The crowds roar
The days soar
The babies cry
Without you
"Dis spring is sure filled wid lots of rain," Blaze sighed as she sat by Bumlets' grave. "Da goils don't like me comin' by in da rain, sayin' I'll slip or somethin' on da street. I wish I could come more often."
Blaze replaced the expired flowers near his headstone with a fresh bouquet, and sat back in the grass. "I wanna make it up to ya. Ya know, for not comin' by cause of all da rain lately. I don't think dey'll miss me much taday, so I can stay longer." She heard the sound of a baby crying for its mother, and placed a hand over her belly.
~~~~
Bursting into the sickroom, Blaze hurried to Bumlets' bed, and bit her lip when she realized she had woken him up.
"Where's da fire, Blaze?" he asked groggily.
Unable to speak, Blaze threw off her coat that barely helped to protect her in the December weather, and slipped under the covers, hugging him tightly.
"Umph, Blaze, air. air is good," Bumlets uttered and took in a deep breath once Blaze finally let up. "Ya gonna tell me what's goin' on?"
Blaze stared at him wide-eyed, lost for words. She opened her mouth, but nothing would come out.
"Blaze?" he asked again.
"I - I." she stuttered. "I mean, we're. we're."
"Spit it out girl!" he exclaimed. "Ya've got me attention, dat's for sure."
Trying to form the right words, Blaze nearly gave up, until finally one word made it past her lips. "Baby." It had been months since they had first tried to have a baby, and the couple had nearly given up. Now that it was finally a reality, Blaze was speechless.
"Baby?" Bumlets hurried to ask. "Baby as in, our baby? Yer, yer pregnant!"
Blaze nodded and this time Bumlets suffocated her in a hug. He merely let up to grab his handkerchief, coughs deciding to tear through him for a few moments. Blaze waited for his coughing to subside and looked up into his eyes.
"I love you," she whispered.
Bumlets kissed her forehead. "I love you too." He was filled with mixed emotions. Overjoyed that they had created a life, Bumlets still felt the pain that came along with knowing he'd never see what the child looked like. Holding her tight, Bumlets rested his chin atop her head and closed his eyes.
"A little Blaze," he mumbled.
"Or a little Bumlets," Blaze chipped in.
The two fell silent; Blaze's mind reeling with the news still, and Bumlets' thoughts filled with the joy that he had succeeded in giving Blaze her wish, but also the anguish of wondering what the child might look and act like.
Finally Blaze pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Are you really okay wid dis?" she asked, sensing his discomfort.
Bumlets nodded sadly. "You'll make sure da baby knows what a handsome stud I am, right?" he teased lightly, feeling tears brim in his eyes.
Tears already slipping down her cheeks, Blaze ran her fingers down his jaw line. "A coise I'll tell da baby dat. And dat. dat his father did one of da most unselfish things ever for his girl. And dat she never thought anyone could love her dat much, and she only wished he knew she strived ta love him just as much, 'cause no one ever made her feel dat special before."
Bumlets slid his hand around to the back of her head and brought her close to his chest before she could see the tears in his eyes. "Love you," he mumbled into her hair.
"Love you more," Blaze whispered.
"Love ya most," he replied and hugged her tight.
~~~~
"Ya think dey're gonna be mad at me?" Blaze asked quietly. She hadn't realized how long she had stayed, and now darkness was blanketing the city. "I guess I better get back before I get in serious trouble," she frowned.
"Bums, da doctor says da baby is doin' fine. And yes, I'm still eatin' like I promised. I can't wait ta bring da baby here wid me. I know it's still months away, but I can't help bein' excited. I wanna know if it's a girl or a boy."
Blaze started to pull herself from the ground. "It helps, Bumlets, it really does. Knowin' dat I'm gonna have yer child ta look after makes me wanna live another day. Before, I felt like I lived each day to love you more, and nothin' could make me happier. Now, I'm gonna live each day ta bring up our baby and show it how much we loved each other."
Rubbing her eyes, Blaze smiled sadly. "I'll be back soon."
Quickly she turned around, fretting the journey home. She had never stayed out this late before in this part of town, and Blaze tried not to show how frightened she was as she walked through the streets.
She could distinctly hear the laughter of several intoxicated men near a bar, and the cries of the babies in the small apartments above her. Each sound only supplied her with a reason to walk faster.
Her arms protectively around her belly, Blaze kept her eyes focused on the street in front of her, afraid to turn around. It was different when Jack and Autumn had walked her home that one evening. She wasn't alone then, but now the streets seemed much more unforgiving. Blaze pressed on, aiming to make it home before she was in too much trouble.
The days soar
The babies cry
Without you
"Dis spring is sure filled wid lots of rain," Blaze sighed as she sat by Bumlets' grave. "Da goils don't like me comin' by in da rain, sayin' I'll slip or somethin' on da street. I wish I could come more often."
Blaze replaced the expired flowers near his headstone with a fresh bouquet, and sat back in the grass. "I wanna make it up to ya. Ya know, for not comin' by cause of all da rain lately. I don't think dey'll miss me much taday, so I can stay longer." She heard the sound of a baby crying for its mother, and placed a hand over her belly.
~~~~
Bursting into the sickroom, Blaze hurried to Bumlets' bed, and bit her lip when she realized she had woken him up.
"Where's da fire, Blaze?" he asked groggily.
Unable to speak, Blaze threw off her coat that barely helped to protect her in the December weather, and slipped under the covers, hugging him tightly.
"Umph, Blaze, air. air is good," Bumlets uttered and took in a deep breath once Blaze finally let up. "Ya gonna tell me what's goin' on?"
Blaze stared at him wide-eyed, lost for words. She opened her mouth, but nothing would come out.
"Blaze?" he asked again.
"I - I." she stuttered. "I mean, we're. we're."
"Spit it out girl!" he exclaimed. "Ya've got me attention, dat's for sure."
Trying to form the right words, Blaze nearly gave up, until finally one word made it past her lips. "Baby." It had been months since they had first tried to have a baby, and the couple had nearly given up. Now that it was finally a reality, Blaze was speechless.
"Baby?" Bumlets hurried to ask. "Baby as in, our baby? Yer, yer pregnant!"
Blaze nodded and this time Bumlets suffocated her in a hug. He merely let up to grab his handkerchief, coughs deciding to tear through him for a few moments. Blaze waited for his coughing to subside and looked up into his eyes.
"I love you," she whispered.
Bumlets kissed her forehead. "I love you too." He was filled with mixed emotions. Overjoyed that they had created a life, Bumlets still felt the pain that came along with knowing he'd never see what the child looked like. Holding her tight, Bumlets rested his chin atop her head and closed his eyes.
"A little Blaze," he mumbled.
"Or a little Bumlets," Blaze chipped in.
The two fell silent; Blaze's mind reeling with the news still, and Bumlets' thoughts filled with the joy that he had succeeded in giving Blaze her wish, but also the anguish of wondering what the child might look and act like.
Finally Blaze pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Are you really okay wid dis?" she asked, sensing his discomfort.
Bumlets nodded sadly. "You'll make sure da baby knows what a handsome stud I am, right?" he teased lightly, feeling tears brim in his eyes.
Tears already slipping down her cheeks, Blaze ran her fingers down his jaw line. "A coise I'll tell da baby dat. And dat. dat his father did one of da most unselfish things ever for his girl. And dat she never thought anyone could love her dat much, and she only wished he knew she strived ta love him just as much, 'cause no one ever made her feel dat special before."
Bumlets slid his hand around to the back of her head and brought her close to his chest before she could see the tears in his eyes. "Love you," he mumbled into her hair.
"Love you more," Blaze whispered.
"Love ya most," he replied and hugged her tight.
~~~~
"Ya think dey're gonna be mad at me?" Blaze asked quietly. She hadn't realized how long she had stayed, and now darkness was blanketing the city. "I guess I better get back before I get in serious trouble," she frowned.
"Bums, da doctor says da baby is doin' fine. And yes, I'm still eatin' like I promised. I can't wait ta bring da baby here wid me. I know it's still months away, but I can't help bein' excited. I wanna know if it's a girl or a boy."
Blaze started to pull herself from the ground. "It helps, Bumlets, it really does. Knowin' dat I'm gonna have yer child ta look after makes me wanna live another day. Before, I felt like I lived each day to love you more, and nothin' could make me happier. Now, I'm gonna live each day ta bring up our baby and show it how much we loved each other."
Rubbing her eyes, Blaze smiled sadly. "I'll be back soon."
Quickly she turned around, fretting the journey home. She had never stayed out this late before in this part of town, and Blaze tried not to show how frightened she was as she walked through the streets.
She could distinctly hear the laughter of several intoxicated men near a bar, and the cries of the babies in the small apartments above her. Each sound only supplied her with a reason to walk faster.
Her arms protectively around her belly, Blaze kept her eyes focused on the street in front of her, afraid to turn around. It was different when Jack and Autumn had walked her home that one evening. She wasn't alone then, but now the streets seemed much more unforgiving. Blaze pressed on, aiming to make it home before she was in too much trouble.
