Kim POV
The pack had of course been thrilled for Jared and me with the pregnancy. Emily was especially happy to have someone to be pregnant with, and since we were also the first imprints, it felt right. By October I was a little over a month along, and Emily was three months. We weren't showing yet, and I swear we looked at each other in the mirror everyday waiting for it. Emily only had morning sickness, where as I threw up every day, the time of day varying. I knew it bothered Jared to see me so sick, but it was just a part of pregnancy.
I hadn't heard from Elan since the incident. I had never gone this long without talking to my brother. The longest we'd gone wasn't even because of a fight. It had been for a weekend when I went to visit my grandparents where they lived in the mountains without plumbing, electricity, or phones. They were major hippies, and we never stayed at their house but I was eleven and stupid and thought it would be fun. We never got to see them because Yaya wasn't too close to them since they hated that she got pregnant at nineteen. The two day's I was there I got food poisoning, stepped on a rattle snake but since it had just eaten a mouse it didn't snap back and bite me, and when I was swimming in the lake a leech attached itself to my arm. It would have been a three day stay, but Yaya had known something was up so she came up the mountain and got me. I had spent the drive home with my head on Elan's shoulder, his head leaning on mine.
That had only been two days and that separation had hurt. This one was killing me. I refused to back down however; he had to apologize to me, and to Jared. I could wait.
Like hell I could, but I couldn't change my mind. It would be like telling him he was right. I couldn't do that.
It was the middle of October when I had a particularly bad day at work. A five year old girl and her ten year old brother had reminded me so much of Elan and I that I cried in the restroom for fifteen minutes. I hardly ever cry, but pregnancy hormones have me spilling over every other day.
I walked into the house and plopped down on the floor in the foyer. I kicked off my shoes and tossed my bag to the side. My hand automatically went to my stomach. It was hard, but only had a teeny bump, and it was still too early to feel anything, but I knew my baby was there. "Your Uncle is just stubborn but he'll get over it." I said to the baby. My other hand stroked the thick area rug I was laying on. I sensed a familiar tug I felt whenever a certain someone entered the room.
"Who were you talking to?"
"Peanut."
Jared chuckled and laid down on the floor next to me, I hadn't even noticed the package he had. "This came for you." His voice changed as he handed it to me, like he knew what it was.
"What did you open it already? You know that's against the law Thail." I gasped and shot up into a sitting position as I recognized the return address label. It was my publisher, and the package was the size of a book. I shook it lightly, and it sounded like a book. My heartbeat quickened. Jared must have heard because he put his hand on my shoulder.
"Are you going to open it or just stare at it?"
I couldn't find my voice so I bit my lip and began opening the package. First I saw a note and felt Jared lean over so he could read it too.
Kim,
I thought you'd like to have the first copy. They will be on shelves in two weeks. I'll fax over some papers you need to sign. Enjoy your accomplishment, and congratulations.
Sincerely,
Eileen Corsa
I took a deep breath and removed the note, and there was my book. I carefully traced the words Sound of Fury by Kim Thail. My eyes watered and the book cover was a blur. Jared took it out of the box and just looked at it. "Kim this is…."
"Yea."
"Are you ok?"
"I'm just in shock. I've wanted this all my life, and here it is. I'm an author."
"You're an author."
We both looked at each other and started laughing and then screaming. I screamed "I'm an author!" and Jared screamed "My wife's an author!"
We were jumping around and yelling so much we didn't hear the back door open and someone come in until we heard someone call "Kim?"
The jumping stopped and we turned to see Elan staring at us. "What's with the screaming?"
Jared stood in front of me, and held out my book to Elan saying nothing. Elan took it and his eyes widened when he stared at it, and he smiled hugely. "Kim this is incredible!"
He started to walk towards me but Jared kept blocking me. I touched my hand to his arm meaning it was ok. He touched my face, nodded to Elan and walked out to the back yard. I stood wringing my hands as a nervous habit. "So um what are you doing here?"
Elan looked back at the book and then at me sighing. "Kim I don't even know how to apologize. I don't know what go into me I think I was just scared that you weren't going to be able to do everything you wanted. It was stupid of me I know you you've always been the most responsible person I know, and way ahead of your age. I'm so sorry Kim you don't know how much."
My arms itched to hug my brother but instead I wrapped them around my middle and stuck up my chin. "What took you so long hmm?"
"The next day I knew I was wrong but I was too nervous to come over here. I wasn't sure I'd be welcome anymore, I don't deserve to be."
"You really are stupid."
"I know."
"No, to think that you wouldn't be welcome in my house. Of course you are you chicken shit. You're always going to be my brother. Do you know how lose I've been not being able to talk to you. What if you hadn't of come over today? I woulda been sitting staring at my book and not being able to share all this with you until you came to your goddamn senses."
The look on Elan's face was all I needed to see. It was heartbreaking. I was in front of him in two steps and I buried my face in his chest. His arms came around me and I felt him shudder. "I missed you so much sister."
"No more fighting."
"Promise."
He did a scouts honor and kissed my forehead to seal it. I smiled. I had my brother back. I took the book from him and placed it carefully on the foyer table. Elan walked over to the kitchen and looked out the window. "I have to go talk to Jared now." He turned to me first. "I'm very proud of you Kim. Kid, you have no idea."
I gaped at his back as he walked out the back and watched him walk over to Jared. Their makeup session was a lot shorter. Elan said one thing Jared said another next thing I see is Elan laughing and Jared clapping him on the back. Then they turned to the lawn mower Jared was trying to fix, and stared at it like it was Narnia.
I shook my head at the window. Boys.
Review!
