillow. </span>

##### <span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Day 2</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></span>

<span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There’s a heatwave going on right now, it’s rough trying to go outside. I’ve had the twins covered up in their hats and sunglasses, sitting in the shade while I tend to the garden. Arnor came by, checking on the beasts, letting me know in the next couple weeks, the females will be giving birth. I don’t know anything about helping with that, so when the time comes, I’ll need Arnor helping and showing me the ropes. Busy times ahead… </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">After Arnor left, I decided the kids needed to take a dip in the lake. I brought them over to the water’s edge, and sat them in my lap, letting the water wash over their legs. They’d kick and giggle when it got them. I think Mina enjoys the feeling of wet sand and water between her toes. We’re going to start working on Damir’s wings soon. Every day, I’ve been massaging his back, trying to create the space between his shoulder blades, where the wings fold and hide.</span>

##### <span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Day 3</span>

<span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Today, I decided we’re getting those wingies put away. Damir has been reacting well to the back massages, relaxing and folding his wings. I had him on his stomach, hanging across my forearm, and was rubbing his back. Mina sat nearby, watching<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and babbling and playing. I rubbed Damie’s back, and carefully folded his wing, relaxing him and slowly tucking. It’s amazing, tiny little guy, but those wings of his are b</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">ig enough to wrap around and then some. </span></span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">After a little while of slowly folding, I managed to get him to lift a shoulder blade and tucked the wing underneath. He was… off-put by it. He didn’t enjoy the sensation of the space being filled and whimpered a little at it. I had to snuggle him to make him feel better, and he refused to let me get the other one. I sent Gabriella a picture of our little one-winged angel. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Damir fell asleep early that night, and I was up later with Mina, practicing magic with her. Little one has such an affinity for it… Before Gabriella left for her trip, I’d joked it almost seemed like little Bean could teleport. Found out recently that… she can, apparently. Seems the young one has tricks up her sleeves even I don’t know about. When I asked her about it, she just grins, and giggles, but doesn’t show me. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">[![ChatGPT Image Jul 15, 2025, 04_10_21 PM.png](https://bookstack.treehousefullofstars.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/cuI1mpvyBiQSnVo2-chatgpt-image-jul-15-2025-04-10-21-pm.png)](https://bookstack.treehousefullofstars.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/cuI1mpvyBiQSnVo2-chatgpt-image-jul-15-2025-04-10-21-pm.png)</span>

##### <span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Day 4</span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Worked on the other wing today, first thing. Figured I’d catch him while he was sleepy, so after breakfast, I had Damir hanging off me again, and did more massaging, and folding. Eventually, he let me get the other wing tucked away, and I sent a picture to his Mama. He likes it when she says she’s proud of him. He needs positive reinforcement, it seems. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">I took the twins to the market today. Had them in a stroller, bundled up with their hats and sunglasses, and they helped me pick out things for dinner that we didn’t actively have in the garden. Arnor was by the cottage while we were out, checking on the animals. I invited them and Nana for dinner, and we all enjoyed the nice meal with some fruit sorbets for dessert. </span>

<span style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">[![JS0NcuqDYtsHOv3w-chatgpt-image-jul-18-2025-10-37-35-pm.png](https://bookstack.treehousefullofstars.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/scaled-1680-/9H7f6eRnMPfDub9N-js0ncuqdytshov3w-chatgpt-image-jul-18-2025-10-37-35-pm.png)](https://bookstack.treehousefullofstars.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-07/9H7f6eRnMPfDub9N-js0ncuqdytshov3w-chatgpt-image-jul-18-2025-10-37-35-pm.png)</span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Met someone… someone who knows about Gabriella, and Star. Apparently, she interacted with them when they went away a couple summers ago… This woman seems to have a connection to the void and can sense some sort of spirits. Diss had apparently eaten one of said spirits, while on the ship with Gabriella and Novalynn. Damir was scaring some back home, and they got him to get his wings out… Mina, with her little tricks, managed to freeze a pair of the spirits. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Gotta keep an eye on this woman. She seems to know my whole family pretty well, and I’m not sure how comfortable I am knowing she can keep tabs on everyone at any moment… and these bizarre “welps” as she calls them. Apparently, they’re like the spirits, but it’s hard to tell if they’re… friendly or not. Given Damir was scaring them, and Mina and Diss both… took some out, I’ll assume they’re not very bright creatures, regardless of alignment. </span>

##### <span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Day 7</span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">It’s been a week since Gabriella left on her research trip. Every day, I work with Damir to control his wings better. He’s slowly managing to tuck them away himself, and I think he feels a little less self-conscious now that he knows he can tuck them away. Gabriella and the kids made ground and are supposed to make contact with someone over there. Haven’t heard much since, just that she’s supposed to meet an “Evenstein” or something. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">The mysterious girl, her name is Fiona. Still don’t know a lot about her, but she’s been sticking around. Eats a ton, poor Star… I’ve been cooking extra and bringing it by the beach house, just in case they need the food. </span>

<span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(250, 0, 0);">Fiona has a means of getting Gabriella and the kids home. A werewolf, apparently, who owns an airship. I’ve made sure to let Gabriella know, once her work over there is done. I’ve had a bad feeling about this whole trip, still unsure how things will turn out, especially with Nova and Diss there. </span>