Patience
© 2022 by Walter Reimer

Thumbnail art by  ahro


“What?” Meredith demanded.

“What do you mean, ‘What?’” Christina George countered, the Hereford cow grinning as she stroked Hui’s ears while the bear sat between her feet.

The party had started soon after the last of the A Quiet Life’s cargo had been offloaded. The freighter would receive some minor maintenance before being loaded with cargo destined for This Far’s orbital factories.

The golden palomino mare swiveled her ears. “You’ve been looking at my stomach for ten minutes.”

“It’s a nice stomach,” Hui observed, giving her and his girlfriend a drunken smile. His smile grew wider as Christina cuffed him across the head playfully.

Meredith huffed at the bear before saying to his lover, “I’m less than a month along, Christina. I’m not going to be showing much yet, according to the doctor.”

“So you’re just starting to get fat from sitting behind a desk?” the cow laughed at the mare’s pout. “Oh, I’m just kidding, Merry. You look great, and I’m happy for you.” She glanced over at Ginny and shook her head at the rabbit doe, now fast asleep, curled up in her husband’s lap. “Lightweight,” she snorted. Elroy stuck his tongue out at her and went back to stroking his wife’s fur.

“Well, just be patient,” Meredith chuckled, “and you’ll see me blowing up like a balloon.”

“Found out if it’s a girl or a boy yet?” the cow asked.

Meredith shook her head. “We’re going to wait a while – “ She broke off and looked around. “Where’s Fuji?”

“I saw Happy, Wally and Ed drag him off somewhere. I heard Ed say that they wanted to talk to him about fatherhood.”

“Ah.” Ed and Happy were married to a femme on Kirovograd, and she, the terrier and the stoat had five children. “I hope they don’t damage him too much.”

Hui chuckled. “’Just be patient.’”

Christina laughed as Meredith leaned over and tweaked one of the bear’s ears.