Past Lives

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  The girl was a natural, she used just enough force to keep the little head moving, but not too much, there seemed no risk to herself. Lukas had some instinct for this as well, he stroked her legs as if they were making love, and he said: 'You're the perfect engineer, love, that is just enough, no more force, take your time. You'll be holding your son soon.'

  Three more contractions did the trick, very gently, until the goddess nudged Lukas to be ready to take hold of his son as he came rushing out in a welter of fluid. Lukas took hold of the slick little body carefully, catching a glimpse of two alert eyes looking straight at him, then carefully laid his son on his mother's belly and covered him with a thick towel to stay warm, cord still attached.

  'Let Hermes watch himself,' Aphrodite said, 'this boy is even faster than him! Then she bent over the bewildered mother and her husband holding her, and kissed them both. Lukas was sitting on Melissa's other side already, so she kissed him, too.

  They were so cute together, and she imagined how their baby would see them, hugging and kissing each other now, carefully stroking his little head as well. He did not cry at all, he just looked his fill in silence.

  The goddess saw that Melissa was having another contraction, and she said: 'If you push a little we'll have the afterbirth accounted for as well,' and that was how it went. The baby was ready to live on his own, so she let Paul cut the cord with a knife he had to get from the kitchen, cleaned with boiling water.

  Then she showed Melissa how to offer the baby his first meal, and he was very interested and ready to try. So much awareness in a baby, but she remembered Hermes' tale of being an even more precocious child.

  She poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot, and found out that cold coffee tastes atrociously. That was really gross! Too bad, but how could she have known it would all be over this quickly?

  Pretty soon the little boy was sleeping, and Aphrodite carefully wrapped him in the towel and handed him to Lukas, who cried, of course, and held him with years of experience. She told Paul to take Melissa to the shower upstairs and help her get clean. She would need to take extra care of herself the coming weeks, for her body would cleanse itself and be susceptible to infections. Guessing how matters were in this threesome she told Paul strictly: 'No intercourse until the bleeding stops, not even if she begs for it!'

  His knowing look confirmed her suspicions, Melissa liked her loving, and she would find abstinence harder to bear than quiet Paul. Lukas would get his share of loving, no worry about that. Aphrodite would be pleased to give him some herself.

  The two new parents went upstairs, Melissa walking quite decently, John would not mind their intrusion, though Aphrodite did wonder why Paul didn't have a shower in his own home.

  But as soon as they had left, she sat next to the new father and watched him gaze at his son, totally infatuated already.

  He did spare her a loving look, and said: 'That was really fast, wasn't it?

  Ophelie took hours and hours, until she was exhausted, but the midwife said that was perfectly normal.'

  She nodded, and replied: 'I've never seen a first child born this fast, not even my own. I have no idea whether that has consequences, just keep an close eye on your love, and I will, too. Of course she is really large, and very steady. She didn't panic at all. That seems to help.'

  They studied the baby together, and he did seem to look a lot like Lukas, he had the cute dent in his lip, but of course his tiny face was way too round to resemble his dad. His eyes were closed in sleep, but they were large, with long lashes, and he had human hands, and totally human feet, with the usual number of fingers and toes, and he seemed rather large for a newborn.

  Of course English babies might very well be larger than Greek babies generally, and Melissa was rather tall, so Aphrodite didn't wonder her child was big.

  Meanwhile, Paul knocked on the door of the apartment, and John opened it. Before he could wonder at seeing Melissa, Paul said: 'Our son has arrived already, he is healthy, and he took a good look at all of us, now he's sleeping in his father's arms. Aphrodite ordered us to let Melissa shower and clean up, so here we are, hope you don't mind.'

  John's face was a study in delight, and he said: 'Of course, come in, that is fast, congratulations. You look a bit dazed Melissa, are you all right?'

  She did manage an answer, but she did not sound like herself: 'I feel weird, John, do you think a baby can be born too quickly?'

  John ran off, and as Paul led Melissa to the shower he found out why, for the little man had fetched a chair, and now he put it behind her, and none too soon for she nearly fainted. As she sat with her arms on her knees and her

  head low, John said: 'Don't worry, I'll fetch Aphrodite.'

  He was off within a heartbeat, and back with the goddess in a minute. She checked Melissa with sight and proclaimed her healthy, but stunned by the speed of everything.

  She had been slowing down for months, and suddenly everything had been kicked into overdrive, and then, the whole thing over within an hour or two, there was a lack of something. She would probably need some time to find her peace again, and a lot of love and soothing.

  As John prepared a nice, warm shower, Paul helped Melissa under it and cleaned her gently, keeping it short. Then he helped her in her dressing gown and back down the stairs, into the bed with clean sheets and the baby in her arms. He sat next to her, held her and stroked her, very quietly and gently, to soothe the shock of the sudden birth out of her.

  John had followed them and was in the kitchen, making coffee and breakfast, and after half an hour he came back upstairs and presented them with his work.

  The guys were really hungry, and Aphrodite was dying for a cup of coffee, but Melissa just sat still and tried to process what had just happened.

  She looked at the baby, their son, he was real, and her empty belly, floppy now but still rather distended, and she started to cry quietly.

  Deciding it probably wouldn't matter who comforted her, John sat down next to her and held her in total silence. He did take a good look at the baby, a cute little thing with a tiny face and tiny hands, sleeping against his mother in boneless relaxation.

  It was weird, to become a mother all of a sudden, John could imagine that easily. He did not try to get Melissa to stop crying, he just let her know she was not alone, and that helped.

  After a few minutes, she said: 'I just can't believe that I'm a mother just like that. Look at him, he's so perfect. My mind is running around in circles, but there is no sense at all in my thoughts. Do you think there is a tea for that, one that is safe for babies if it were to get in the milk?'

  Aphrodite could kick herself for needing a newly delivered mother to think of the solution to her own problem: 'I don't need tea for that, love, I can do that very easily with a tiny bit of magic, just a little calming spell. Lukas could do it with his Gift, if you prefer that. It would not be able to get to the baby, being magic. He seems quiet enough, though that must have been a shock to him as well, or do you think he was the hasty one?'

  As Aphrodite talked, she looked at Lukas, who nodded and sat on Melissa's other side, then touched her and lighted up the tiniest bit.

  Melissa smiled at him, and said: 'That was just right, love, I feel much better. I don't know what came over me, everything seemed so unreal all of a sudden. Thank you, John, you're sweet, and that breakfast looks very tempting. I'd like some bread and a cup of tea, I'm hungry. And Paul needs to hold his son, come on love, you'll do fine.'

  Paul sat down where John had been, and Melissa handed him their baby, still sleeping. He wasn't clumsy at all, how could Paul ever be clumsy? He held the baby as if he had as much experience as Lukas, and he looked at his son in the same, infatuated way.

  Melissa sat on the edge of the bed and accepted a cup of tea and a slice of bread from John. She ate with a relish, and observed her husband with their son.

  And then she said: 'Guys, he needs name. Any suggestions?'

  Lukas suggested: 'E
dward?'

  Paul suggested: 'Jason?' and Aphrodite said to John: 'I never cared that much for Jason, did you?' John replied, smiling: 'Nah, he was arrogant, and always took himself soo seriously.'

  So Jason was out, they could never hear that name again without laughing.

  'Nicholas?' Paul suggested.

  'Like Nicholas,' Aphrodite commented, and John nodded, 'I do, but I like Edward, too. Nice and English.'

  'What do you like, Melissa?' asked Paul, 'we want to hear your suggestions, too.'

  'I'm afraid I can't think very well at the moment, beloved, I'm still a bit shaken by everything.'

  'Well, I suggest you all think about it, he will need a name soon, but for now he needs rest, and food, and love. And you need rest, too, Melissa, so you lie down a little with whomever you want, and we'll leave you alone for some time.

  If you need me I'll be with John or downstairs.'

  And they were on their own.

  This was the moment Melissa feared, well not really because Aphrodite was still in the house, but it was a good time to face the fear, of being

  responsible for a new life without a clue of what to do with it.

  Paul broke her anxious thought by saying: 'I think I like Edward, too. Are you feeling better, love? You seem almost frightened. You know Lukas knows what to do, he'll make it right. And Aphrodite is still here, and there is your mum, Frances, your sisters, and even my mother.

  And besides, remember when you felt that flaw in the support of the glass house, your sight awakening? You didn't want to follow a hunch, but you learned how to do it and now you're the best. You've learned to trust your feelings, and I'm sure your feelings will tell you what to do with our little son.

  My feelings are, unmistakeably.'

  He looked at the little face, his own face overflowing with love, even though he knew he was not the natural father. And he was right, if she examined her feelings she did know what do do with their baby. The doubts she had were all connected to morals and customs, whether she did things right for the world, not for her child.

  And there and then she decided she would listen to her feelings, and trust them, as she had learned to trust her talent. And her fear receded and for the first time she felt an incredible pride, to have grown such a beautiful baby inside her, so healthy, and so awake, he had looked at them with such interest, and sampled her milk with relish.

  'Thank you Paul,' she said, smiling now, 'you are right, I know exactly what to do. And thank both of you for your support just now. It was very overwhelming, I still need some time to find my inner rest back. I want to feel both of you against me, can you move the baby a little, Lukas? I like Edward, too, shall we call him that?

  It'll be Edward Kenwick, Lukas, do you want your name on his birth certificate as well?'

  Lukas didn't know what a birth-certificate was, of course, but Paul decided for himself he'd make sure Lukas would be on it somehow.

  Lukas now carefully lifted little Edward and laid him on his other side, and the baby was exhausted from the hasty birth and his first impressions and didn't even stir. Lukas felt a stab of worry, but the little chest moved regularly, and the tiny face showed different emotions as he dreamed of his first moments of life outside.

  They snuggled together, relishing the physical contact, and in their arms, Melissa fell in a peaceful sleep. Paul wanted to get some work done, and Lukas agreed to stay with the new mother as she slept, though he was dying

  to run over to the manor and tell his father and George.

  Still, either mother or son might wake, and then he would be needed.

  Besides, John would be going to the manor, so their friends at the manor would know soon enough. After he had looked his fill of his beloved and their newborn son, he picked up the book he kept in the bedroom, and started to read.

  About an hour later, little Edward started to stir, and Lukas watched him wake up slowly. The dark eyes in the tiny face were looking at him very seriously, and Lukas realized those must be his eyes, for both Melissa and Paul had grey eyes. So his grandfather had been right, this was his child, conceived in the two short weeks they had spent on his former home-world But his thoughts were cut short by a tremendous need to hold this tiny body close to his, and he very carefully lifted the boy and laid him on his own chest, face towards his dad so they could speak without words.

  One large difference between his first experience with a child was, that Lukas was now supremely talented, and he dropped his shields to see if a newly born child had any emotions to feel.

  Little Edward seemed to look at him with true awareness, and Lukas got feelings of curiosity, content, and even love. This tiny creature had been impatient to meet him, and was thrilled to be so close to him, to fill his eyes with him.

  Still very careful handling the vulnerable newborn, he kissed the downy head, and the little face, and the body, dressed only in a modern type diaper and a nice thick towel. 'Let's give you a clean diaper and one of your mother's beautiful handiworks, shall we?' he crooned, blissfully happy to finally hold the baby he had longed for so much.

  And so he did, and Edward watched him, taking in every experience with great curiosity. But when they were back in the bed Lukas felt discomfort from him, the first stirrings of a newborn's great hunger. So he gently woke Melissa, and when she was awake and sitting up, Lukas handed her her son, looking like a little angel in one of her hand-sewn dresses, wide awake and clearly eager for some food.

  It was difficult to find the right position to hold the baby, but Lukas helped by strategically placing some pillows under her arm, and soon everything was just fine, little Edward projecting total fulfilment, and his parents kissing with nearly as much bliss.

  Lukas had his shields still down, so he picked up Melissa's love and

  passion as well, and for a few moments he was nearly overwhelmed with emotions, that little boy had some force behind his feelings, and so much determination.

  Chapter 34

  Sounds on the stairs brought the two adults back to the world, but the little boy remained totally concentrated on his lunch. Lukas whispered:

  'Melissa, I can feel his emotions just as if they are an adult's, only they are much more focussed on just one thing that occupies him at that moment, his world is much narrower.'

  She looked at their child in wonder, she always thought that babies were just some kind of eating and pooping animal, without much feeling, she would love to experience it with him some time. But now, she hoped Paul was coming, she knew he'd be wanting to work, she was glad Lukas was still here, but she did miss Paul, she was rarely without him these days.

  There was a knock on the door, which was weird, since Paul would not knock, and neither would Aphrodite, and before long Paul stuck his head in the door and asked: 'Are you decent? There is someone here to see Lukas, but he wants to meet little Edward, too.'

  As she rearranged the blankets to cover her other breast, and saw Lukas picking up a bathrobe and putting it on, she wondered who it might be, for frankly Melissa didn't feel the slightest shame to appear naked before Hermes, George or Frances. If it was someone else, Lukas better hide his hoofs, too.

  She motioned at him, but he had already thought of it himself, for he jumped on the bed and stuck his hoofs beneath the duvet.

  And not a moment too soon, for Paul came in with an embarrassed looking Mr Jones, who was carrying a basket of fruit with both hands, and nearly fainted with relief when he saw Lukas looking his usual self.

  Always polite, he handed the basket to Lukas, and said to him: 'I was expecting you to be in a bad way after what happened, I felt so guilty for bringing you in harm's way. I'm so glad to see you doing well, my dear boy, please tell me all about how you managed to escape lasting hurt. But first I'm going to congratulate your mistress on the birth of her son, ladies first, you see.'

  Lukas thought it quite funny to be found lying in a bed with what Mr Jones thought was his boss' wife.

  But Lu
kas could see Paul and Melissa found it very embarrassing to be seen as his superiors, and as Mr Jones kissed Melissa's hand to congratulate her, Paul had apparently decided to disclose some of the truth to their professional friend, for he said: 'Rupert, Lukas and I always keep up a façade on the work-floor, but you have become such a good friend by now that I feel you need to know how things really are between us.'

  Mr Jones looked at him with a certain surprise, and since little Edward was now done drinking and showed some interest in their business-partner, Lukas took him from Melissa so she could cover her other breast as well, and he held their son upright against his shoulder to let him burp, curious how much of the truth Paul would tell Mr Jones.

  'It is true that I teach Lukas metal-craft. But our working-relationship is much more equal than it seems when we are installing, he works for himself, and I work for myself, or we work together as equals, no formal apprenticeship involved. We choose to work that way in public because it is simpler to have one person doing the talking.

  And then there is our marriage: Melissa and I are married, and our little Edward will carry my name, but in fact Lukas is included in our love, again as equal partner, he is not in this bed as incident, we always sleep together.

  We hide this from the outside world, where marriages are supposed to be between man and woman.

  But if you look really well at this most beautiful of baby-boys, you will see that he is in fact Lukas' natural son, not mine. See that cute lip, and those beautiful brown eyes.

  I hope you will not mind knowing this, that you will not hold it against us that we don't live in a traditional marriage. We like working with you.'

  That Mr Jones was stunned by this information was very clear, but he did not show any sign of indignation or anger, he just processed the information in silence and then said: 'You did startle me for a moment, Paul, but I know you are all good people, and very professional. But you and Melissa seem so much in love...'

  Paul laughed merrily and observed: 'We áre very much in love, Rupert, but Lukas is so sweet that neither of us could resist him.'