John chuckled as he sat on the coffee table beside where I was stretching out.“She was my little starfish long before she met you.”He waved Declan forward.“Why don’t you sit here, near her head.Then you can hold her hand while I work.”
Declan sat and I reached for him, placing our knot of hands on my chest as we waited.
Uncle John’s hand hovered between my pelvic bones.Eyes closed, he tilted his head to the side, like he was listening to something only he could hear.Declan leaned down and kissed my forehead.One of Uncle John’s eyes opened as he clocked the kiss before closing them again.
Finally, he straightened and opened his eyes.“She’s perfectly fine.The growth is accelerated.Your dad said she was a tiny ball of cells.Is that right?And that was two weeks ago?”
I nodded.“Around there.”
“My guess is she’s closer to three months along, so this whole pregnancy might be more like five months, rather than nine.This is only my first time checking on her though.We can do weekly check-ins, and I’ll know better when I see the development week to week.”
“So, we maybe only have a couple of months until she’s here?”This was getting real way too fast.
“We’ll see,” he said.“Let’s not worry about anything yet.Remember, you’re not alone anymore.You’re surrounded by people who love you and would enjoy nothing more than to help.I realize your mother—and probably Bracken—are on the top of the list, but I would be honored to be added to the babysitting rotation.”
I grinned, some of the fear slipping away.“How did you know when Declan kissed me?”
“Ah.”He smiled as he stood.“I didn’t.You told me.I felt a rush of love and affection.We’re way too early for that kind of thing to be coming from her, so it had to be you.”
Declan’s hand moved, resting on my lower abdomen.
I looked up at him and found his eyes glowing gold.I placed my hand on top of his.
“I’ll leave you kids, now,” John said.“Thank you for dinner.”
I glanced out the window.“It’s getting a little late.Would you like to stay here tonight?Our guest room isn’t much yet, but I can make up the air mattress for you.”
He turned back to look at us, his gaze soft.“Thank you, starfish, but you know I’m only a few minutes from home.”
“If not tonight,” I persisted, “you have an open invitation.I love you, Uncle John, and I love having you around.”
He moved back to the couch and patted my socked foot.“That’s what they all miss about you.They’re so intimidated by or jealous of your power, they miss your big heart.”
He scratched his cheek.“I’m okay.How quickly I got full at dinner tells me I’m doing a piss poor job of taking care of myself.Sylvia would be annoyed with me.How am I going to heal this family when I’m doing such a bad job with myself?”He leaned down and patted my foot again.“Don’t worry.I’ll drag myself out of this dark place.”
“I know you will,” I told him.“I’m saying you don’t have to do it all by yourself.We’re here.”
“You know,” he began as he walked toward the door, “I think I should check on you a couple of times a week.Given how quickly the little one is developing, I should keep an eye on her.”He gestured at the open doors on the forest side of the flat.“Instead of a guest room, start working on the nursery.”
“I know.Starting too soon makes me nervous, though.What if something happens?”Both my hands clutched Declan’s.
Uncle John turned at that.“You and I both know anything can happen, good or bad.It can sometimes feel like there’s so little good in the world, we question it.We hesitate to embrace it when we find it.I’m telling you not to hesitate.Celebrate it.I know I am.I’ll be smiling on the drive home, imagining another little one like you, whose curly hair turns blue and purple in the ocean, who puts up a tiny hand and has toys flying across the room to her.”His focus moved to Declan and he added, “And now I get to imagine her stamping her foot in frustration before she shifts so she has those teeth and claws to underline her annoyance.”
On a huff of breath, he said, “Yeah.I’m going to be smiling about that all the way home.”He opened the door.“Try to get a good night’s sleep.Sleep is important.”He lifted a hand, gave us a nod goodbye, and was gone.
Declan rubbed my stomach.“Feeling hungry yet?”
I thought about it and shook my head.
He stood.“I’m going to lock up and turn out the lights.You heard your Uncle John.Sleep is important.”
The fire flickered in the darkness as Declan walked back wearing his sleep pants and carrying a blanket.
“Are you sure you’re not hungry?”He shook out the blanket and resumed his spot behind me on the couch, big spoon to my little.
I shook my head.Even though I’d planned to jump him, I found myself drifting off instead.
When I woke hours later, the fire had gone out, Declan was sleeping, and I was starving.Also, I really had to pee.Deciding the safest way off the couch without waking Declan was to pour myself over the edge, I did just that.Slowly, quietly, I dropped to the floor then popped up, heading to the bathroom.Later, when I tiptoed through the living room, Declan seemed to still be out.It was a miracle.Or, more likely, the poor man was wearing himself out, trying to do everything for me, his new business, and his pack.
