5 months later.
It was finally spring.
The snow had finally retreated, surrendering its grip on the Iron-Wood forest to the insistent warmth of spring.
The valley was no longer a monochrome landscape of white and grey; it was a riot of color. Wildflowers burst through the thawing earth in purples and yellows, the trees were thick with new green buds, and the air smelled of wet soil and life.
The farms had produced good fruits for living.
But for Roxy, spring meant only one thing: Sweat.
"I feel like a fucking planet," Roxy groaned, letting her head flop back onto the plush cushions of the outdoor daybed Kaelen had built for her on the porch. "If I shift, it's like I am moving a planet along."
She was eight months along now. The child inside her is growing fast and strong. Her belly was massive, a high, tight dome that seemed to stretch her skin to its absolute limit.
