Chapter Text
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Journal Entry:
After so long, I am attempting to gather my courage. It is not easy, but after being friends for so long, that friendship has turned into something else for me.
I will tell him soon.
I only hope that he feels the same way for me…
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"I don't know what to tell you, Elisa," Doctor James huffed out on a breath. "She's happy. She's healthy. All of her tests have come back normal."
Elisa sent a look at her daughter. "But…"
"If it will make you feel any better," he continued quietly, "Talk to the clan. I have, and the best theory I can come up with is that she's just...accelerated."
"Accelerated?" Elisa asked, irritation coloring her voice, despite trying to keep the volume low. "Doc, not that I want something to be wrong with her, but… LOOK at her."
"I have been," he insisted. "Every day for the last two weeks."
He had, too. Since the night that Elisa and Nayeli had been almost abducted, he had gotten daily visits from the two females.
Not that he blamed her, he thought looking at Nayeli now. If he hadn't helped with the delivery, he wouldn't have believed it.
Nayeli had been born almost a full month early. Despite that, she'd been big. Fully developed lungs and crying her displeasure at being taken from her warm mother's body.
She'd been a textbook normal infant for the first few weeks. Oh, sure, she'd been a little stronger than his own son who had been born on the same night. Able to hold her own head up as well.
She'd gained weight quickly, but he hadn't been overly concerned about that at the time. The changes had started out so slowly, and he'd only seen her twice before the attempted abduction, that it had taken a while for them to catch on that something was different.
After the Wing members had tried taking them, Elisa, Liam and Nayeli had taken up temporary residence in the castle to give them the additional protection until they knew for sure that the threat had passed.
After two weeks of almost daily observation…
Nayeli was now roughly the size of a one year old, and she was pulling herself up on furniture as if she were preparing to start walking. Her dark hair was longer, with a slight natural wave and curl. Her eyes had lightened considerably from the nearly black color of her father’s to a lighter brown like her mother's. She was starting to softly babble words, as if she were mimicking the adults around her.
Elisa’s family was as uneasy as she was, though she knew they were trying so hard to hide it.
The clan and council members were either more accepting that this was happening, or they were just better at hiding it from her.
She’d seen the worry in Goliath’s eyes, more than once, in unguarded moments, though. That was what kept Elisa coming back to the doctor.
“Seriously, doc,” Elisa said. “I’ve been talking to the clan, but…”
“Elisa,” He said, closing the file he’d been studying with a sigh. “Yes, she’s growing quickly. No, I can’t explain how. But,” He said, firmly, “As I said earlier, she’s perfectly healthy. The fast growth is unexpected, but we honestly have no idea of what to expect. It’s not like there is another case of a half gargoyle, half human child that I can compare her with.”
Elisa paused. “Maybe there is,” She sent a worried look at Nayeli. “How long do you think she’s going to grow like this? And if this continues, how long will she…” Elisa trailed off, her throat feeling tight. She did not want to voice her worries about Nayelli aging so quickly.
If this continued, how long would Nayeli have? A few years?
How unfair was this, how cruel were the fates, that she would be given a longer life while her own child may have such an abbreviated one?
“I can practically see the thoughts racing in your head,” Doctor James said. “Don’t borrow trouble, Elisa. We’ll keep an eye on her, keep records of her growth, and hope that it slows down as soon as she hits the size of a normal newly born...er...hatched gargoyle child. In the meantime, if you do find out any information among the gargoyles, please let me know.”
Elisa nodded. “Alright,” She said softly. She walked forward and caught Nayeli before she could fall on her padded bottom again. She propped her daughter on her hip and smiled into her daughter’s whiskey colored eyes. “Let’s go see your brother, baby.”
Nayeli grinned, squealed and bounced in her excitement.
Elisa shared one more look with the doctor before she left.