Plucking Daisy
Chapter Chunks
Memory #1
The breeze is nice. The sun is glowing brightly overhead and keeping us warm but the cool air is blowing on my face in a way that keeps me from being too warm and it's nice. Daisy is reading a book, her fingers are tangled in my hair, twirling it this way and that as she reads. Her lap is my favorite place to rest my head. I just lay here for hours and look at her face as she reads.
She has this content smile that is barely there on lips, hanging. Her facial expressions are so volatile while reading; I can tell to a degree what's happening in her stories by the emotions on her face. Sometimes she even will read the words with the emotion of the characters on her face, pretending in her mind that she is the character. The whole thing makes me happy, almost perfect to just sit here and waste the days away with my head in her lap, her nose in a book, all under the shade of our favorite oak tree, atop this hill, far, far from the noise of the city. Just the two of us. Happy.
Plucking Daisy
Chapter Chunks
Memory #2
It's taking me a few moments to register what's happening. I'm just standing here with my eyes wide and this dumb look on my face, not moving. Then I hear another scream from the dining room, shrill and loud.
"Jonathan, get in here!" I hear the love of my life scream, "It's kicking! The baby's kicking!"
Those two little words jumpstart my heart and I blink, slowly turning to look at the doorway to the room; The Baby.
I drop the bowl of cake batter I'm stirring, and I hear the whisk fly somewhere, clanging on something and making a mess but I don't care, all I care about is being in that room, right now. When I round the corner I meet Daisy's eyes, which are wide and full of joy. Her hand is already reaching out to me, grabbing at the air, her other still on her stomach.
"Here, here, herehereherehere!"
When I'm close enough she grabs my wrist with an iron grip and yanks me forward and tripping me onto my knees. She places my hand gingerly onto her stomach, pressing it so I can feel, and at first I feel nothing.
We sit in silence, waiting, both of us sitting perfectly still as to not mistake our movement for the baby's. We sit for what feels like hours before I feel it, a nudge against my hand and I gasp. I hear Daisy's giggle and I press my hand on her harder and feel it again, this time two in a row.
I'm so happy I could cry. I press my face to her stomach and just laugh, I feel her arms wrap around my head, holding me, before she pulls my face up to hers and she kisses me. We sit like this, kissing and laughing, my hands holding her stomach, holding the two most important things in my entire life.