Chapter 60
The morning of day seven, Beckett curled into Luna’s side and kissed her shoulder. She put her arm out for him to put his head on. He nestled there watching her face. Waiting.
Her breathing seemed fine. Her color was healthy. She looked the same. Besides the fainting the other day, healthy enough.
A phone was ringing in the outer rooms. Probably someone calling to check in on Luna. He had turned his own ringer off. He rolled up and glanced down at his phone on the floor beside the bed flashing with insistent notifications. Dan’s name at the top. He needed to call him when he knew.
Beckett laid back down and watched Luna’s face. Waiting. Why wasn’t she opening her eyes? She seemed fine, but then again. . . His heartbeat raced, was she sick? He nudged her. “Luna.”
She opened her eyes. “What?”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, oh Beckett, I’m sorry, I thought you knew. I was enjoying the peace of the moment, day seven, and I feel fine.”
He kissed her all over her face and then for a while on her mouth. “Day seven. You feel good, not even a bit achy or a cold or anything? Could you be immune? God, this is amazing.” He kissed her again. “You’re immune! You think you were exposed?”
“Or the part of me that’s sea god is indestructible.” She grinned widely.
“Now some might say we have to count this day too. That you aren’t out of the woods completely yet.”
Luna kissed Beckett on the tip of the nose. “I’m calling this a win.”
“Me too.” He looked down at Luna’s stomach, “How about you baby, win?”
A lump rolled over across Luna’s belly and she giggled. “The baby agrees. Let’s go do something today.”
“You want to go to Heighton Port?”
“Yes!”
“Okay but first, Chickadee and Dilly are right outside the door, waiting to hear. . .”
Luna shook Beckett’s head off her shoulder and bounded up. She ran across the room and threw open the door, “I’m perfect!”
Chickadee and Dilly were sitting in the living room facing the bedroom door. They jumped up at Luna’s words and began to applaud. Everyone hugged all around. Chickadee mopped at her eyes. “I just—Luna—I’m speechless.”
Beckett came out and hugged his Aunt Chickadee. “You’re speechless? I’ve never seen that before.”
“Well, I don’t think I’ve ever had this hard of a week, I’m not sure what to do with myself now that I don’t have this fear settled in my bones.
Dilly said, “I know what you can do, help me plan this wedding!”
Beckett said, “Luna and I can’t help today. We’re going to Heighton Port to spend the night with Dan and Sarah.
Dilly put her hands on her hips and pretended to look stern. “A vacation? With this much planning to do — fine.” She smiled. “More for me to do, anyway.”
Chickadee said, “It’s your dream come true, getting to plan without any input from anyone else.”
Chapter 61
Luna and Beckett held hands outside the front door and Beckett knocked loudly. Dan whipped open the door. “Army!”
Beckett hugged him. “Not army anymore.”
“Sure, but it’s a personality thing.” Dan held him at arms length. “You can take the boy out of the army but you can’t take the army out of the boy.”
“I don’t know, I like to think I’m evolving.”
Sarah hugged Luna. “So you’re all clear?”
Beckett said, “We’re all clear, no flu. Luna must have picked up an immunity somewhere.”
Dan said, “Plus the sea god thing.”
Luna laughed. “That’s what I was saying!”
They all traipsed into the kitchen and crowded in chairs around the table. Sarah said, “Next we need to say thank you. That was really so unexpected and amazing.”
Beckett said, “You got your contract?”
Dan said, “We did. We haven’t been able to totally wrap our minds around it. Having a baby wasn’t an option for so long that we haven’t started yet—”
Beckett laughed. “You only heard about it two days ago.”
“I figure the sooner we start trying the better, right baby?” Dan kissed Sarah on the cheek.
“You are incorrigible.” Sarah blushed. “I dumped my birth control in the trash yesterday. We are so excited. Thank you. I’m not sure how we’ll ever repay you.”
Luna beamed. “Have a baby, I want to be Aunt Loony.”
“Alrighty then, I see we have work to do, honey want to go to the bedroom?” Everyone laughed. “Seriously though, I need to feed all these troops. What are you interested in eating and are you staying the night? And are all the plans on for the wedding? And Luna I didn’t want to say this when you walked in, but are you sure you’re going to have the wedding before the baby, because you look like you’re going to pop.”
Luna stood and turned left and right showing off her tummy. “I’m the size and shape of a buoy. My seamstress thinks she can somehow make me look svelte and beautiful in the wedding dress, but I think I’ll look like a tent.”
Dan looked at them both and shook his head. “But look at Army there, can’t take his eyes off you. What do you think Beckett, will Luna be the prettiest three-man tent you’ve ever seen?”
“By far,” said Beckett and pressed the back of Luna’s hand to his lips.
“It’s a beautiful day out, will you be paddling today, Luna?” asked Sarah.
“No, I’m hot, tired, and heavy, plus, Beckett could use the break from worrying about me. I think I’ll stay on shore today.”
Dan said, “What if we walked along the docks? Look at the boats? Enjoyed the beautiful day? Then we can come back and watch movies and eat.”
“That would be perfect,” said Luna. “Besides, Beckett needs to research the kind of boat he’s going to build.” She grinned at Beckett teasingly.
“Army is going to build a boat? Awesome! Can I come watch?” Dan put his chin on his hand.
Beckett laughed. “I get it, it’s hard to build a boat. You don’t think I’m up to the task. But I’ve got a tool belt, a snarky navy guy, a biologist, and a pregnant sea goddess, I’m sure we can figure it out. Unless a boat down there has a for sale sign. I’d pay big money to save me the ridicule.”
_____________________
After a big dinner they all, including Rebecca, took seats in the living room. The movie they were planning to watch was called, Crazy Loves, and the critics called it “true escapism for the times in a funny laugh romp of a story,” which seemed perfect for the night.
The only problem was that as they switched on the television there was a flash of a news story that caused Beckett to lean forward. “Wait, what?”
The newscaster said, “…the furthermost Outpost #349…”
“Is that yours?” Dan asked.
“…has collapsed. Now the passageway from the southern point to the northern pass will be unmanageable by Nomadic Water Peoples. Their trade routes have been cut off. With the loss of this Outpost, one of the last still standing, their way of life is at risk. Director Smithsonian of the Interior Department had this to say,” the video switched to an earlier recording of a doughy-faced man in a suit and tie saying, “we warned them to come to shore and offered them settlements. Our next step is to pass the bill I’m sponsoring, requiring all Nomadic Water People who continue like this to face arrest.”
The reporter asked him, “Do you have the votes to pass the bill?” Director Smithsonian said, “Definitely. By the end of summer anyone still out on the seas in a man-powered watercraft will be removed from the ocean by force.”
Beckett squeezed Luna’s hand.
Dan gestured at the screen. “What about the floating outposts? I’ve seen the designs, they could implement them easily. Besides we’ll all be in boats someday. We’ll all need supplies. Jeez that’s so shortsighted.”
Beckett turned to Luna. “It’s gone. Where we met, ju
st gone.”
Luna said, “Poor Sky. What are they going to do?”
They all sat quietly for a moment. Then Dan asked, “Still in the mood to watch the movie?”
Luna nodded. “Yes. I need the laugh. Especially with the storms coming.”
Everyone turned to Luna.
Dan said, “The weather forecast is clear for the next two weeks.”
“Did you guys not see the sky today? There will be rain starting Wednesday, and it will go for days after that.”
Beckett squinted his eyes. “Our wedding day?”
Luna said, “We’ll need to tell Dilly to plan it for indoors.”
Beckett moaned. “I think she’d rather postpone it. She has a whole vision.”
There was a collective sigh. Beckett said, “Nothing we can do right? Got to live through and laugh if we can. How about this movie, Dan?”
“What’s happening — who stole Army and replaced him with Chill Dude?”
Beckett said, “Told you, evolving.”
Chapter 62
Ten days later, Beckett woke up mid-morning in a room that was still darkened. “You were right, it’s pouring outside.” It was the day that was supposed to be their wedding day.
“I’m always right about the weather.”
“Well, I’m glad we were able to postpone it, because from the sound of it there’s a river running through the garden where we were planning to say our vows.”
Luna hooked a hand behind her ear. “Listen, that’s a waterfall through what was going to be the dance floor.”
Beckett sighed.”The rain, it’s unrelenting.”
“It’s an excuse to stay in, read books, watch tv?”
“True that, but I also have chores, wet, wet, sopping, wet chores. I’ll get them done fast.” He lifted the blanket to climb out of bed and then climbed back under, twisted around and down so that he was eye level to Luna’s tummy. “Baby, here’s the thing, we’ve had to postpone the wedding until next Saturday. It’s getting really close to your due date, but if you can you should hold on, because I’m trying to marry your mom before you’re born. Okay, please?”
The baby kicked right at Beckett’s nose. “See, baby understands.”
Luna asked, “Why is that so important to you?”
Beckett turned to his back, one arm stretched over his head. His ear was beside her belly button. “Call me old fashioned, but we should be married before we have a baby. So the baby will have my last name.”
Luna squinted her eyes. “Can’t Roscoe simply handle it all anyway with the magic swirl of his lawyer pen?”
“Probably, but it’s not the way it’s supposed to be done. We’re supposed to fall in love, get married, then have the baby. There’s an order to it.”
“Okay, Mr. Old Fashioned, You skipped ‘have sex for the first time’ should be after ‘get married,’ and in that case the boat has sailed.” She rolled to her back spread-eagle.
Beckett admired her rounded stomach, “That’s no boat, that’s a ship, I mean look at it, a big ship too, like the ones that carry all the containers.”
Luna giggled.
“When did you say the midwife will come?”
“You’re going to pick her up the day after the wedding and she’ll stay until the baby is born.”
“I’ll clean out the extra bedroom for her today. How old did you say she sounded?”
“I’m guessing she’s a spry one hundred and three. But I might be underestimating by a few years.”
Beckett groaned. “This is going to be an interesting honeymoon.”
“Best part? She said she wanted to make sure she can watch the MUC channel. Because she likes to stay on top of the government’s doings.”
Beckett groaned louder. “The Mainland Unified Channel? It’s meetings and speeches interspersed with propaganda. Chickadee is going to have a freaking fit.”
“That’s not the worst of it. She mentioned that she especially loves Senator Harnage.”
“The architect of the Refugee Solution — yep, Chickadee will kill her. If she says one anti-nomad or refugee thing in this house, I’ll have to tie Chickadee to a chair.”
“She’s the only midwife for miles and she’s all we’ve got.”
“That’s the reason I’ll tie Chickadee up.”
They both lay quietly for a moment. Beckett asked, “But this is all fine, right? You’ve got this? I shouldn’t drive you to the hospital?”
“I’ve got this. The hospital is full of the Deep Flu epidemic, anyway. And birth is easy, I’ve read the books, we’ve watched those terrifying videos.”
Beckett jokingly shivered.
“The midwife, as old and neo-mainland, as she is, will be here, probably. . .”
Beckett jerked up his head to look at her. “Probably?”
Luna ran a finger along the edge of the sheet draped across her belly. “I have a feeling I know when the baby is coming.”
“When?”
“The full moon is tomorrow.”
“I didn’t ask that, I asked when is the baby coming.”
“And that’s my answer. The night of the full moon, probably.”
He furrowed his brow looking up at the ceiling. “Wait, what?”
“Because of the gravitational pull.”
He rolled to his stomach and shimmied until he was eye level. “The gravitational pull?”
“And the high tides.”
Beckett shook his head. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. Give or take a few days. Possibly a week.” She grinned. “But definitely by the end of the month.”
“Just not on our wedding day, please.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And better would be after the wedding, I’m just saying.” He sat quietly for a moment. “Because of the tide?”
“Yes.”
“So the water rising can be a good thing. That’s what you’re saying?”
She kissed him on the lips. “In this case, yes.”
Chapter 63
Beckett woke up with a start. Luna’s side of the bed as empty, a splash of moonlight pooled on the wrinkled sheet
He picked his watch up from the bedside table, two in the morning. Luna was up walking around unable to sleep but that was perfectly normal for her. Probably. He strapped the watch to his wrist and climbed out of bed, yawned, thinking if he kept his eyes closed he wouldn’t wake all the way up.
He was exhausted. After the two days of rain, today had been clear, so he had spent it building the first fence. To divide his remaining land, now more like a big yard, from the government’s land. The land he had given away was full of trees and fields and places he used to call his own. It was going to be a nostalgic and difficult job, not just physically, also demanding his good spirits, but the physical part was hard enough.
He had been up with the sun and collapsed at the end of the day.
Luna tried to help, but she was hot, heavy, and very tired. Understandably. Plus, it was his work to do.
He squeaked open the screen door and scanned the porch — empty.
But in a pool of light Luna was standing in the middle of the lawn. He walked down the steps, his eyes adjusting to the dim light focused on her glowing form.
She whispered as he approached, “Do you see this moon, Beckett? It’s so big and beautiful it’s eclipsing the whole sky. Look, you can barely see a star. It’s glowing so brightly that it’s darkening everything around it, taking over, but then, over there, see?” She pointed to the northwest horizon. “The bright star in that corner of the sky? That’s the tip of the Monarch’s wing. It’s sparkling and fluttering and carrying a message across the sky.”
Beckett was staring up, mesmerized, but also, frankly a little sleepy-eyed and dazed, to be standing in the heat of a summer night, staring up in the middle of the dark. “What’s the message?”
She continued to stare at the sky. “Get ready, it’s coming.”
“What’s coming?”
She turned her eyes to h
is face. “The baby.”
“The baby? Oh, really, the baby, right now?”
Luna grinned and nodded.
“What do we do, do you need to lie down?”
“We have some time yet, can you walk with me up to the viewpoint?”
“Let me grab my phone.”
He raced into the house, passing Dilly, who sleepily asked, “Is Luna okay?”
“She says the baby is coming.”
Dilly squealed, “Oh, yes, oh oh oh, awesome. Where is she?”
“Outside, we’re going for a walk. Back in a bit. Can you make some food, for later?”
“Definitely. Grab your phone—”
Beckett held up his phone to show her as she said it, grabbed his shotgun as a precaution, and raced by her to meet Luna.
The side of the mountain up to the viewpoint was well lit by the moon and the trail was easy to see. Luna hooked her arm around Beckett’s elbow and leaned, heavy, as they walked. Mostly she was quiet, but occasionally she spoke. “Did you know that there is a snail that leaves a bioluminescent trail and sometimes that trail can still be seen days later, shimmering and. . .” Her voice trailed off. She walked quietly for a few minutes.
Beckett finally said, “I didn’t know that.”
She seemed to have forgotten what she had been saying and so said nothing, just quietly, heavily, walked.
They arrived at the viewpoint and Luna lowered herself to the bench.
Beckett dropped down beside her watching her face for any sign of what he should do to help.
She stared out into space.
“You doing okay?”
She nodded. “I think I need to sit and stare for a while.”
“Sure. We should walk back soon though.”
He watched the horizon too, but it only took a moment before his eyes closed and his head lolled as he struggled to stay awake. “Want to go back yet?”
“Not yet.” Moonlight bathed her face. Her hand rubbed a circular pattern on her stomach.
“I have to — I’m going to lay here for a few moments. Promise, if I fall asleep, you’ll wake me if anything happens?”
Deep (Luna's Story Book 3) Page 17
