She sighs in relief at his affirmation. Once she’d finalized her name choice, she couldn’t think of her daughter in any other way. If Zevulun hadn’t liked it, Avalon would have been at a loss and the newborn may have remained without a name for some time.

”I’m glad,” she says at the tail end of the sigh. Now with nothing to prevent her from resting to replenish her energy, her head drops, and she ghosts her nose across Izizel’s gold and white side. She’s careful not to disturb the filly as her head comes back up to a comfortable level. She almost purrs when she feels Zevulun’s ministrations at her hairline, and she locks her knees to keep herself from turning to jelly and collapsing beside their daughter.

She feels wholly safe and protected, her heart full to bursting. ”I know you will,” she murmurs sleepily. ”We’re the luckiest girls in the world.”

Her blue eyes slip closed but she holds onto consciousness for another minute, wanting to savor the perfection of this moment. This is even better that those days in the cave, because now their perfect child sleeps at their feet and they have nothing but the promise of a bright future before them.

”Invite your sisters to meet Izizel,” she continues, now barely awake. ”I think she’ll like to meet her aunts.”

And finally, Avalon drifts off for a well-deserved nap on the best day of her life.