Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: Hey guys, it's Ev. Let me just finish editing this chapter and then... *looks up as bathroom door opens* Z?
~ I... I picked up a couple tests on the way home tonight, just... in case. *takes seat on the sofa* And she was wrong tonight, that other dancer. I don't look pregnant.
Oh Z, love, I... I'm sorry. *takes her hand and squeezes* We'll keep trying. Okay? We'll try until we succeed.
~ *shakes her head* We can't keep trying, Ev.
You... don't want... to try anymore?
~ *bites her lip* No... we can't keep trying because you can't get me pregnant again once an egg has been fertilized.
Already? What do you mean alrea- *realizes* You-
~ *nods excitedly*
You're really... it was... positive?
~ *takes other hand from behind her back, and holds out both tests* They both are. We... *takes a deep breath and releases it* ... are having a baby.
*pulls her into my arms and kisses her* I'm gonna be a daddy?
~ Yes, you are going to be a daddy. And I am going to be a mommy. Evan, I'm pregnant. *immediately bursts into tears and buries her face in my shirt*
"Humanity owes this vow to those hundreds of thousands who, without any fault on their part, sometimes only because of their nationality or race, have been consigned to death or to a slow decline."
- Pope Pius XII (1876 - 1958), Leader of the Vatican during WWII
Berlin, Germany
12:00 Noon
Her eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, unsure of where she was or what had roused her from her sleep. She glanced around, trying to discern where exactly she was, not remembering the events of the last twenty-four hours or so. She reached out to touch the wall, thinking she was back in the Ghetto or in the alley she and Chava had hidden in, and she jumped as the wall beneath her fingers moved.
But soon, she was staring at Adrian, and it all came flooding back. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She watched him, gaze flicking to the tray he picked up again after having moved the dresser. He set the tray on the bed, and then returned, holding out a hand. A moment passed before she accepted it and slowly stood, being careful to not wake her sister, who was still sound asleep.
The feel of his hands on her waist as he helped her out of the wall sent a warmth through her body she had never felt before. It caused her cheeks to flush and the blood in her veins to boil, and she tightened her grip on his shoulders, but what startled her the most was the look in his eyes as he stood before her, still holding onto her waist, their bodies close together but still separated by a foot or so. "You okay? Steady?" She nodded, not trusting her voice. "Good." All too soon, he broke contact, going to the bed.
"I, um..." He cleared his throat; clearly, she hadn't been the only one affected, if the way he was acting was any indication. He glanced quickly at her, before gesturing to the tray. "I brought... some toast and a little jam. And there is also coffee and some cereal... and I managed to make a couple sandwiches... I don't know what Jews eat and what they don't so... I... I tried." She gave him a small smile as she joined him on the edge of the bed.
"Toda." He furrowed a brow.
"Toeda?"
"To-da." She clarified, he raised an eyebrow, and after a moment, she whispered, "Vielen Dank." He relaxed, nodding in return. A moment passed in silence, before she picked up a cup of coffee and took a sip. He watched, before taking the other cup, leaving the glass of milk for Chava when she awoke.
"How did you sleep? It's not too... difficult in there?" She followed his gaze towards the wall, and she bit her lip.
"It is... hard. But we make the best in the worst of circumstances. I am just grateful Chava and I have a place to sleep. That we are... no longer in the ghetto... or trudging through the sewers, considering eating rats." He shivered at the thought of being so desperate that even rats looked appetizing, and she giggled softly. The sound reminded him of sleigh bells at Christmas, and he longed to hear that sound again.
"I am glad Cora and I could help." She nodded, glancing towards the door.
"And your Ima? Does she know? What did she say when she saw your tray?" He shook his head.
"She is in the living room, fixing one of Cora's dresses. She didn't notice." Zahrah nodded, and he could tell that something weighed heavily on her mind. "What is it?"
"What if she finds us? Chava and I? She will cast us out to be caught by the Gestapo." Tears came to her eyes. "Chava... Chava will not survive the camps. I would not survive, but I have a better chance than a child does." He reached over, taking her hand.
"That won't happen, Zara. I won't let it. And Mother... Mother wouldn't let it. She would never turn away from anyone who needed help. She may resist at first, but soon she would do all she could to help. It is in her nature to help." She glance down at their hands, that feeling returning to her body; butterflies or bumblebees making quick work of her insides. She blushed, meeting his eyes, but soon a small whimper caught her attention and she set the cup down, standing and rushing to the wall.
"Chava. Chava!" She shook the girl's shoulder, ordering her gently to wake from her nightmare. From the moment they entered the sewers that day, Chava had suffered from nightmares- bombs and gunshots rang in her dreams, and she often clung to Zahrah for dear life, crying out for their parents and older siblings. "Chava, wake up for me. Chava." Slowly, the girl's eyes opened, meeting her sister's and she swallowed.
"Zahrah?" She nodded.
"Ken, Chava. I am here, you are safe." With a soft cry, the child pushed herself to her feet and threw her arms around her sister's neck. Zahrah held her close, glancing over her shoulder at Adrian.