It was about time to break the news to her. You and Reita weren't certain exactly how you wanted to go about it at first, but eventually you decided to build up to it in a way that would hopefully accommodate an especially happy day for Sophia. Eating out at her favorite restaurant, and getting ice cream on the way home, was your idea of surrounding a special moment with positive memories for her.

She had just settled at an outdoor table, getting started on a dish of three scoops of some of her favorite flavors. You hung back a bit, watching thoughtfully as she enjoyed her first bite. You must've done that a second too long, as you feel a hand on your back, and you turn to see the face of your wife, giving you an understanding look.

"Nervous how she'll feel about it?" She asks. You find her voice somehow even more soothing than you usually did.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" You respond. "Do you think she's noticed?"

"I think she's been having too much fun to notice."

"Well, I hope this won't ruin it for her."

You feel as her hand runs up to your shoulder, and you put your own hand on top of it. The two of you stand there, holding your gaze on your daughter.

"However she takes it, she's always going to be our little Sophie. She's just going to have another person who'll love her as much as we do."

"...Yeah. Yeah, you're right." You take a deep breath, feeling a little better with Reita's support. "Thanks, Reita."

Sophia, realizing the two of you hadn't caught up yet, twists around in search for you. She looks at the two of you curiously before you join her, both sitting at the opposite side of her. You take another glance at Reita, who mirrors you, before turning back to Sophia.

"Dad? Mom?" Sophia questions, looking at the two of you curiously. If she didn't think something was up before, she probably did now. "...Is something wrong?"

"Not at all. In fact, we actually have some fantastic news..." Reita answers, again putting a hand on your shoulder as you sit together.

Well, here it goes, you suppose. It will be nice to not have to worry about it anymore.

"Sophie..." You begin. "...How would you feel about having a sibling?"

Sophia simply stares back, letting the question hang in the air. The silence did little to quell your nerves about how she'd feel about it.

"A...sibling?" Her voice is reserved, but with an evident underlying curiosity. "Like a sister...? Or brother?"

"Yes." Reita answers. "You'd become a big sister."

"Big...sister..." The little wolf repeats, feeling the weight of the words on her tongue. It's not long after that her eyes begin to widen, likely realizing why she'd be asked such a question. "W-Wait... I-Is the news...?"

From the corner of your eye, you spot Reita giving Sophia a knowing smile. You'd wonder how you yourself looked, if you weren't focused on trying to parse your daughter's expression.

"Surprise...!" Reita announces in a soft cheer.

Surprise indeed, as Sophia's face rests at what is best described as simply awestruck. The problem with that, however, was that you couldn't tell if she was excited about or dreading the prospect. It was just...shock.

"We know it's big news..." You put in. "...So we want you to know that if you have any questions at all, or anything you want to say about it, just let us know. So...is there anything you might want to ask?"

"U...Um..." Sophia seems to be at a loss for words. There definitely appears to be a lot going on in her head right now, but she couldn't seem to get anything out. "I...don't know."

"Don't worry about it, Sophie. If there's anything you want to say or ask, it doesn't have to be now."

"...Okay." She says simply, voice sounding slightly detached.

You wondered if there was a better way to have let her in on the news. You knew you had just dropped a bombshell that could be hard for her to comprehend the true weight of right away. But, as you had said, you and Reita would be there to help her understand whatever she needs...

***

"Thanks for the help, Sophie." You say as you take her paint roller and lay it in the tray. "You didn't get any paint on your fur, did you?"

"I don't think so." She responds, twisting around to check over her body. You watch as well, luckily not finding any traces of soft yellow paint anywhere on her.

"Good. I'll take the tarps out after the paint dries."

As you're picking up a few tools and moving others out of the way, you notice Sophia staring into the unfurnished room, appearing deep in thought. You step next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She lets it rest there, and the two of you share a moment of silence.

"...How're you feeling?" You ask after a bit.

"...I don't know." Sophia admits weakly.

"You know Sophie, it's okay if you're scared. It's going to be a big change." You tell her. "You know you can tell me anything."

It's always been the impression you've tried to give her that she can talk to you about anything. When she was initially getting comfortable with you, that was one of the first things you attempted to establish. For the most part, Sophia did. She'd gotten comfortable confiding her worries to you, big or small. Still, you don't blame the current hang ups she appears to be having right now. This is such a huge, life-changing event for the whole family.

"...Do you know if it's gonna be a brother or sister?" She asks after a long hesitation.

"Actually, your mother and I decided to keep it a surprise." You tell her, feeling a little guilty that that meant you couldn't give Sophia a straight answer. "What about you, Sophie? Are you hoping for a brother or sister?"

"Umm, a brother...."

You were surprised how quickly she answered that. Knowing her, you'd have expected her to really consider it, and even then, having a clear preference was also a little unexpected.

"A brother, huh? Is there a reason?"

"That way, I-I'll still be your daughter." She stated softly, before hastily adding in "O-Only daughter, I mean...!"

Whether that was a Freudian slip or not, it hurt your heart all the same. Her increasingly nervous look had you thinking she really was afraid she'd become less important as a result of you having a biological child.

"Sophie..." You begin softly. "...No matter what, you're always going to be my daughter, and you'll always be your mother's daughter. And if we happen to have another one, I promise you, we aren't going to start loving you any less."

You kneel down to her height, and you look her in the eyes so that she knows you're speaking with absolute confidence and honesty.

"My love for Sophia Mous is for her and her alone. After I fell for your mother, did you feel that changed at all?"

"...No..."

"Exactly, because I don't give and take the love I have for all the important people in my life like that. My love for your mother is for her, and my love for you is for you. You two are my family, and no matter how big it gets, there is always space for you in my heart."

Your words are true and heartfelt, and to emphasize that, you pull her into a brief but firm hug. After it's broken, you smile at her, although she stands stiffly with an apologetic look on her face.

"...I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be, because I'm going to let you in on a little secret." You lean in a little closer, before speaking in a gentle mock-whisper. "I'm super nervous too."

"You are?"

"Yep." You speak earnestly. "You've been such a good kid, Sophie. You've made it easy. But I've never had to take care of a baby before. Being completely honest with you, I am pretty scared about it. I'm really gonna need you and your mother to lean on for support."

"M-Me...?!"

"Sophie..." You take a short pause before speaking entirely in earnest. "I know you are going to be a wonderful big sibling, whether you get a brother or sister. Whoever they turn out to be, they're going to love having an older sibling like you."

"Really?" She asks, not sounding the most certain.

"Really. Your mother and I are going to do our best to raise them of course, but we know we'll be able to rely on you being as kind and sweet to them as you are to us. Even if you're nervous, just remember that we're all in this together. All three of us." Then, after another pause, you smile. "Four, soon. But no matter how big our family might get, you will always be a part of it. You're my girl, Sophie. That's never, ever going to change."

She looks back at you with glossy wide eyes, taking in all that you've told her. Then, after a hard blink from her, she nods her head.

"I...I promise." She says, a whisper at first, but gradually picking up more resolve. "I promise I'll help. And I'll do my best to be a good s-sister...!"

"That's my girl." You smile warmly, heart swelling with love and pride for your daughter. "They're really going to love you, you know? This family isn't complete without you."

***

Sophia sits in the crook of your arm as you hold her to you, the two of you sitting on a bench together. You tried to see if you could pick out Reita's voice off in the distance, but you couldn't. That was for the best. You didn't want Sophia to be even more anxious than she already was. You were anxious too, just about the most you had ever been in your life. But you needed to keep a solid front for your daughter.

"...I-I'm sorry you have to wait here with me." She speaks up for the first time in minutes, her voice partially muffled against the fabric of your shirt as she leans into you.

You rub the top of her head between her ears comfortingly. Young children weren't allowed in the delivery room while the baby is being born, and you'd never think to leave Sophia out all by herself even if that were allowed. Although you certainly do want to be with your wife to help her get through the arduous task, the both of you knew it had to be this way. Due to some unfortunate timing, your sister-in-law hadn't been able to make it in time, so it was just the three of you.

"Don't apologize, Sophie. Your mother told me that if aunt Sierra couldn't get here in time, she understands if I'm not with her when it's happening." You tell her, placing a soft peck on her head and hugging her tighter. "I don't feel bad for not leaving you behind. You're never a burden, Sophie. Remember that."

Sophia curls herself more and leans further against you. The bristles of her fur especially has her feeling like a big ball of warmth. Her resulting speech is even more muffled.

"I'm nervous..." she says meekly.

"Me too." You smile warmly as you hold her. "You know... I was pretty nervous when I first took you in, too."

Sophia leans back a bit so that she can peer up at you.

"You were...?"

Absolutely...although the scenario wasn't really one-to-one with what was happening now. Regardless, it still very much applied to when Sophia had called you "dad" for the first time, and you were struck with what that would mean going forward.

"I was." You nod to her. "It's scary because it's such a huge change to your life. But in the end, it's absolutely worth it. You and I are both going to feel real silly for being worried in the future."

"...Yeah." She agrees after a little bit, still resting on you.

And so you continue holding her as you wait, gently stroking her fur as the minutes pass by. Your mind is mostly on Reita as you think about what she's going through at this very moment, and the anxiety about what that means for your family. It's exciting and scary obviously, but you don't have to worry alone. You've got your first child with you, whom you love so deeply.

There's some comfort in thinking about their future together. You have no doubt Sophia will be a wonderful sister, just as she is a daughter. It warms your heart even imaging Sophia and her new sibling, whether a brother or sister, getting along and playing together. You don't even know what your youngest child looks like, and you're already imagining what kinds of moments you'll be able to immortalize through pictures of them and Sophia together: your kids. Your absolutely precious and wonderful kids.

You look back down at Sophia as you pet her between the ears, and you smile warmly. That's your girl. You wonder if she's still worried about having a sister, as if that would make her less important in your eyes. Hell no to that, obviously. Her biological parents truly messed up when they couldn't see her value. You want to ensure she'll never have to go through anything like that ever again.

"I love you, Sophie." You tell her warmly, before giving her another peck on the top of her head and hugging her a little tighter. "I'm so proud of you. You'll never stop being my kid."

Maybe you're being a coddling father, but sometimes you really just can't help it. So often you look at her and think about how important she is to you, and your heart swells with so much warmth that you can't help but express it some way. She's been through too much for her age, so you don't blame her whenever she gets worried or insecure. You just want her to know that she's got a family who loves her dearly now, and that will never change.

A nurse emerges from a set of double doors, and when you locked eyes, you knew it was time. Sophia also turned her head to look.

"Mr. Mous." She called with a slight smile to offset her professionalism. "Everything went well. If you would follow me, please."

"Let's go meet your new sibling, Sophe." You say to her.

She's a little hesitant to pull away from her hug, but she eventually moves from you and off of the bench. You stand up after her, and offer your hand. She takes it wordlessly. Together the two of you follow behind the nurse as she leads you to Reita's room. With every step, the weightlessness in your chest grows stronger and stronger. You wonder if Sophia feels the same. When you reach the door, you can hear a faint crying behind it, which truly hammers in the reality of the situation.

You're a father of two now.

Sophia has a sibling now.

You take a very deep breath, as if the air will fill out the weightlessness in your chest, and you follow the nurse into the room hand-in-hand with Sophia.

The first thing you notice is Reita's face. She looks absolutely exhausted—by far, the most tired you've ever seen her look—but she's smiling. She's smiling very deeply at the bundle of cloth in her arms, emitting a faint cry. Her head turns up to the two of you, and you can see the joy reflecting from her haggard eyes.

"Congratulations, Mr. Mous." The doctor standing at the side of Reita's bed said. "You're now the father of this very healthy baby."

You hurry over to your wife's side, heart beating heavily, to see her and your new child. Reita's smile holds as you approach. She carefully shifts the bundle of cloth in her arms so that you can see the little one inside.

"Reita..." You say, at a loss for words.

"...It's a girl." She says weakly. "A beautiful girl."

She wasn't wrong. In her arms was a presence that nearly stopped your heart understanding this was your new kid. She was a deer anthro like her mother, and there was a clear resemblance. There were some key differences though. The orangish brown colored fur of the girl was slightly offset from her mother's, as it appeared to retain a small bit noticeable tinge of your own hair color. And her eyes... It was hard to catch a glimpse at them as she softly cried, but...

"She's got your eyes." Reita smiles, finishing the thought in your head. "Hold her."

Your heart skipped another beat in nervousness and joy. Sophia let go of your hand—quite hastily—so you could have both free. There was something about how quickly Sophia let go that didn't sit right with you. Reita handed your newborn daughter over to you, and you and took her with both hands as delicately as if she were made of glass.

She's so light and small. How can you be holding a person in your arms like this? It's unimaginable to you she'll grow up to be walking and talking. You feel overwhelmed with so many emotions you wouldn't have been able to pick them all apart, much less count them.

In the corner of your eye, you can see Sophia looking up at the bundle of cloth with deep curiosity. You turn to two chairs that were against the wall. Looking at Sophia, you nod your head to the chairs. She makes her way over immediately, setting herself on an empty chair. You follow after her, holding her new sister, and sit down next to Sophia.

"Say hi to your sister, Sophie." You say.

Sophia kneels on the seat sideways so she's facing towards you, and she pushes herself up on the armrest to get the best view of the baby. Her eyes widen a little at the sight.

"H...Hi, sis." Sophia speaks, both calm and a little nervous. She looks up to you. "W-What's her name?"

You take a glance at Reita, who smiles. You smile back at her.

"Well, your mother and I agreed that if it was a girl, we'd name her Lilia. It was your mother's grandmother's name. And also..." You grin. "...It matches yours. Sophia and Lilia."

"Lilia..." Sophia repeats thoughtfully. "H-Hi, Lilia."

"You wanna hold her?"

Sophia's eyes widen at the mere suggestion, and she shrinks away from what looks like reflex.

"I-I..." She stutters at first. "...I don't know. I don't want to...h-hurt her."

"You won't." You assure her with complete confidence. "I know how careful you are. You just hold her like this. Here."

You lean towards Sophia and, although she's nervous, she doesn't keep you waiting as she meets you halfway. Very delicately, you carry your youngest daughter, Lilia, towards Sophia.

"Just like this, see?" You say, demonstrating a comfortable hold before handing Lilia off.

If you had taken Lilia from Reita as carefully as if she were made of glass, Sophia took her from you as if she were a soap bubble that could pop at the slightest jolt. The exchange itself took a meticulous couple of seconds on Sophia's part as she did her best to ensure she took ahold of her new baby sister as carefully and comfortably as possible. But eventually, you were blessed with the sight of Sophia holding Lilia in her arms.

Sophia's attention was solely on Lilia as she held her, who seemed to have tuckered herself out from crying at this point. It's hard to tear your eyes away from such a precious scene, but you manage to take one glance at Reita. Unsurprisingly, she appears to hold the same reaction as you.

"Picture." She mouths.

You were thinking the exact same thing. You stand up from your chair and move to get a good angle. Sophia doesn't even notice until she hears the *click* from the first picture. She provides a timid little smile for the next one, but after that, her attention goes right back to Lilia to make sure she stays comfortable. Once you get back, you pat Sophia on the head.

"My two girls..." You say warmly, feeling indescribably fortunate right now.

"...I promise I'll be a good big sister to you." Sophia speaks to Lilia. "...I love you."

***

You were taking care of a few things in your office space you had set up on the first floor of your house. Working on your computer, your eyes were every so often drawn to the collection of framed photographs you set on your desk. You didn't really need photos in your home office, but it was a pleasant way to break up the monotony every now and then to look at one and think about when it was taken. The one you focused on this time was the photo of Sophia holding Lilia after she had just been born. Your heart swelled with warmth.

You heard a set of footsteps coming down from upstairs. With Reita having taken Lilia out to the children's museum, there was only one person it could be, although you'd have recognized the sound and pattern of her footsteps regardless.

"Hey, Sophie." You call as she walks into view, peering over the computer.

"Hi Dad." She responds, though somewhat lacking in energy.

"Hey, what's the matter? You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got all of my homework finished." She responds, although you still notice something bothered in her expression.

"You sure? You look a little down." You can't help but express your concern.

Sophia stands by the staircase for a moment.

"Well, uh... I don't know. We were assigned presentations, but...in groups." She tells you. "I just... I don't know. I guess I don't like group projects very much."

"That's completely fine. I definitely wasn't the biggest fan of those either. Are you worried anyone in your group isn't going to pull their weight?"

"No, no. They're good classmates. But...that's kinda the thing. I want to...make sure they see me as a good teammate."

"Come on, Sophie." You give her a reassuring smile. "I know that's not going to be a problem. I know you work hard at school. And a presentation is only a presentation. You'll do great."

Sophia smiles lightly and nods.

"Thanks, Dad."

It's then the two of you hear the door to the garage open, and the sounds of a light but hurried trot approach. A bubbly voice followed as the source came into view.

"Sophie! Sophie!"

Sophia's slightly downtrodden expression almost instantly whips up into a friendly smile as she turns toward the voice. The little deer girl essentially barrels into Sophia's arms, but her big sister was ready and barely even pushed back from the sudden hug.

"Hey Lily! How was the museum? Did you have fun?"

"They added a space room!" Lilia responds cheerfully, hugging Sophia tight before pulling away.

"Really? What did you learn?"

"That Pluto's sad."

You and Sophia snicker at the exact same time.

"Why? Because he's not a planet anymore?" Sophia queries playfully.

"Mm-hm! They drew a sad face on him."

"Oh, poor Pluto..." Sophia says, feigning pity for the ex-planet before rubbing Lilia on the head.

"Hehehe!" Lilia giggles as she's pat on the head by her big sister.

"You didn't give your mother too much trouble, did you?" You say as you approach, waiting for your hug. You don't have to wait long.

"Nope!" She says. "I stayed within eyesight the whole time!"

"Really?" You chuckle lightly. "And your mom would agree if I asked her?"

"...Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Sophie, play with me!" Lilia suddenly shifted to speaking with Sophia with all the subtly of a meteor. "Let's play catch outside!"

"Right after you just got back?" Sophia questions.

"Yeah! C'mon!" Lilia insists, tugging on Sophia's arm.

"Okay! Okay! I'm going!" Sophia says with a smile.

You chuckle to yourself as you watch one of your daughters abduct the other, sprinting out towards the backyard. It's when they're already out the door that Reita finally manages to catch up.

"That girl's going to run me straight into the grave..." She sighs, though it's a sigh holding back her laughter. "Did she just take Sophie away?"

"Extremely eagerly."

"I don't understand how she still has so much energy. She had me running wild around the children's museum." She says. "How was Sophie?"

"Doing homework. She just finished, actually." You tell her. "She's a little nervous because her teacher assigned her class group presentations."

"She'll do great."

"She will." You agree, moving over to the window to see them. Lilia is a boundless bundle of energy; one that Sophia is happy to follow along with. "We're so lucky."

Reita joins you by the window, planting a kiss on your cheek.

"Yes we are."

There are no words that do enough justice describing how much you love your family as you fondly watch your two daughters playing together.

Unfortunately the two of them weren't able to stay out as long as Lilia probably would've liked, as there wasn't much sunlight left in the day. Eventually they're called back inside, and decide to settle on the couch and watch TV together. You can overhear their occasional chatter as you work. Lilia asks colorfu questions, and Sophia plays along giving equally colorful answers which never fail to get a giggle out of her little sister. After about an hour or so, you realize that you had stopped hearing their voices. You decided to check up on them, but what you find melts your heart.

Sitting on the couch together and leaning against one another as they snored away were your girls. Being the smaller of the two, Lilia had ended up more cuddled against her sister, while Sophia had drifted off with her arm around Lilia like a protective embrace. It takes a bit before you can recover from suddenly witnessing something so adorable, but eventually you get out your phone and text your wife.

"Come to the living room. Quietly." You text her.

And of course, the next thing you do is take a couple of pictures. There was no chance you weren't going to immortalize this sight. Lilia looks so comfortable with her head resting against her big sis. You look at the sleeping Sophia and remember how nervous she was about the prospect of having a sibling. You'd hope she'd have put her own fears to rest with how great of a sister she's been for Lilia. Sophia truly has been an indispensable help with her.

Once Reita arrives, she stops in her tracks and covers her mouth with a gasp. She seems to go through all the things you had as she snaps out of her trance and immediately takes some pictures of her own.

You'll have to find the best picture among the ones the two of had taken and frame it.