OK, I will be the first to admit it. This story is a bit mushy and lame. It has been rolling around in my head for a few months now. I had read Kate Morton's "The Forgotten Garden" and it was REALLY good. I mean, REALLY good. But it was very sad at parts and I read it at the wrong time of the month and it did make me a little crazy. I was wishing I had someone to comfort me like this after I read it.

A very dear friend of mine said to me "Leah, I love you. But I'm not talking to you about that book till you stop being crazy."

I told him it would be a while. LOL.

I guess this can take place right after "Arthur's Secrets". But like all my stories in that series, you don't have to read the other stories. I would love it if you did.

Bedtime Stories

~ Arthur's favorite activity just before bed was reading. Well, his second favorite activity just before bed. He was happy to have a wife who enjoyed the same pastime as him. His wife, the pretty dark haired Architect, was comfortably seated next to him in their bed. A heavy book in her hands.

He looked at her affectionately. Her face revealing she was lost in the story. Her eyes wide and glued to each page.

"Ariadne?" He whispered. His large hands roaming to her full belly. Her pregnancy more pronounced with every passing day. She was only 6 months along now, but because of her petite frame, her condition was much more obvious then normal.

"Oh I'm almost done... I just..." She trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes and she looked ready to cry. Again.

The Point Man sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Honey, you've read this book before. It make you crazy each time." He said gently pulling the book away from her. She looked up at him. Her face filled with the burden of the story.
"I know. Arthur, its just so sad. I mean giving up her child. The father not even doing anything to defend his family. I mean, it's just so tragic. Her baby." She said running her hands over her own unborn child. Her pretty face turning into a frown as she started to cry.

"I'm sorry." She cried as he was pulling her body into his.

He had grown accustomed to this. Her hormones were raging in her body and she enjoyed a good cry far too much. The pregnancy had it's benefits on her hormones as well. Her sex drive was much stronger these days. Her body had transformed into a woman's in a matter of a few months. Her breasts and hips expanding beautifully. Like ripening fruit, color and health had come over her.

All these beneficial things came at a cost however. She cried and became upset at the slightest thing lately. She would see a commercial with a sad looking dog and she cried all day. A movie about children would make her sad for days on end.

Lately, she had been reading books about children. Books about children dieing in the Holocaust, or women forced to give up their babies, or forced to have abortions. All of this made her so upset the Point Man gave serious thought to editing her reading material.

"I don't' want you reading any more books like this. Alright?" he said softly stroking his wife long dark hair. "It upsets you too much." He said.

She sniffled and dried her eyes.
"I know. I know I was crazy the first time I read it." She admitted.

"You talked about nothing else for 3 days." He chuckled as he kissed her cheeks and eye lids. She smiled up at him as he ventured in to kiss her lips.

"It's just-" She started again before her husband was shushing her gently.
"Ariadne, you know I would never allow anyone to take our child away. Nothing bad will happen to this baby. Or you, or Darcy. I won't allow it. I will never allow it." He told her honestly.

It seemed the right thing to say. He could feel her pulse quicken as her soft lips attacked his. Her legs encircling his as her newly developed body pulled him on her.

She became aroused so easily these days. He didn't have to do anything to her at all to get his wife ready for intimacy. He silently thanked the pregnancy hormones as he took her.

~ Their activity always left her exhausted and she quickly feel deeply asleep. Her breathing was heavy and nasal. Almost like a snore.

The Point Man had to smile as he could feel the baby kicking softly. It's mother blissfully slumbering as it's father seized his opportunity.

Arthur knew it would be a boy. Ariadne had accidentally let it slip out, her suspicions of the gender. She didn't realize she had done it and he said nothing. Secretly, although he would never admit it to a living soul, he was pleased it was a boy. That proud male trait that his legacy would continue.

"Son." He whispered to her large belly. His voice already parental. Already having to give his son a talking to.

Pulling up her shirt, he exposed her skin to him. Skin that was shinny and tight with the rapid growth of their child.
"I want you to stop messing with your mother's hormones, alright?" He said running a hand over the fluttering kicks. The child, safely cloistered in it's mother's body.
"Your making your mother upset and we can't do that." He said in a whisper. "Now, I know your sick of all those girl movies and books she reads. So were going to keep reading our book." He said throwing his wife a worried look.

He needn't have bothered. Ariadne was sleeping very soundly. Her breathing heavy and she would not wake till well into morning.

Arthur pulled out his worn copy of "Last of the Mohicans" and read. A soft whispered voice to her belly. An irresistible wonderment if his son could hear him.

The gentle kicking under her skin slowing as the life inside listened to his bedtime story.

~ END ~