Dani smiled as Arianna carefully laid the apple slices on the top of the pies and then spread the caramel cream over that, the 4-year-old's face tight with concentration. The vixen leaned forward to help her daughter lay the crusts on top and then while Ari carefully balanced the tray, Dani rolled her chair to the stove and opened the door. She took the tray from the youngster and placed it in the oven. As she closed the door, Ari skipped to the clock and looked at the time. She studied the hands then proudly announced,
"It's one fifteen, Momma. The pies will be ready at one forty-five."
Dani nodded.
"That's right, Ari. Daddy will be proud to know that you made this pie for him. Now how about helping me clean up, kitling?"
The girl smiled happily and skipped back over to the table, carefully picking up the dishes and taking them to the dishwasher as her mother cleaned up the flour and other ingredients. She moved around the kitchen with ease most girls her age wouldn't have.
"Will you tell me the story of how you and Daddy met, Momma?"
"Again?" Dani laughed. "You know that story better than I do now, kitling."
"I like hearing you tell it, Momma. You sound so happy when you do," Ari climbed into her mother's lap, missing the look of sadness that passed quickly over the older vixen's face. Dani snuggled her daughter close.
"When I was just a little older than you are now, honey, my daddy lived on a farm with an apple orchard. I used to love climbing the trees and could be found there after I finished my chores. One day I saw a robin's nest in one of the trees and watched it day after day, hoping to see the babies when they hatched.
"What I didn't know was that the nearby farm had a little boy on it and he also liked to hide in the orchard. So he had seen me and had made sure to stay out of my sight as he usually finished his chores first. One day, Daddy told me I could go play early, as he needed to move the chickens so I didn't need to tend to them. So I got to the orchard first.
"I was stretched along the tree branch when this strange young wolf came walking into my orchard as if he owned it. He looked up to where the robin's nest was and I thought he was going to steal the eggs so I leaned forward to yell at him." Dani laughed. "The branch was slippery and I fell off. Lucky for me, he was older and stronger and was able to catch me before I hit the ground. Although I did knock him down. Instead of thanking him for his help, I started hitting and yelling at him about the robin's eggs. He pinned me down and held me until I took a breath then told me he was watching, same as me.
"By that time, Daddy had heard me and had come running. Apparently he knew about Jai being in the orchard every day. He and Jai's Daddy were good friends. Daddy just laughed when I asked why Jai hadn't been invited over so we could meet, as I had wanted someone to play with, and told me I'd understand when I was older. However from that time onward Jai and I were best friends and when we got older we got married and had you!"
Dani ruffled her daughter's head and smiled warmly. Ari hugged her mother.
"So is that why we have the apple trees out back, Momma?"
"One of the reasons, kitling. The trees came from my daddy's farm so they are a link to our family and they let us have fresh apples when we want them."
Ari laughed. She knew her mother was teasing her about taking apples all the time. She looked at the clock and slid off her mother's lap. She went over to the cupboard and took out the cooling racks, setting them up with some help from Dani. The two chatted as they moved around the kitchen, doing chores while the pies baked.
Ari yawned into her paws. Her father looked over from where he was sitting with Dani and smiled.
"Bedtime, little one." He stood and walked over to his daughter, reaching down to swing her into his arms. He carried her over to the couch so she could get her hug and kiss goodnight from her mother.
"Night, Momma."
"Good night, kitling. Sleep well."
Jai swung his daughter up on his shoulders and loped down the hall, Ari squealing with joy. He pretended he was going to drop her on the floor instead of the bed and she giggled. He sat on the bed and gave her a hug before she crawled under the covers. He glanced out the door then leaned close to whisper, "Think your mother would notice if I had another piece of that delicious pie tonight?"
Ari placed her paws over her muzzle to muffle her giggles. Her father had eaten half the first pie before her mother had threatened to take the other one away. His protests that he was showing his appreciation for good baking had made her and Dani laugh. Jai smiled at his daughter and kissed her forehead.
"Sleep well, Ari."
"Night Daddy," she answered, closing her eyes and drifting to sleep before he could close the door.
Jai walked back to the living room; tail wagging as his beloved vixen came into his sight. She was rubbing at her legs, a frown on her pretty face. He sat next to her.
"Is something wrong, Dani?"
"I'm not sure," she replied. "My legs feel odd, almost as if there's something there. Sort of like the feeling you get when your legs have gone to sleep and you haven't moved them to start that pins-and-needles feeling."
"Do you think you need to see the doctor, sweetie?"
Dani paused then shook her head.
"No, I have a check-up in a few weeks. Unless something changes drastically it can wait until then."
Jai smiled and stroked along his mate's muzzle. Their eyes met as he leaned forward to kiss her. Her arms went around his neck and he lifted her easily, carrying her to their bedroom. He buried his nose in her hair and growled as if hungry. She giggled and his tail wagged faster. His foot pushed the door shut on their privacy.
Dani rested her head against the back of her chair. The strange feeling in her legs hadn't gone away in a week and it was like an itch that couldn't be scratched. She was starting to seriously consider trying to get in to her doctor two weeks early. The sun beat down upon her and she was feeling too lazy to move for the phone. Ari was playing around the pool so Dani was also reluctant to worry her daughter. She sighed softly, feeling the resentment at being unable to play properly with her daughter stirring and pushing it resolutely back down.
Ari's sweet laughter hung in the air as she chased her ball around the pool. A few autumn leaves lay on the pool's cover, reminding them that the warm days would soon be ending. For now, though, mother and daughter could stay outside for most of the day. Dani thought that the weekend would be a good time for a final swim if the weather stayed as warm as it had been. She knew Jai wouldn't mind removing the cover for the weekend.
Dani jerked awake, her nerves tingling. She had not meant to fall asleep but the heat had relaxed her more than she thought. She wondered what had awoken her then realized it was too quiet. She lifted her head, calling out.
"Ari? Arianna?"
Silence answered her. She looked around, alarm flaring in her, her voice becoming higher.
"Arianna? Where are you?"
The door to the house was closed, as was the gate out of the backyard. Ari knew better than to leave her mother alone so would not have gone running off. Dani's eyes flew around the yard then stopped at a crumpled figure under the apple trees. She whimpered then grabbed for the phone.
"Emergency Response," a cool, calm voice responded.
"My daughter has fallen from a tree and isn't moving," Dani spoke quickly and clearly as she maneuvered her chair towards the trees. "She's only 4 years old. We live at 1575 Sweftentin Avenue. The gate to the backyard is unlocked."
"Is your daughter breathing, Ma'am?"
"I don't know, I'm trying to get to her," Dani's voice took on a slight edge, as the chair wouldn't move onto the grass. "I'm in a wheelchair and it won't move - there!! I'm on the grass now." She neglected to mention to the woman on the line that she had thrown herself out of the chair and was dragging herself forward. "Her back is to me and she doesn't seem to be moving." Dani dropped the phone as she reached her daughter. "Ari? Ari? Can you hear me?"
Dani ignored the voice from the phone as she did a quick check of her daughter for broken bones. "Nothing seems to be broken," she called back towards the phone. "She's not breathing!"
The vixen carefully turned her daughter over, supporting her neck with one paw, then started first aid. She could hear her first aid instructor's voice rasping instructions in her ears. She ignored the pain in her body as she concentrated on getting her daughter to breathe. She was about to start the fourth round of breathing when the young fox coughed and drew a ragged breath.
"Lay still, Ari. It's okay, Momma's here. I'm here baby. Don't move baby, don't move."
Tears coursed down her face as the kit opened her eyes.
"I hurt Momma."
"I know sweetheart. Help is on the way. Just don't move."
Sirens grew louder as Dani whispered reassurances to her daughter. The gate swung open as the medical rescue rushed in. The attendants checked Ari carefully as Dani told them what she knew. They placed Ari onto a backboard to be safe then turned their attention to the older fox.
"I'm all right," Dani told them. "I need to call my mate so he can meet us."
The medical attendants glanced at each other. Then one of the two otters knelt beside her.
"Ma'am, you are bleeding. You damaged yourself getting to your daughter." As her startled eyes met his, he pointed down at the grass. Dani only then became aware that her body was feeling bruised and - her legs were stinging! She looked down and saw the trail of blood leading halfway back to her overturned chair. Wordless, she let the attendants turn her over and tend to the scrapes along her legs and body. Only then did one of the otters pick up the phone and hand it to her. The emergency operator was still on it. Dani thanked her for her help then called Jai as the otters carried first Ari and then herself out to the waiting ambulance.
Jai rushed into the recovery building. He saw Dani's doctor speaking to someone to the side and rushed over.
"Excuse me, Dr. Lapidus?"
The rabbit turned, nodded to the younger rabbit that left, and patted Jai on the arm. "They are both fine," he said before the anxious wolf could ask. He walked him over to a seating arrangement and sat down. "Ari suffered mostly bruises although she also hit her head. Scans show no damage but I want to keep her here for a couple of days just to be safe." Jai sighed in relief but the look of worry on his face didn't lessen.
"Dani?"
The rabbit heard the sound of despair and smiled reassuringly.
"She scraped herself pretty badly, dragging herself over the ground to get to Ari but if she hadn't Ari would have died." The wolf gulped and closed his eyes in agony. "Jai!" the rabbit spoke sharply. The wolf opened his eyes and looked at the doctor. "They both live and they are both going to be fine. Remember how after the accident I told you there was a lot of swelling around Dani's spine and that once it went down she might regain the use of her legs?"
Jai nodded.
"She said a week ago that her legs felt funny, like the numbness just before the pins-and-needles feeling kicks in. She figured she could wait to see you. Do you think that -" Jai stopped, unable to put his fragile hope in words.
"Meant the swelling was coming down and the nerves were responding." Lapidus peered closely at Jai. "I think I'll tell that young lady of yours to call me next time she senses a change," the rabbit grumbled. Jai chuckled wryly. The doctor nodded. "She told me that her legs were stinging before the medics tended to her scrapes. The scans we took show improvement and it looks like she will regain the full use of her legs in time. It will require work on her part but she seems to have plenty of incentive." Lapidus smiled fondly at the wolf but Jai didn't notice. He had his face buried in his paws as he tried to keep from crying with relief.
The rabbit rose and went to the drink dispenser, giving the wolf a few minutes to recover. When he returned with the coffee he got Jai to drink it before leading him to see his family. They stopped at Ari's room first but the youngster was fast asleep. Jai stroked his daughter's hair as he looked at all the bandages on her.
"They're just a precaution Jai. And the nurses told her that they would all sign them when she was awake."
Jai smiled, knowing how much Ari would like that, and tenderly kissed the kit's forehead before allowing the doctor to lead him out of the room. The rabbit hopped down the hallway to the next ward.
"We'll move them into the same room tomorrow but for tonight we figured it would be easier to monitor them separately," Lapidus said cheerfully as he paused outside Dani's room. "You can stay for an hour but don't keep her awake if she wants to sleep. In fact, if you can encourage her to sleep that would help." The rabbit patted his arm before hopping off, humming to himself.
Jai took a deep breath then pushed open the door. Memories of the last time he had visited Dani in the hospital flashed painfully through his mind and he pushed them ruthlessly aside. This time no machines were beeping urgently and there were not tubes hooked up to his beloved mate. The vixen stirred and looked towards the door.
"Jai?"
"I'm here Sunshine," he said softly as he slipped into the chair by her bed, taking her paw as she reached for him.
"I'm sorry," she started to cry. "If I hadn't fallen asleep I would have seen Ari going for the trees."
"Shh," the wolf brushed her tears away. "It's not your fault hon, don't blame yourself."
"Oh Jai, she could have died!!"
The wolf moved as close as he could and gathered his mate in his arms, whispering reassurances and endearments as she cried out her guilt and fear. Finally the tears stopped and she lay spent in his arms. He nuzzled softly.
"There has been one good thing to come out of this," he said softly, smiling warmly. "It got you to see Dr Lapidus early."
Dani laughed weakly.
"So it did. Although he's been sending me for test after test." She nuzzled tenderly, inhaling her mate's scent. "He hasn't told me the results yet and that worries me."
Jai looked startled then realized that the canny old rabbit had done that deliberately. He smiled and kissed her palm as he related what he had been told, leaving out the incentive comment. To his delight, her eyes started to sparkle and the sadness lifted from her face.
"I'll be able to walk again? And run and play with Ari?"
"As long as you work hard," he said, with mock seriousness. The vixen laughed.
"Yes Sir!! Very hard!!"
She slid her arms around the wolf and kissed tenderly.
"I would do anything to walk with you, Beautiful."
Jai smiled, feeling as if his heart would burst if he received more joy. He held his mate tight, burying his nose in her hair. His vixen would walk again, their daughter was fine, and they had the rest of their lives together. Then he thought about where Ari had been and chuckled. Dani made a muffled sound of curiosity.
"Those apple trees! Things do happen to your family there."
Dani chuckled.
"Well, they say apples are good for your health."
Jai smiled and nuzzled.
"Then we shall keep them. To your health my Sunshine. To your health."
"To our family's health." Dani said softly.
Jai nodded then sealed his lips to hers in a deep kiss. Unknown to them, Lapidus was outside the room, listening unashamedly, nodding to himself. He continued down the hall, satisfied that this family would be fully healed.