Murdock, Mei Lee, Declan, Emily, Doctor Harris, and Annie were all sitting in the longhouse. They had all just returned from the spring rite that Murdock and Mei Lee had attended since their arrival. The first-timers were still excited at observing the Oomah and their acceptance, by the Oomah, by being associated with Murdock as being part of his family.
“I have a question,” Emily piped up. “What about Heather? How long will we leave her on the outside?” She was frowning as she was rubbing her swollen belly.
“Are you okay, Em?” Declan quietly asked, seeing his wife’s discomfort.
“I’ll be fine,” Emily said to her husband and then to the others: “Heather helped clean up the mess in Murdock’s cabin. She helped with the kids while Mei was recovering, and she has gone out of her way to help
