A new home (Marr)

[*]

"I assume you're not talking about the kind of stomach cramps you get from bad food?"

I shake my head 'no' adn try to explain what happened. Of course, his reaction to me slipping on some ice has a bad effect on his vocabulary enough to make me flinch. Is he mad at me? I've noticed my balace has been waning as of late the more into this pregnancy I get. Though, that's not what has him upset. It's the fact that this lingering feeling has been going on all day, but it's not been painful at all until I almost fell.

"My back hurts all the time... as well as everything else. It didn't seem like a big issue. It was just something else to get used to. I'm already twice the size I used to be." I somewhat groan about the weight I've put on. I don't like to fuss at all about anything going on unless it's a dire need to and it wasn't until a few minutes ago. The look on Matthew's face is starting to worry me just as much as I am him I think. Even when I ask if I need to go to the hospital, he's clueless as I am.

"What exactly does it feel like...?"

"Like just a constant feeling of tightness in my stomach sometimes more. Sometimes less. I don't know how to explain it." I tell him as he helps me over to the couch and as I lay down the feeling of it doesn't get worse at all. That has to be a good sign. Doesn't it get worse if I was to be in labor? Why does this feeling not go away, then?

"You look like a scared father-to-be..." I have to mention, giving him a pitiful smile and reach out to touch his face. He's frozen to a T, but I'm sure my fingers are just as cold as his face. For a few moments, I take in a few deep breaths and even try to close my eyes but the feeling still don't go away. It's just a constant cramp, so I curl up and turn to my left side. My hand drops from his face and I reach for his hand and pull on it until he gives and I place it toward my cheek.

"I'm nervous, Matthew... really nervous. What if she comes early? We're not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not even sure that I'm ready to be a mom yet..." This is all starting to feel all too real. The weeks are flying by and soon enough it's going to be 'time'. I just don't know what to do. I reach out to him and motion for a hug.

[Jack Lexington]

Tightness in her stomach. I have no idea what that means because if I had a stomach like hers itwould surely feel tight.
"Are you sure it's not just because it's so big?" I gesture wildly but no less concerned indicating the size of her belly.

"You look like a scared father-to-be..." There's a smileon her face and she places her hand on mine but I don't feel like smiling. I'm way too nervous for that.
"Well, I am." I rub my hat over my head once more before taking it off and making it my hair, that hasn't seen an scissors in a few months, stick in all sorts of directions.

I can see her labored breathing. It looks a lot like what I do when my lung seizes up and doesn't make the situation less worrying.
Then she curls to her side pulling knees up. That and her wordsdo the rest to freak me out completely.
"I'm nervous, Matthew... really nervous. What if she comes early? We're not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not even sure that I'm ready to be a mom yet..."
The thought that this might be the start of the birth hasn't even occured to me so far. "I thought something was wring with the baby." My eyes widen in horror.
"Are you trying to say she could be coming? NOW? Are you having contractions?" Even I have heard about those before.

That's when I decide I won't wait around any longer.
Instead I reach my arm around her back and attempt to scoop her up.
"If there's any chance our baby is about to come I'm driving you to the hospital. What the hell? Now? I thought we till have a few weeks?" By now I'm sure it won't be much longer until I'm a complete nervous wreck and better go now.

[*]

"Are you sure it's not just because it's so big?"

My mouth drops a bit in disbelief that he would just come out and say that to me. Although, right now isn't the time to fight, I'm going to bring that up to him later. No doubt about that. Instead of mouthing off to him, I simply tell him 'No' with a stern look to him, but soften it a moment later. As for him being a scared father-to-be, I can't stay mad at him when he claims he is. I think we are both super nervous and scared for the sake of our little Mira's appearance and who knows? It may just be sooner than we expect. I hope not... I still need more time.

Something that I say, all of my nervous words has suddenly put this look of horror on his face. "Are you trying to say she could be coming? NOW? Are you having contractions?" I'm wondering if that's what this feeling is. It's never felt this strong before, just little ticks here and there, but did slipping out there do something more?

Without him leaning in for a hug, he's suddenly scooping me up into his arms and his reactions aren't helping to keep me calm. Maybe he knows more about this? I wish my mother was around at this moment. She'd be able to help me and to tell me what to do. I want her so bad.

"If there's any chance our baby is about to come I'm driving you to the hospital. What the hell? Now? I thought we still had a few weeks?"

"We do! We should... at least eight or nine weeks..." I wrap my arms around Matthew and I hate that he's carrying me, but I bury my face into his chest. I feel him carry me out into the blowing cold wind and into the truck. Without a hitch, the engine revs up and I scoot over close to him, wrapping my arm around his and before I know it we're driving off in this hell of a snow fall.

"I'm not ready for all of this... Matthew, I'm not my mom." I say absent mindedly. Fears start to bubble in my belly, making my heartrate react as well. I'm too scared to even think that this might be the day. If she's born too early, I've heard of the complications it can incur to the newborn. "Matthew, she can't come early. She just can't... what do I do if she is? What are we going to do if she decides to come...?"

[Jack Lexington]

Goodness has she ever gotten heavy. I'm certainly not a weak guy but Kyanite without the baby on board would have been enough to put my back out. At least she's hanging on to my neck to support herself.
I don't care right now as I struggle to get her to the car as fast as I can without slipping and dropping her.
Carefully she's loaded into the passenger side of the truck and soon I back out of the small dirt road that leads to our future home. The snow makes driving hard, especially since the roads out here haven't been cleared due to the constant heavy snowfall.

I damn near back into one of the trees on the side of the road and slam on the breaks stopping only a few inches away from it.
"For fucks sake- where did that tree come from?"
I'm nervous and my language doesn't improve.

Her words don't help either.
"I'm not ready for all of this... Matthew, I'm not my mom."
Thank goodness- I'd be a single dad then.
"Matthew, she can't come early. She just can't... what do I do if she is? What are we going to do if she decides to come...?"
Holy shit- 9 weeks early? Would she even live? I give myself half a heart attack as I stare out at the snow in front of the windshield and have these kind of thoughts.

Squinting I try to calm down Ky though.
"She won't come now. Okay? And if she does we deal with whatever that means. Stop freaking out...you're freaking ME out!"

I grab her hand and rub it while we drive to the hospital. Once we arrive I jump through the snow and run inside to grab a wheel chair. I'm not even half way to the door when I slip on the ice and land in a very ungraceful heap on the ground because I'm too preoccupied freaking out about becoming a father NOW.
For s second I feel for all the spots I've just bruised but am sure I'm fine. Mostly, my pride has received a big dent, so I struggle back up, brush the snow of my clothes and have limp half run to the door.

With a wheel chair I come back to pick up my girl and bring her inside. The woman on staff gives me a bewildered look and points us to the maternity look.
"Take it easy." She warns us but I'm already walking down the hallway at an almost dangerous pace.
How is she not supposed to freak out when I clearly am?

[*]

I can tell that the thought of Mira coming early has him on edge, as well as myself. My nerves are rattled. I've got all these scenarios coming up in my head that is starting to make me feel even more uneasy. Things like her coming early to the pain and then some things that I'd rather not even mention outside my own head. It's a mother's fear that I think I'm starting to get. I also wonder if I am causing all this. What if it was something I've done. What if this is directly related to the stress and physical harm that I've been put in and the stress from it has caused my baby to not develop right causing her to be early? What have I done?

I slightly gasp and let out a tiny squeak of a scream when Matthew suddenly finds himself hitting the break and sliding just a little to avoid a tree that didn't see. Though, his language and tone isn't going to help in keeping me sane at the moment as he's plenty riled up himself.

"She won't come now. Okay? And if she does we deal with whatever that means. Stop freaking out... you're freaking ME out!" I'll try, but no promises.

He takes my hand and starts to comfort me, so I take it willingly and stop talking, but focus on my own body and how it's feeling. I know the doctor is going to want to know all the details, so I try to count when these uncomfortable feels occur. Upon the arrival, Matthew's in quite a bit of a hurry that I see him fall on the ice not but a few feet away from the door and get back up. All the while, I am alone in the truck and pleading with my daughter to stay a little longer.

Inside the hospital, we're pointed in the right direction of where we need to be and the nurse takes over for Matthew, telling him to wait in the lobby for a moment while I get checked in.

In one of the little rooms, I wait for some sign of life when they bring Matthew back and the moment I see him come through the door, I hold my hand out for him to take as the doctor comes in after him.

"What's going on here today, Ms. Kyanite?" He asks me, and pulls the file from the door to look it over. So I explain to him what I told the nurse about the cramping and the pain I felt right after falling. With a nod, he looks to Matthew for a moment and then back to me. "Well, Ms. Ruze, I suggest no more ice skating, for one. Two, no more working outside chores when it's snowing like this. That's just asking for trouble, little lady."

"Okay." I say and look to Matthew.

[Jack Lexington]

Once we're inside the long, bare hallways, that are at least a little warmer and drier than outside, a nurse takes over so I'm left with nothing but watching her being wheeled off because they'don't need me' for that.

I guess all I can do is wait and catch my breath so I run my hand over my face and stand there looking at the now empty hallway.
It takes me a minute to unwind and sit down. When I finally do I notice that I've knocked my knee open during my slip out there on the ice. Like a little kid because the fabric of my pantes gets stuck to my leg now. I take off my wet gloves and pull the fabric away wondering whether we'll be dealing with many more scrapes in the future when Mira starts walking. It's a hppay thought that lets me forget that there could be trouble ahead right now.

Not too much later the nurse finds me and shows me to a room with the doctor right behind me.

He does scold my girl friend a little for going out in this weather and helping me.

"Is the baby fine? I mean...will she be in there a little longer like she's supposed to?" I can't hold back my worries so the doctor gives me a brief look and states.
"You're the father?"
For once I'm happy to be able to declare right away. "Yes, I am."
"We'll check. For now we'll check if there are any contractions and how strong they are. Please take your coat and shoes off and pull your sweater up, Miss Ruze."

He first places his hands on her belly to feel for whatever and then attaches a belt wth two devices around her swollen abdomen while I stand back with growing concern (if that's even possible) until we can hear the heart beat again and a printer is drawing a long freaking zig zag line on some paper.
"15 minutes!" The doctor tells us. "The heart beat sounds good."

Once he leaves I step up next to Kyanite and take her hand. Those sounds from the machine that are supposed to be Mira's heart beat are so surreal, yet they make me somewhat giddy.
"Is it getting better?" I wonder.
Time to step up to the plate and finally assume the role of a father. Why has nobody prepared me what I need to do now? Why did my dad not give me any pointers and why has my mother left before she could even tell me stories about my own birth?

[*]

I didn't come to the hospital to get scolded, although that's the only thing that I get. The doctor isn't furious with me, but the way he tells me, in his tone, suggests that I don't need to do it again. I'm just glad that Matthew is here with me cause I don't think I can do this alone anymore. So many other times, I only wanted him to be here with me and finally, as the doctor asks if he is the father, I can see that proud look on his face. He's pleased to be able to stand next to me and tell me that this child is his. He's owning up to it instead of having to hide it for so long.

Matthew's concern over what's going on with Mira and my own body is exactly the words I want to express, but can't. Though, I listen intently to the doctor when he tells Matthew that he's fixing to check it all out. The doctor asks for me to take my shoes off and to pull my sweater up so that he can measure a few things. His icy hands touch my stomach making me wince to the temperature, but he pushes in several places and then grabs the device that I'm used to seeing and after a minute, is strapped around my abdomen. Just like that the sound of our little girl is put on to hear and to fill the room.

"Aww, Matthew!" I state, excited to be hearing the fast heartbeat. The declaration that the heart sounds good is giving him good vibes as he leaves the room for whatever reason. With the door closing, Matthew comes closer to me, never letting go of my hand.

"I think so... it's not as intense. Just kinda... there." I tell him and close my eyes for a moment and just breath. The silence and serenity of the room helps. The warmth also makes this a bit more enjoyable. That frightened look on his face is driving me to ask him. "Are you okay, Matthew? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you... this is all... frightening. I hope she'll be able to stay... I hope we have more time."

I pull on his arm to get him down to me and take him in a hug. My nose nuzzles his neck and I shake my head a little. "You're her father... tell her she's still grounded. She can't come out yet." I grin a little and let go of him. I place my hand on my stomach, outlining the device and revel in the sound of the little one filling the room with the heartbeat so fast and loud. The deep echos penetrating my ear.

A nurse comes in a moment later to get my vitals. I'm already so used to this that I don't even flinch when she pumps the cuff up a bit too much, squeezing my arm. "135/92. A little high, but it's to be expected. How about your temp?" She asks and uses the other device and then puts it back when the beep has sounded. "That's good. Doctor Warren will be back with you in just a few mintes. Let the machine take a few more minutes with you to get an accurate reading."

Once she leaves, it's just us two again. "Do you think she's coming now? Or... is it going to be like last time... when I was hurting?" I refer back to after Jins attack when it was merely too soon to have yet, yet the stress had induced a bit of contractions that was nothing but fake labor pains. I become optimistic though, saying in my head that this is all it is or I pulled something, maybe. "Mira, you are such the little troublemaker!"

[Jack Lexington]

Breath in, breath out, again...stay calm. It's hard.If they tell me now our baby will be coming I'm pretty sure I can't breath properly anymore. I'll hit the floor before she can have her first cry. Maybe I should mentally prepare myself.
I try my best to at least seem calm but it looks like Kyanite can read me like a book.
"Are you okay, Matthew? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you... this is all... frightening. I hope she'll be able to stay... I hope we have more time."
"You're not helping." I mutter trying to tell her that her words aren't very calming.
"She will." I try to sound confident as my eyes are glued to the line that the machine is drawing on a white roll of paper. Every now and then there's a wave in the otherwise calm sea.

"What's that?" I point to the thing. "Is that her heartbeat?"

"You're her father... tell her she's still grounded. She can't come out yet." Kyanites joking but right now I can't joke with her. I might choke if I try.
"Not yet." I'm becoming very one worded as I think about being a father.I'm not father. What do I know about being a father other than all the shit my own dad screwed up- like the relationship with my mother or my sister.

A nurse comes in to take some of Kyanites vitals, which seems my cue to leave but she doesn't let go of my hand so I stay put.
"Are you okay?" The nurse also asks me which makes me wonder why.
"Ya?" I reply and look at Kyanite raising a brow in question.

That's when she gets freaky again. "Do you think she's coming now? Or... is it going to be like last time... when I was hurting? Mira, you are such the little troublemaker!"
I'm not exactly sure what she means by last time but I know she doesn't help to calm my nerves.
"Would you just stop it. Let's wait what the doctor says. We both have no clue, so let's leave it to the pros. The only thing I'm good at here is baby-making, not baby-delivering."
my joke's pretty lame but it does calm me just a little bit.
that's until the doctor comes back and has a look at the 'waves'.
"Looks like you're having contractions. let's see if they have any effect."

Can I faint now? Or should I wait a little?
I feel my gutt drop because all I know about contractions is that they help the baby to be born.
"She can't be born now. She's not due for another two months? Are you sure?" I gasp but he only gives me a look and raises his brows in return.
"Yep...time for you to wait outside, young man."

I glance from him to Ky and back. Really? I have to leave now?
It's hard to let go of her hand but I mouth. "You'll be fine."
then I more or less wobble to the door and outside, where I'm very thankful for the row of plastc chairs because my legs don't seem to do their job anymore.
Can Ky sense my insecurity? i hope not because I feel pathetic.

[*]

Things seem to be taking a turn for the worse for Matthew. Nothing I say is helping and only making it worse enough that he finally declares for me to 'stop it' and only to consult the doctors words instead of my own. My words were only hopes, but he don't want to hear that. He wants facts and knowledge and truth and things that can be explained with 100% positive details. So, I do become quiet and try to relax even though his person is sending me these horrible feels. The joke he tries to express is funny in a certain way, but I barely smile and try to concentrate on what's going on with the doctor as he starts to read the scroll of paper in his hands.

"Looks like you're having contractions. Let's see if they have any effect." I nod because the fear is starting to prickle the back of my neck. What does he mean 'if they have any effect'? Don't that mean what Matthew is trying to say?

"She can't be born now. she's not due for another two months. Are you sure?" He's just as worried as me, but unlike him, I can't be asked to leave to wait out the diagnosis and am forced to watch him go. He tries to be strong and tell me that I'll be fine, but as he walks out the door, I get nervous even more. Once again, left alone to deal with something no one my age should have to go through. My fingers start to shake and I bite on my lower lip.

"Miss Ruze. Just relax, alright. The more stressed you are means more stress for the baby, okay? He's just outside of the room. Just a quick exam and we should be able to tell what this 'troublemaker' of yours is up to, alright?" He tries to calm me down and after a few minutes, he's marking a few things down on a chart and sitting on the chair beside me, once again, with his hand to touch my stomach in two more places. "Seems as though that's all this little one is for you and dear ole dad. Trouble. I don't suspect anything but some braxton hicks contractions and it's in your charts that you've had a few of these episodes. It's not uncommon. Most women will have these episodes almost throughout their entire pregnancy. Have you been getting enough sleep? Eating okay? Keeping yourself hydrated enough?"

"Not really. Hard to sleep when you can't get comfortable and you're back is constantly hurting." I tell him and he nods his head.

"Classic symtoms of being pregnant. Try to do some stretches or make that boy of yours give you some tlc. Might relieve some of that pain. Want me to relieve the father?"

"Yes, please. Can you bring him back in?" He nods and steps outside the door to pull Matthew back in with the wave of his hand.

"Son, can you come back in?" He steps back inside and we wait for Matthew to appear before he starts his revelation to Matthew. "You have nothing to worry about except making sure that she isn't over excerting herself. It's just a false alarm, alright? No baby today, so you can relax now. You're little one still has time to develop before she's ready to greet you two." He teases him, with a smile on his face and patting him on the shoulder. "We'll get her set up and ready to go here shortly and you can take her home, but drive safely out there. The snow's not easing up just yet."

He writes something on the chart and dismisses himself, placing the chart on the door and walking out.

"Feel better since you're hearing it from the pro? You got time, Mira's daddy."

[Jack Lexington]

The moments outside pass awefully slow but they give me a chance to bring my heart rate down and calm my breathing to ease the tension that has built in my chest. Most likely I will have to deal with that injury Jins gave me my whole life long but I'm starting to realize how I can deal with it.
Now is one of those moments. Even though I nervously keep tapping my feet I relax enough to wait until I get called back in. "Son, can you come back in?"
I don't like it when other people all me son but for now I remain silent. It doesn't matter at the moment.
One look at Kyanites face is enough for me to know that she's okay.

The doctors words prove that I can read her right. "You have nothing to worry about except making sure that she isn't over excerting herself. It's just a false alarm, alright? No baby today, so you can relax now. You're little one still has time to develop before she's ready to greet you two."
I nod eagerly while I feel the whole tension drop from various spots of my body.
"I'll make damn sure she stays put!" I give Kyanite a meaningful glance letting her no I won't have her contradict any precautions.
"So this is normal?" My furrowed brow shows that I'm not completely releaved yet.
"How do we know when to come back and when it's a fals alarm." I don't particularily fancy driving in these kind of conditions again or getting freaked out for nothing.

After warning me to drive safely he leaves us alone once more.

Ky has that cheeky look on her face as if she wasn't worried at all.
"Feel better since you're hearing it from the pro? You got time, Mira's daddy."
"Thank goodness, I'm not ready yet."
With a smile I kiss her and add. "Don't act so cool now.You were freaked out, too."

Once they've finished the paperwork and Kyanites all dressed again I offer her my arm and we leave the hospital at a much slower speed. "At least I don't have to carry you." I remark when we step back out into what has become a blizzard.
"Almost put out my back."

Carefully we trudge trhought the snow. None of the plows have managed to keep the roads clean so I'm thankful we actually own a 4 WD.
The wind blowing snow against the windshield makes driving home very hard, so I take it slow.
"I'll make you a fire at home, some tea, put your feet up. I think I'll stop the roof for today unless you want to be heading back here again today. There's stuff I can do inside as well."
I'm almost babbling, I notice so I shut up and lookover at her bundled up form.

"Don't do that again,okay? You scared the crap out of me."

[*]

The moment that Matthew walks back in, it seems as though it is all but a clear go ahead to get back home. The way that he reacts to the doctor's orders for me to take it easy is enough to make Matthew start begruding me any fun things to do. It wasn't my choise to slip on the ice or that the weather decided to bring on a heavy snow. I scowl slightly as my boyfriend talks to the doctor, asking if it's normal with what's happening and the false labor coming up.

"You'll know. The contractions themselves will be a lot more painful and will occur more frequent. Make sure you are timing them. If the contractions are anywhere from three to five minutes apart, then I'd make sure to get back here as soon as possible. Also, she'll know, my boy. It's just instincts."

He walks out after that, leaving us two behind and to look at each other with guilty and innocent looks on our faces.

"Thank goodness, I'm not ready yet." I beg to differ. "Don't act so cool now. You were freaked out, too."

"Freaked out that I might have hurt her. Yes. I feel... somewhat ready... maybe..." I try to look at him, even though he gives me one of 'those' looks and I dip my head down. "Fine. I'm not ready either. I'm glad that she's still got time to grow and stuff before we become parents."

The word I just spoke about being parents is something that I'll never get used to; a mom and a dad. Me and him? It just seems so farfetch'd. I don't know how either of us is going to handle the new role when it gets here. A year ago, we were constantly fighting both each other and in the pregames. It has been one heck of a year for us and the fun just keeps coming.

As I get dressed back (with some difficulties since I can't really bend over anymore with Mira to thank) I take Matthew's hand and we take our leave after this close call. No baby...

"At least I don't have to carry you. Almost put out my back."

"You calling me fat now?" I drop my mouth open while grinning at him and slug his arm lightly. "Thanks, Mr. Charm. I'll have you know, this little baby of yours has been throwing my back out for days and weeks now and I still have eight more to go. CAll it sympathy pains... don't feel too good, does it?" I ask him, laughing as we trudge through the snow and to the vehicle through the freezing temperatures.

In the truck, I sit on my side of the passenger seat while he drives and at a much slower pace this time. I fold my arms up in front of me while my eyes kinda just stare in front of us at the falling snow.

"Don't do that again, okay? You scard the crap out of me."

"Almost as much as your crazy driving was?" I tease, but I know what he's talking about. Again, how was I suppose to know that I was going to fall? This extra weight is shifting my balance and the slippery ground didn't help.

"Sorry..." I mumble and don't look at him. Instead my head leans over onto the glass of the truck and I keep myself all tucked in with the jacket around my arms and torso. "Sounds nice though. I think you should take the rest of the day off and just keep me warm is what I think you should do. Unless, there is something that I can do to help. Don't even give me that whole thing about not doign anything. I'm still an abled body and I will take it easy. Just don't make me feel useless these last few weeks, please? You know that I've never been one to just... lay down and take punishment."

I beg him. Plead with him. Even more so when I lean up and look to him, placing my hands under my chin (folded up with fingers enterlaced) and sticking out my bottom lip. "Please? I'm bored! I'll do anything you want. I'll paint something or cut something. Heck, I"ll even knit you a wool sweater."

The snow in front of us starts to lighten up just a little as the truck moves slowly but soon enough, we've made it back to the house and I touch the door knob and get out of the vehicle, shutting it and knocking some of the snow off that's collected on the roof.

"You know... the doctor mentioned something about you giving me a massage. Are you going to follow his orders as well?" I give him a cheeky grin, outstretching my arm and placing a hand on my baby bump.

[Jack Lexington]

While we walk to the door and my hand never leaves her back in case she slips and falls again I think about what she said in the car.
"I think you should take the rest of the day off and just keep me warm is what I think you should do. Unless, there is something that I can do to help. Don't even give me that whole thing about not doign anything. I'm still an abled body and I will take it easy. Just don't make me feel useless these last few weeks, please? You know that I've never been one to just... lay down and take punishment."

I hate the fact that she's already insisting on not listening to the doctor but laims she can't sit still.
So I open the door for her and take my snowy boots off. "Kyanite, this is not about YOU anymore. This is about OUR child. If I had to sit on my butt to make sure she's fine I'd do it....so make me a wool sweater. I could use one in this weather...mayke the baby a wool outfit, too. As soon as I have something to do that you can, I'll tell you but I'm notgoing to risk Mira being early because you can't sit still."
my voice us stern but sincere and I hope she doesn't take it the wrong way. I don't want to boss her around, just follow doctors orders.

"You know... the doctor mentioned something about you giving me a massage. Are you going to follow his orders as well?"
"I didn't hear that." I give her a lopsided smile before peeling my coat off. Then I put some paper, kindling and wood in the firepalce and slight it. It doesn't take long to catch fire and give off a bit of warmth.
I motion for the couch where a warm blanket has been left.

"I'll be back soon, just getting some wood."
Once again I put my coat on and place the kettle on the stove before I go out into the snow again. The wind is still blowing the white flakes vertial to the ground making the time outside very uncomfortable, so I hurry up to carry in 2 dozen pieces of wood that I had chooped up during the warmer days of winter.

Back inside I warm my hands on the fire and hang my coat nearby to dry.

The bathroom pipes are shut, one of them is leaking. I'll be back there. Ky? Lay low, okay?"
I give her a kiss and before I walk away again and take a moment to hug her and hold her tight.
"I'm so glad you're okay. At least we got a practise run in, so the real deal will be a stroll on the beach."
I chuckle at the image. This time wasn't so bad- we'll be okay.
With a long, gentle kiss I run my hand over her hair and then retreat to the bathroom to remove some of the wall to get to the pipes that have been leaking. It's not nearly as cold back there as it is outside, still it's very strenuous so when I finally take a moment to kneel down on the dirty ground and breath it hits me how close of a call we just had. I'm so thankful today is not the day I will become a father or Kyanite a mother.