Suktu Second-Twin Adoption
The fact that the Suktu are born in sets of twins would see their biological parents overburdened with responsibility were it not for the tradition dictating that the second-born child be entrusted to a couple who cannot reproduce on their own. The adopting couple is usually a male relative or close friend in a relationship with another man. Not only does this tradition allow the biological parents of a set of twins to focus entirely on one baby, it means that homosexual couples are also able to experience the joy of caring for and raising a young life.
Many other races would find the idea of giving one of their children away to be saddening or even bizarre, but the tradition has become second-nature to the Suktu. As soon as a pregnant Suktu discovers that they're expecting, they view simultaneously view themselves as a parent-to-be and a surrogate. Emotionally speaking, one child is theirs and the other belongs to a couple they're close to. From the very beginning, they don't see themselves as losing a child. Instead, they're bringing life to someone else's baby.
History
This tradition naturally developed throughout the Middle Realm soon after the Age of Balance began. It only made sense, seeing as how every other couple was left with hordes of children and the rest ended up with none.
Observance
When a Suktu couple discovers that they are expecting, one of the first things they do is approach a brother or cousin in a relationship with another man and ask if the two would like to become fathers. The event is cherished with the same emotional intensity as a marriage proposal.
The adopting parents may or may not be present in the same room when their child is delivered, depending on how the individual giving birth feels about the idea. If the pregnant Suktu is comfortable with more people being present, the adopting couple is invited in after the first twin is born. If the adopting couple is requested to wait in the next room over, an attendant will bring their new child to them within moments of its arrival.
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