by Elin Wyn
"Oh, I bet there are a thousand things you don't know about what it takes to raise a baby," Renna said, and then she gave me a little wink. "But I'll be around. I'll be your mentor."
I shuddered at the thought. I didn't know if I'd be able to take Renna's endless teasing...especially if, like they had said, I would have to survive sleepless nights.
"I think I'll manage just fine. I've been doing some reading."
"Reading?" Renna echoed, both hands on her hips. She looked at Jeneva, who just gave her a coy smile and shrugged her shoulders.
"Vrehx got a couple of books from the library in Glymna on how to raise human kids," she explained, and that had Renna and Amira in hysterics. Apparently, it was funny to imagine a grown Skotan man hunched over a how-to book.
I didn't blame them. It was funny, after all.
Had anyone told me a few years ago that this would be my life, I would’ve burst out laughing, too.
When we first crash-landed on this planet, I never thought I'd be wondering about developmental stages and when the baby should speak its first word.
I was nothing but a soldier, my only concerns being the amount of ammo on my belt and the location of the nearest Xathi, but here I was now...standing in a kitchen with a woman I loved, my son growing inside her belly.
Renna and Amira, as merciless as they were with their teasing, completed the happy scene. They were family, after all.
"Alright, now that you've all had your fun, what do you say we sit down to eat?"
"You go and take a seat, Vrehx," Renna told me, gesturing me toward the dining room. There, I froze in the doorway. The table had already been set, and there was a tray with my favorite meat roast in the center.
"Renna cooked it for you," Jeneva said with a kind smile. "She knows how to cook it even better than I do."
I just looked at the three of them, not knowing what to say, and settled on a smile.
Women could be complicated creatures, yes...but they were also the best damn thing in the galaxy.
Eight
Jeneva
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at my figure apprehensively. I dropped my towel to the floor, just so I could appraise my nakedness, and gave myself a proud smile. I hadn't put on as much weight as I had feared, and my figure remained slender. My protruding belly, though, was a dead giveaway of how pregnant I was. Sighing, I made a mental note to tell Vrehx to buy me some more clothes with elastic waistbands.
Despite all that, my figure wasn't what I was worried about. The fact that my baby would be the first of its kind was what had me feeling anxious. No matter how many times the doctor told me everything was fine, it was almost impossible not to feel worried about the future. I was afraid the doctors didn't know what they were talking about—after all, what did they really know about half-human, half-Skotan babies?
I laid my fingers on my belly as I felt one of the baby's kicks. It felt like he was trying to reassure me everything would be okay. "I sure hope you're right, kiddo," I whispered, smiling as I ran my fingertips over the rising curve of my belly. There was another kick, and I closed my eyes and tried to relax.
Putting my pajamas on, I finger-combed my hair and walked into the bedroom. Vrehx was already fast asleep, his bulk taking over most of the bed, and I had to give him a soft push so that I could climb onto the mattress. He stirred in his sleep and, a couple of seconds later, his eyelids fluttered up.
"Go back to sleep," I whispered as gently as I could, slipping under the covers and laying my head against his bare chest. He placed his arm over my shoulder and pulled me against him, the warmth of his body spreading onto mine.
"I was dreaming of you," he told me, his voice heavy and mellow. He turned his head, locking his eyes on mine, and smiled. I returned his gaze, remembering the first time I had seen him, and the memories bubbled up to my mind’s surface. At the time, I had no idea Vrehx would end up being the father of my children...but now it all seemed so obvious. Even back then, lost in the middle of the forest and fighting for our lives, I knew there was something special about him. Something unique.
"Was it a good dream?"
"A great dream," he replied, that kindness in his eyes enough to make my heart melt. "Is everything okay?"
"Why are you asking?"
"You just seemed a little concerned, is all," he replied. Even though he didn't know how to deal with my constantly shifting moods at times, he was now more attuned to how I felt than ever. I was a lucky woman, no doubt about that.
"It's just..." I hesitated, running my tongue over my lips. Closing my eyes for a moment, I tried to decide on my next words. I didn’t want to scare him. "I'm scared, Vrehx. Our baby...he's different."
"Yes, he is," he said in that reassuring tone of his. "And he'll grow to be as strong as his father, and as smart as his mother. And soon enough, there'll be more like him running around. It’s only a matter of time."
"I hope so," I nodded. "It just feels like everyone's waiting for our baby to be born, you know? The other women want to see how my pregnancy goes before they risk it themselves. It's...it's a lot of pressure. I almost feel like it's my duty to be okay."
"I know, darling." Kissing my forehead, he began stroking my hair. "I'm scared, too."
"You are?"
"Yes," he nodded. "But deep down, I know that I'm worrying needlessly. Even if our baby didn’t happen to be the first of his kind, I'd be scared all the same. I think that's just part of being a parent." Then, after making a slight pause, he let a grin tug at the corner of his lips. "At least that's what the books say."
"You and your books," I laughed softly. "I read them, too, you know? When you're not around. But they just make me worry even more."
"Why's that?"
"It's just...everything hurts and feels wrong compared to what I read. I know that some of it is normal, but other things...oh, I don't know. I just don't want anything bad to happen. Even Renna tells me I worry too much, but I just can’t help it."
"I know." Pulling me against him, he took a deep breath, his chest gently rising. I nestled up to him and closed my eyes, the anxiety slowly leaving my body. Whenever I was close to him, I felt safe and protected. I felt happy. "I love you, Vrehx. I really do."
"And I love you," he repeated. Turning on the mattress so that he was facing me, he rested his forehead against mine. I opened my eyes only to find him looking at me with a loving smile. "I will always love you, Jeneva. No matter what."
"I know," I whispered. Smiling, I finally felt all my concerns turning into tiny specks of dust. All my fears paled in comparison to his love. I didn't know how he did it, but he always made me believe that everything would work out.
I closed my eyes and, with one hand on his chest, I felt his heartbeat. It was steady and strong, and I somehow knew that the tiny heart belonging to our child beat in that same rhythm. Just like Vrehx had said, I was convinced he would be as strong as his father. Not just strong, but brave and kind, as well. That was all a mother could ask for.
A mother, I thought, suddenly surprised at the strength behind that word, I'm going to be a mother. That was something I had never believed would happen. When I ran through the forest, without a care in the world, I thought that would be my life forever. Fate, though, had other plans for me.
"C'mere, you," I muttered, cupping Vrehx's face with one hand. Pressing my breasts against his chest, I then brought my lips down onto his. We kissed softly, his tongue parting my lips with a blend of gentleness and lust, and I felt my heart flutter inside my chest.
"I want you, Vrehx," I continued, my hand roaming down his bare chest until I found the waistband of his boxer briefs. Just a little further down and my fingertips brushed against his hardness, his desire pulsing against the palm of my hand. "I need you."
"And I'm right here."
"Then take me," I whispered, eager for that sweet moment of surrender, the one where our bodies fused into one.
"Are you sure that—"
>
"Yes, I'm sure," I cut him short, smiling as I saw his eyes dart to my belly. Even after all this time, I still had a hard time believing that this battle-hardened warrior of mine had such a gentle soul inside him. "We'll be careful."
"Yes..." he whispered. "Yes, we will."
With that, he kissed me.
The night was ours, and ours alone.
Nine
Vrehx
"This is crazy," I muttered under my breath, dropping thin slices of fruit, more fruit, cups and cups of native vegetables and some weird herbs into the dough. Holding the wooden spoon into one hand, I mixed it all under Renna's watchful gaze.
"Less complaining, more stirring," she told me, and I threw her an annoyed glance. In a way, Renna reminded me of General Rouhr. She could be extremely kind, yes, but she also knew how to dispense heavy doses of tough love.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" I asked her, eyeing the dough in the bowl, a thousand pieces of different fruits and vegetables dotting its yellow surface. "I mean...I know what a fruit cake is, but this is too much."
"Are you saying your woman doesn't know what she wants?" She sounded amused, but I just sighed. Two months had passed since Renna took over the guest bedroom, and Jeneva's cravings had been growing more and more demanding. Seven months pregnant, and she was eating so much I was starting to feel like a picky eater whenever we had dinner together. Of course, Renna had seized the opportunity to give me a crash course in cooking.
I didn't think I'd enjoy it, but, truth be told, there was something to be said about whipping out a good homecooked meal. Of course, Jeneva's definition of a good homecooked meal was slightly different than mine. Her requests had been growing weirder with each passing day, and the fruit cake I was trying to bake now was proof of that.
I dipped one finger into the dough and, bringing it up to my mouth, I grimaced as the sweet flavor coated my tongue. "This is too damn sweet," I grumbled. "I don't want to give her such sugar while she’s pregnant."
"Who told you to dip your finger into the dough?" Renna chided me, slapping my hand with her wooden spoon. I looked at her and frowned, but, placing both hands on her hips, she just glared me at me defiantly. "Take a deep breath and relax, alright? You worry too much, Vrehx."
"I don't," I muttered, but I knew the old woman had a point. The more Jeneva's pregnancy progressed, the more lost and confused I got. I just had no idea what I should be doing. She was having more cramps than usual, and she was in pain constantly. I did my best, asking her what I could to help, but that just seemed to irritate her.
She didn't like for me to keep watch while she showered, nor did she like it whenever I told her to sit down on the couch while I washed the dishes. I didn't get why. What if she slipped while showering? What if she overexerted herself and made her soreness even worse? I didn’t think she was useless...I just wanted to be useful.
"Oh, crap," I suddenly heard her shout from the living room, and I dropped my wooden spoon like it had burst into flames. I rushed out of the kitchen and into the living room so fast that I bumped against the small coffee table, flipping it and sending it against the wall. One of the legs broke, and the books resting on the surface fell to the floor with loud thuds.
"What's the matter?" I asked Jeneva, immediately going down on one knee in front of her. She had both her hands on her belly, and she was grimacing. Her teeth were gritted, and she didn't look very happy. "Are you going into labor? Do I need to get the hovercraft? Should I grab the bag?"
"Calm down," she hissed, fury in her eyes. "It was just a contraction. Nothing more."
"Are you sure? I better call the hospital, just in case." I was about to get up when I felt her fingers around my wrist. She squeezed so tightly I felt my bones almost crack under the pressure.
"No, you won't," she said with a scowl. Looking straight into my eyes, she pursed her lips tightly. "It was just a contraction, Vrehx. Don't make a scene over it."
"I'm not making a scene," I protested, but that only seemed to make her angrier. She was about to say something when Renna stepped into the living room.
"False contractions are normal," she said in a soothing voice. Laying one hand on my shoulder, she smiled at me and pushed a piece of paper into my hands. "Would you do me a favor, Vrehx? I need you to run an errand for me."
I stood there, not saying a word as I held her gaze. I wasn't used to seeing Renna act so kindly toward me, and that had caught me off guard.
"I... I guess I can head to the store," I said, but she just shook her head.
"No, you won't find those herbs I need at the store. You'll have to look for them in the forest. I need to make some poultice, and some tea as well."
"Do I really need to travel to the forest?"
"Yes," she smiled again. "Yes, you do."
"Alright," I nodded, hesitantly looking at Jeneva. "I guess I can do that, then. I'll be back as fast as I can."
"We know that," Jeneva frowned, her hands still resting on her belly. Sighing, I turned around and headed out. I was trying my best to be helpful, but it didn't seem like it was working. The only thing I seemed to be doing was making Jeneva even more anxious and frustrated. Ironically enough, that was exactly how I felt. There was nothing that I wanted more than to help out and make her comfortable, but I was failing miserably at it.
Finally sitting behind the controls of the hovercraft, I grabbed Renna's piece of paper and unfolded it. Her list of exotic herbs was there, in perfect handwriting, and she had even drawn the herbs beside their names, alongside instructions on how to pick them out without damaging the leaves. She really knew her stuff, no doubt about that.
What had me surprised, though, weren't her perfect instructions. Underneath the list was a little sentence that had me arching my eyebrows.
Just give her some space, Vrehx, she had written. Pregnancies aren't easy to go through. She'll be in a better mood when you return. P.S: Follow the instructions to the letter. Mess it up and I'll kick your ass.
"Women..." I sighed. "Can't live with them, can't live without them."
I had never paid much attention to all the sayings humans liked to spout randomly, but that one suddenly took over my mind.
Turning the engines on, I guided the hovercraft in an upward trajectory, waiting until the city underneath me seemed like a children's room filled with dollhouses, and only then did I engage the thrusters.
I was almost sure that this errand had been nothing but an excuse to get me out of the house, but, in that moment, I really didn't care. Jeneva and I were slowly driving each other crazy, and I had no idea how to deal with the situation anymore.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed once more.
"Women..."
Ten
Vrehx
It was terrible for me to think this, but the Xathi decimating the natural wildlife populations had made the forest a truly peaceful place to walk. Of course, I was thrilled that the creatures were slowly recovering, since it meant only good things for the overall health of my child’s planet, but it was nice to simply stroll.
I saw a few species of sentient tree as I walked, but I was able to give them a wide enough birth so I wouldn’t disturb them. It was nice knowing I could keep my eye on the living trees and know that some other deadly beast wasn’t creeping up behind me or preparing to drop down from the canopy.
Then a branch snapped behind me.
Evidently, I still had to worry about beasts creeping up from behind.
The snap didn’t sound close, but too close for comfort. I dropped into a low position, using the lush plants that grew waist high to my advantage. For the first time in my life, I wished I’d been born a Valorni. Their green coloration gave them a distinct advantage when it came to camouflage. Then again, I’d never met a Valorni that relied on camouflage in a fight. The advantage was wasted on them here.
I raised myself just enough to look over the tops of the low plants. A lone aramirion tore through the underbrush. It l
ooked like it was in pursuit of something. Probably a small rodent. Only something like that could move across the forest floor while swiftly avoiding the clutch of the aramirion.
What was unusual was that a small, forest-dwelling rodent wasn’t the usual prey of an aramirion. Jeneva had taken it upon herself to impart all of her wisdom to me. I was grateful for it. Her knowledge had saved me on more than one occasion. However, I wasn’t sure what the best course of action was when dealing with an aramirion.
The creatures hunted in packs. Even then, they opted to trap their prey rather than chase it down. This errant aramirion was likely a symptom of the ecological turmoil. I bet it hadn’t had a meal in days. Rather than elicit pity, I felt a sense of alarm. A creature was most dangerous when it was desperate to survive.
I was nearly a mile from Renna’s cabin at this point. Renna wasn’t worried about aramirions or any of the forest creatures, for that matter. There was a protective ring around her home made of nothing more than specific herbal mixtures. It was as effective as a steel wall. It was for that reason alone that I’d agreed to come out here and gather herbs for Jeneva’s benefit. There was no doubt in my mind that Renna knew her stuff.
I’d questioned every doctor and health professional we’d seen since finding out Jeneva was with child. I’d questioned them to the point that some of them threatened to ban me from the examination rooms. Never had it crossed my mind to question Renna. The last thing I wanted was to get on the bad side of Jeneva’s grandmother.
As I hid in the underbrush, my frustration welled up. I was wasting precious time. I needed to get the herbs Renna’d requested so I could get back to Jeneva as soon as possible. What if something went wrong? What if she was doubled over in pain right now?
Amira wasn’t there when I left. She should be finished with work by now, but what if she didn’t go straight to the house?
