resigned. Hugging her quickly, I tipped her face up to mine. “Never again, Roam.”
She nodded.
I gazed at her for a long moment before turning for the stairs.
Chapter Ten
Annie
“Baby, it’s done.”
“It’s done?” She whirled around from the sink, sloshing warm, soapy water over both of us. I laughed, kissing her crinkled little nose as she scowled adorably. “I’m sorry! I just… oh, a shower. I love showers. Thank you West.”
“You love showers?” I repeated, sweeping her into my arms before she could protest. She shrieked and laughed, her wet hands clinging to my neck. “And what does our son think of showers?”
She blew at a wet, red-blonde piece of hair stuck to her lip. “Daugh-ter,” she replied in a sing-song voice, reproving, and I turned and carried her to the new master bathroom with a grin.
“ Look at you,” I ran my hands over her belly, amazed. The furthest any of them had gotten in their pregnancy was Lysbette, in the first life, and it had been centuries since I’d felt the taut, hardened skin of my wife’s stomach. Every so often, the baby inside would turn, and as though she knew I was waiting, she gave a strong kick to my palm. “Oh, Annie, did you feel that?”
“She’s strong, so strong,” she nodded. “There’s something about her… that makes me happy. I hear music all the time,” she added, clinging to my arms. “I feel my paintings come to life. She’s going to be artistic, or a musician, or…,”
“Perfect,” I lowered my face to kiss our child. “She’s going to be perfect, just like her mommy.”
Her eyes finally focused on the shower, and she clapped her hands together excitedly. “I want one! Right now!”
“Hold on, I have to make sure the caulking dries,” I answered, gesturing to the bedroom. “Why don’t you go see what’s sitting by the dresser over there.”
She gave me a confused glance, moving through the bedroom. As soon as she saw them, she dropped to her knees. “West! Encyclopedias… oh, these must have cost a fortune…,”
“I’m working, and the land owners are tipping well. I know you love to learn.”
“I don’t know where to begin…,”
“At the beginning,” I offered, handing her the book on the very top. “And we’ll see how far you can get before our daughter takes up all of our time,” I teased.
“You’re too good to me,” she stood, wrapping her arms around me. I sighed, kissing her forehead.
“I love you, Annie.”
The Saturday afternoon hung lazily before us. I turned her to the bed, lowering myself carefully over her.
“Will we hurt the baby?” She breathed, worried even as she pulled my shirt over my head. I dropped to her neck, grinning and kissing.
“How do you think she got here?” I teased.
“I’m so big…,” she protested, even as I kissed a path down her arm, over the numbers, over her pregnant belly.
“You’re mine. She’s mine. You’re my family, ” I responded.
I made love to her, so gently, cradli ng her in my arms afterward. Turning on the radio, I let her sleep in sun that streamed through the window, grabbing the encyclopedia from the top of the pile.
The set had set us back over $200, but the look on her face was worth every penny. I opened to the middle of the book, my eyes focusing on one word.
Alchemy .
The prophecy.
We were running out of time.
I had no idea if Troy had found the Alter yet. I’d tried to isolate us as much as possible, but Annie was going to need a hospital when she went into labor. I planned to take her across the sound to the mainland next wee k. I wanted a doctor to tell me that she was fine, that our child was fine…
And t hat we were really going to bring her into the world.
Finally .
I felt that she was a girl. I loved her without even knowing her, just because she was Annie’s.
And mine.
Annie stirred, smiling in her sleep. “ Can we pick up some blankets for her when we go across next week? It’s almost December.
She nodded.
I gazed at her for a long moment before turning for the stairs.
Chapter Ten
Annie
“Baby, it’s done.”
“It’s done?” She whirled around from the sink, sloshing warm, soapy water over both of us. I laughed, kissing her crinkled little nose as she scowled adorably. “I’m sorry! I just… oh, a shower. I love showers. Thank you West.”
“You love showers?” I repeated, sweeping her into my arms before she could protest. She shrieked and laughed, her wet hands clinging to my neck. “And what does our son think of showers?”
She blew at a wet, red-blonde piece of hair stuck to her lip. “Daugh-ter,” she replied in a sing-song voice, reproving, and I turned and carried her to the new master bathroom with a grin.
“ Look at you,” I ran my hands over her belly, amazed. The furthest any of them had gotten in their pregnancy was Lysbette, in the first life, and it had been centuries since I’d felt the taut, hardened skin of my wife’s stomach. Every so often, the baby inside would turn, and as though she knew I was waiting, she gave a strong kick to my palm. “Oh, Annie, did you feel that?”
“She’s strong, so strong,” she nodded. “There’s something about her… that makes me happy. I hear music all the time,” she added, clinging to my arms. “I feel my paintings come to life. She’s going to be artistic, or a musician, or…,”
“Perfect,” I lowered my face to kiss our child. “She’s going to be perfect, just like her mommy.”
Her eyes finally focused on the shower, and she clapped her hands together excitedly. “I want one! Right now!”
“Hold on, I have to make sure the caulking dries,” I answered, gesturing to the bedroom. “Why don’t you go see what’s sitting by the dresser over there.”
She gave me a confused glance, moving through the bedroom. As soon as she saw them, she dropped to her knees. “West! Encyclopedias… oh, these must have cost a fortune…,”
“I’m working, and the land owners are tipping well. I know you love to learn.”
“I don’t know where to begin…,”
“At the beginning,” I offered, handing her the book on the very top. “And we’ll see how far you can get before our daughter takes up all of our time,” I teased.
“You’re too good to me,” she stood, wrapping her arms around me. I sighed, kissing her forehead.
“I love you, Annie.”
The Saturday afternoon hung lazily before us. I turned her to the bed, lowering myself carefully over her.
“Will we hurt the baby?” She breathed, worried even as she pulled my shirt over my head. I dropped to her neck, grinning and kissing.
“How do you think she got here?” I teased.
“I’m so big…,” she protested, even as I kissed a path down her arm, over the numbers, over her pregnant belly.
“You’re mine. She’s mine. You’re my family, ” I responded.
I made love to her, so gently, cradli ng her in my arms afterward. Turning on the radio, I let her sleep in sun that streamed through the window, grabbing the encyclopedia from the top of the pile.
The set had set us back over $200, but the look on her face was worth every penny. I opened to the middle of the book, my eyes focusing on one word.
Alchemy .
The prophecy.
We were running out of time.
I had no idea if Troy had found the Alter yet. I’d tried to isolate us as much as possible, but Annie was going to need a hospital when she went into labor. I planned to take her across the sound to the mainland next wee k. I wanted a doctor to tell me that she was fine, that our child was fine…
And t hat we were really going to bring her into the world.
Finally .
I felt that she was a girl. I loved her without even knowing her, just because she was Annie’s.
And mine.
Annie stirred, smiling in her sleep. “ Can we pick up some blankets for her when we go across next week? It’s almost December.
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