I like to be optimistic.

Yeah, I just mean that she and my dad have been separated for Years.

Oh. 

I'm sorry to hear that.

I'm surprised it hadn't come up already, actually.

Well, Maitimo did mention she stayed behind on Valinor.

Yeah.

He said she did it because she thought you were all going to get killed and someone ought to stay behind to convince the Valar to bring you back.

He kinda has a charitable gloss on everything.

Well, I would too, for my mother.

Yeah.

Hugs.

Hugs.

Time passes more slowly for Idaia and her husband, but it does pass. 

Eventually the necklaces pick up a faint heartbeat.

This is pretty thrilling.

For several moments after this starts, Idaia is all but frozen. The issue of her own motherhood is blindingly, overwhelmingly less abstract. Artemis, oh my little girl, oh my baby, I love you so much...

Hugs. Lots of hugs.

I can't wait until I can feel her moving.

When's that, do you know?

Still months away, I think.

Be glad hybrid kids don't grow like Elves.

I wouldn't mind having her be little longer.

We could find a Valinor, slow it down by a factor of ten...

Having more of her childhood to enjoy would not be with putting us at the mercy of a local set of Valar.

They can't all be the same. And before Melkor gets paroled Valinor's perfectly safe.

Still don't wanna raise a kid there.