The Spirit Rail hissed to a stop at Vellasera's modest platform and, before Katarina's boots had even finished touching the boards, Brynn was already climbing the carriage steps.
"DUMPLING!"
[Oh no.]
Katarina got exactly half a step of advance warning before her mother lifted her clean off the ground, travel chest and all, and squeezed her hard enough that something in her ribs made a noise no rib should make.
"My girl!" Brynn was bellowing into the side of her head. "My PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC GIRL!"
"Mother. Mother, my chest is squishing."
Brynn did not listen.
[I'm gonna die before I even step foot back home.]
She got set down. Then, immediately, she got picked back up by Seris, who had decided to wait approximately 1.5 seconds before getting her turn.
Seris was not crying. She was very clear about that.
"I'm not crying, piccola. Don't tell anyone I was crying. I wasn't."
See?
