He wasn't knocked back, though it was a near thing as he teetered off-balance on his knees for a hot second, arms full of baby bear and laughter bubbling up through the happy tears that snuck down his face in spite of his best efforts to not cry. He buried his face in her fur and pressed a kiss to her head before she wriggled out of his hug. It gave him a chance to rebalance himself and lean into Alys, wrapping one arm around her and leaving the other free to stroke Sascha's white fur as the tears slipped faster and faster down his cheeks.
"She is. She did. Ah, hail, I'm not--" He sniffed and turned his head away to try and dab some of the tears away on his shoulder, but the smile on his face felt permanently attached, especially as he watched Boreal wriggle forward to greet Sascha and then bump her head into Alys's outstretched hand with a happy Aroo-roo-roo that she had absolutely picked up from Tal's sled dogs. The courier laughed and scritched Sasha's shoulders, leaning his head the other direction to rest it against his partner's in utter bliss. "What happened with her an' Mort? What'd he say?" Because he knew what Sascha had said. The proof of it was in their laps, home at last and healing their little family with every moment she remained there.
"She is. She did. Ah, hail, I'm not--" He sniffed and turned his head away to try and dab some of the tears away on his shoulder, but the smile on his face felt permanently attached, especially as he watched Boreal wriggle forward to greet Sascha and then bump her head into Alys's outstretched hand with a happy Aroo-roo-roo that she had absolutely picked up from Tal's sled dogs. The courier laughed and scritched Sasha's shoulders, leaning his head the other direction to rest it against his partner's in utter bliss. "What happened with her an' Mort? What'd he say?" Because he knew what Sascha had said. The proof of it was in their laps, home at last and healing their little family with every moment she remained there.
