Aloxa and Rota woke early. Their young son Parapio was already up and walking around the stone-walled home, stumbling into them on his wobbly toddler’s legs and emitting squeals of delight with the newfound independent mobility. It didn’t seem to matter to him that his parents wanted to sleep in on this cold morning.
“Parapio, come here,” said Rota, drawing her arms out of the warmth of the deerskin covering and extending them to him. The boy responded with a peel of laughter and quick-stepped on uncertain legs in her direction, falling into her arms with laughter.
Rota cuddled the boy at first, and then tried to entice him under the covering, showing him how warm it was beside her, but Parapio would not be constrained. He had just begun walking a few days before and, in the crisp mornin
