Web Short #2- The Exception (Sweet Burden Series) Pt. 4

Read what happens after the finale, Fateful Echoes (Sweet Burden Series Vol. 3)...

(**SPOILERS**)

Pt. 4

The Exception

(Sweet Burden Series)

Pt. 4

Hitomi’s eyes fluttered open. She found herself back in her bedroom in the Heavens. Obi was asleep next to her, but he didn’t appear to be sleeping well. There was a frown line on his brow. She reached up smoothing her finger over it and trailed her finger down to his cheek. He startled and grabbed her hand. His eyes widened at the realization she was awake. His body relaxed and his expression shifted to relief.

“You’re alright,” he stated.

Hitomi smiled. “Of course I am.”

He leaned over as he grasped her face and pressed his mouth to hers. “Hitomi, you were out for three days. One of the maids found you at the bottom of the pool. We have no idea how long you were down there.” He sat up. “What happened?”

She wanted to tell him everything, but she stopped herself as she sat across from him. She fixed the t-shirt Obi obviously put her in. If one of the girls dressed her, she’d be in a nightgown. Making sure the fabric was pulled over her stomach, she looked up at Obi watching her and waiting.

“Well, I sort of went into a memory-walking episode. Actually, it was a lot of episodes. One melted into the next, but they were all my memories.”

Obi’s expression became more concerned. “Do you think Minns did something by just suppressing your memories? Maybe something else is wrong.”

“Obi, I saw my father. After I went through the memories I ended up in the High Court.” For the moment she omitted the part where she was led there by a little boy. Reflexively she put her hand on her stomach.

“Did you tell him what’s been going on?” Hitomi nodded unsure how to give him the unexpected news. Nerves climbed up her throat, but Obi took her silence as something bad. His face fell. “Is it bad? He knew what was going on, didn’t he? I was right about something being wrong. Just tell me and we’ll figure out how to fix it.”

Hitomi stared at him. She loved him so much, but she hated how he was preparing for the worst. She knew part of his pessimism was her own doing. Things she did to him in the past caused him to lose any of the hopefulness he may have had left. He had been so much better about it lately, but the moment there seemed to be a ripple in their lives he assumed always the worst. She couldn’t tell him now. He was liable to think she was crazy. She couldn’t expect him to believe the unthinkable or impossible now. As much as it hurt her to keep the news from him, now was not the time to tell him.

“I’m fine, Obi. There’s no darkness inside me. There are no effects on my mind from Minns. I’m perfectly alright. My mind and body are simply adjusting to this new life.”

“Was Isbian sure?”

“I’m alright. I’ll just schedule some time with Guri and I’ll work to get everything under control. Stop worrying.”

Obi let out an amused snort. “When it comes to you, my worrying never stops.” He leaned forward kissing her tenderly as he ran his fingers down her neck. “You are my reason for everything.” He started to scoot off the bed. “I’ll have one of the guards go get you something to eat.”

She reached out to him. “I can wait until breakfast.” The darkness in the room indicated it was late at night. “Don’t make anyone get up.”

“The guards are right outside and they better be awake.”

“Obi,” she whined. “Come back to bed.” All she wanted was for him to hold her.

“I’ll go get you something if you don’t want them bothered. What would you like?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “One of the cooks made some muffins. I bet there are a few left. How does that sound?”

Hitomi knew he wasn’t going to let it go. She finally agreed and he hurried out of the room. She took his absence as an opportunity. Hastily she got up pulling a pair of Obi’s boxers on and her robe. She hurried across the room and opened the door. The guards were a little surprised to see her and quickly bowed. She waved off their formalities and rushed down the hall, up the steps and straight to Guri’s room. Before she could knock the door swung open.

Guri stood there rubbing his eyes and let out a yawn. “I could feel your anxiety coming down the hall. What’s wrong?”

She suddenly felt wrong telling Guri before she told Obi the news. “I, um…I wanted to ask you about some sessions to try to get my powers under control.”

He raised an eyebrow. It was obvious he knew she was lying, but Guri always had a knack for not pressuring her. He knew she would tell him when she was ready. “What time were you thinking?”

“After breakfast?”

Guri nodded. “Are you sure there isn’t anything else?”

Hitomi shook her head as he eyed her. “Sorry to wake you.” She rushed away before she blurted everything out and she needed to get back to the room before Obi returned.

Hitomi tried to act as normally as possible around Obi all morning and through breakfast. She was happy when Obi said he had some things to attend to after eating and she went to the library to meet Guri. He wasn’t there yet and she browsed the stacks of books. Her fingers ran over the spines of the ancient books and she wondered if there were any books about babies. It was doubtful, but she couldn’t stop herself from looking. She found a human anatomy book and started leafing through it.

“Hitomi?” Guri startled her and the book created a loud thud on the floor. She hurried to scoop it up, but he grabbed it. “Human anatomy?” He handed the book to her. “Hitomi, tell me what’s going on.”

“I can’t. Not yet. But I promise it’s not bad. I need to tell Obi first, but I don’t know how.” Her voice dropped to a whisper.

He peered at her quizzically and looked her over. She knew what he was doing, trying to read her emotions and get a better handle on what was going on. Hitomi wondered if he could feel everything; her fear, excitement, and worry. What else did he know she felt? His eyebrows twitched and his gaze shifted immediately to her stomach. Hitomi felt the overwhelming urge to protect her child from his inspection, but she stopped herself. She watched him as he hid a smile and turned to the bookshelf pushing his fingers through the bindings.

He knew. “Don’t tell Obi,” she blurted out.

“Tell him, what?” He continued searching through the titles until he found what he was looking for. Guri pulled out an old large paperback and dusted it off. “You’d be surprised how many halflings there once were in the Living World,” he said very matter-of-fact as he handed her the book. She took the book and ran her fingers over the cover. “That’s a journal from a protector that was a midwife for a lot of halfling mothers. It’s very old, but it might be interesting to read until you figure out…things.”

“Thank you,” Hitomi replied quietly as she leaned up and kissed his cheek before taking off to go read. She headed for the gardens but once she reached the fountain, she felt too exposed. She didn’t want someone to catch her with the journal of a midwife. Basically she didn’t want Obi to catch her.

Continuing along the path of the gardens, she walked out to the waterfall hidden in the woods. Hitomi knew she was supposed to have guards with her, but she needed privacy. She picked a spot on the bank of the water so she could put her feet in and opened the journal at the beginning. The writing was faded and the pages yellowed, but she could still read most of the words.

It was getting close to dinner time when she stashed the book away in a safe spot in the woods and she started back to the palace. She took her time walking thinking about all the different children the woman delivered. Even after reading a quarter of the woman’s entries, Hitomi didn’t know the midwife’s name, but there were plenty of children’s names. She wondered if any of them survived the extermination. Did any of them go on to have families? There had to be people out there that were part angel or protector. Hitomi stopped at the fountain with her mind overwhelmed. Reading the journal put so many questions in her head. Questions about pregnancy, delivery, being a parent… The list was endless. But even with all her worries, she was excited. Having a child was never to be a possibility and now it was reality. It was meant to be.

Her hand traveled down to her stomach. “Our miracle,” she whispered. There was a thud behind her and Hitomi didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. She’d recognize his scent anywhere.

“I’ve missed you today.” Obi stepped up behind her and put his arms around her. “Guri told me he sent you to meditate. I’m assuming it was to help you with control of your powers.”

She nodded as she leaned back against him. Hitomi hated lying to him, but she wanted to tell him the news at the right time. Not when he was assuming the worst.

“Don’t go off again for so long.” He kissed her neck and her shoulder sending shivers through her body. “You need to take a guard with you too.”

“I needed to be alone. I can’t very well meditate with a guard standing over me.”

“And I need to know you’re protected when we’re apart. There still might be those that want to hurt you. I will never allow you to be put at risk again.”

Hitomi turned around meeting his eyes. She wanted to tell him so badly the words stung in her throat, but right now wasn’t the time. He was liable to turn their talk into an even bigger lecture on the need for a guard. Or maybe he would lock her in their bedroom for the next nine months. She let out a sigh and reached up brushing the hair from his face. Would their child look like him? Hitomi hoped so, but hopefully without all the worry lines. “When are you going to relax? We have so much to be thankful for. All the bad stuff is behind us.”

“I hope you’re right, but I doubt I’ll ever relax. Not when it comes to you.”

Great. How much is he going to overreact when he finds out there’s going to be a child now?

Obi pressed his lips against her forehead. “Let’s go eat dinner. I bet you’re hungry after missing lunch.”

Hitomi smiled at her husband. “Famished.”

(To Be Continued)