65. A Moment in Time

Valka cannot get used to the fact that her child can now sleep through the entire night. Like clockwork, her eyes flutter open in the dead of night waiting to hear her baby's cries. When that does not happen, she reaches for her candle and slips out of bed. She cannot return to sleep until she has felt Hiccup's breath on her hand. Stoick reprimands her about being too cautious with the baby, but Valka never listens. Deep inside, she knows there are reasons to watch her son.

The baby is smiling in his slumber. Valka reaches a hand down to stroke a round cheek and breathes a sigh of release when she feels the warm breath tingle her skin. She kneels down against the rocker to peer at her son. Like his father, he sleeps with two arms spread out to either side, and like him, Hiccup sleeps with his mouth wide open. He will definitely snore, Valka thinks, and Stoick, in agreement, snorts a deafening snore that is just as long as it is loud. Valka chuckles, and softly rocks the cradle. Its creaking along with Stoick's snores are joined by Valka's humming. They are sweet tunes from her childhood: songs that are sung in times of peace and tranquility.

A baby sleeps soundly in his baby cradle.

A father, a chief, snores heavily because he knows he can.

Valka understands moments like these are not lengthy visitors. They come and go before many even realize. So when her eyes get heavy for want of slumber, she does not return to her bed. She will sit with Hiccup and hum to him until the wax burns out.

Valka cherishes her moments.

She does not know how many she will have.