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Too soon, the time came for fond farewells as Noelle’s family prepared to return home. But promises were exchanged to reunite again very soon. We would build on these beautiful beginnings.
On their final crystalline evening here, Noelle drew me quietly aside, a secretive smile playing about her lips. Gently, she took my hands in hers, her eyes suddenly shining with tears.
“I have the most wonderful news,” she whispered. “We are going to have a baby!”
For a moment, her words failed to register. Then with a great whoop of astonished joy, I seized my bride by the waist and swung her in dizzy circles as she laughed merrily. A child! Our family was growing in the most miraculous way conceivable.
When I set Noelle down gently, I dropped to my knees and pressed a tender hand to her still-flat belly in awe. Somewhere deep inside, a piece of her and me was even now beginning to blossom, binding our love as parents-to-be. Though harsh and remote, life yet found ways to spring forth even on the icy planet of Yule.
Rising again to my feet, I drew Noelle close. Silent tears of wonder streamed down both our faces as we cradled this precious secret between us. In that profound moment, I felt our two paths merge fully at last into one shared destiny.
Noelle’s family received the joyous news with equal jubilation upon their return to Earth. Plans were soon made for regular visits to allow them to share in each stage of the journey ahead.
As Noelle’s pregnancy progressed, the solitude of my once-gloomy bedchambers grew unexpectedly brighter. Now, as I held her each night, the dark void of space visible through my crystalline window no longer seemed cold and endless, but rich with promise.
Where once I had delivered joy and wonder anonymously to children across the galaxies, now at last I had found a reason for being rooted in my own hearth and home. True happiness often arrives indirectly from sources unlooked for.
The silent halls and workshops of Yule fairly echoed again with warmth and laughter. New toy prototypes sprang to life across freshly dusted work benches, crafted specially with the needs of a hybrid child in mind.
Watching Noelle tend to the cozy nest she was assembling, singing softly to herself as she knitted garments for our unborn baby, I knew this blessed child would come into the world surrounded endlessly by devoted friends and family. Both my adopted human kin and ancestral people alike eagerly awaited this herald of new generations to come.
Together, Noelle and I gazed expectantly toward the bright future taking shape on our horizon - one of blended cultures, time-honored traditions evolving into fresh forms, and above all, enduring love. With my growing family beside me, even the stars themselves seemed within reach at last.
Chapter Twenty
Xanther
How the years flew by in a blur of blissful domesticity. After long centuries of isolation and loneliness, now my home and heart overflowed with love’s boundless blessings. And at the center of it all shone my Noelle, my true partner in every sense.
Ten holiday seasons had come and gone since that magical Christmas Eve when we first met beneath the glowing moon. From that spark, our miraculous love had ignited into a thriving family embracing both humans and Yulians without distinction.
Five miraculous children blessed our union over time - three boisterous boys who embodied my own restless spirit, and two clever girls who displayed their mother’s wit and beauty from a young age.
Our firstborn arrived that momentous night during a raging blizzard which rattled the windowpanes with otherworldly ferocity. But inside our snug chambers, all was calm serenity.
Noelle’s expression of determination never wavered throughout the long hours of effort. My anxious pacing ceased the instant her cries of exertion were displaced by the vigorous wailing of our new son.
Heart bursting, I dropped reverent kisses onto the squirming baby’s crimson forehead and cheeks as Noelle laughed through her exhaustion. The infant regarded me with eyes still unfocused from his journey into the light. Yet I knew he recognized his devoted father on some profound level. Our souls were bonded instantly and irrevocably.
From then on, barely any time passed without happy news of another addition to come. I took to teasing Noelle about her remarkable powers of fertility, at least when we were alone. In truth, I could hardly contain my delight at each new miracle she brought into being.
During her pregnancies, I pampered Noelle constantly, anticipating her needs before she voiced them. Her favorite treats remained delicately chilled on hand, refreshing baths drew nightly to help ease her aches, creams and lotions awaited at each bedtime to comfort her stretched skin.
Though she scoffed at my doting worries, I sensed her silent appreciation for every foot massage and back rub. Bringing Noelle joy had become my chief purpose. Her contentment was mine as well.
Deliveries progressed more easily with each round of practice. But nothing could diminish the euphoria of that first piercing newborn cry each time - at once foreign, yet instantly beloved. Together we marveled anew at the perfect tiny hands, the feather-soft hair, the scent uniquely theirs alone.
Throughout this phase, Noelle’s family on Earth remained a constant nourishing presence. Regular visits overlapped with my extensive seasonal travels, allowing everyone time to bond with the latest arrival. My wife’s human kin offered invaluable parenting wisdom which I absorbed gratefully.
In turn, I took satisfaction in demonstrating certain useful techniques of my own. Levitation, for instance, helped soothe many a colicky infant. And I lost count of the times my cooling breath rescued little ones overheated from too much play on sunny days. Noelle just shook her head and laughed, fully embracing the unusual hybrid nurturing our children received.
My little ones matured with astonishing speed, growing more boisterous and irrepressible by the day. Twins being common for Yulians, we were doubly blessed on two occasions. I often joked about needing extra eyes in the back of my head to keep up with the spirited brood.
Nightly familial chaos reigned joyfully around the dinner table, with no shortage of spills, jokes and laughter. Noelle and I exchanged frequent glances of shared pride and exhaustion across the constant din. Afterward, we collapsed together on the plush couch, her head nestled on my shoulder as the young ones played spiritedly before bed.
Some evenings, I would sing old Yule folk songs in my rumbling baritone, harmonizing with Noelle’s lilting soprano as tiny eyelids slowly drooped. Few joys exceeded sitting encircled by my slumbering children, their faces still round with innocence. My protective gaze lingered over each one, silently renewing my vow to shield them from all harm.
During this hectic but blissful period, my annual holiday duties necessarily took on adjusted form. Noelle assumed a greater role while I stayed close, unwilling to miss any precious milestones.
